Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich: a critical focus on two iconic swing drummers
The Drum kit in Jazz has gone through an evolution from simply timekeeping to becoming a solo instrument and an equal member of the band. It was in the Swing era that the popularity of the drummer exploded for the first time. There were two men of this era and beyond who have reached the status as iconic Swing Drummers. Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich have achieved this with their amazing musicality, technical ability and showmanship. Highlighted will be four core aspects of this critical analysis. Firstly, their backgrounds and formative years will be looked at. Secondly, their first bands and beyond will be identified. Then there role in the world of drumming will be analysed.…show more content… Krupa’s was first introduced to music at age of eleven while he was working for Brown Music Company as an errand boy. Krupa’s mother wanted him to become a priest of the Catholic Church, however, Gene knew music was what he wanted to do (Griffith, 2009). Krupa was drawn to the drums because they were the cheapest item in the shop. Whilst growing up in Chicago Krupa was drawn to Jazz and Krupa was attracted to the drumming of Tubby Hall, Zutty Singleton and Warren “Baby” Dodds (Larkin, 2006). It was around his teens Krupa received tuition from teachers Al Silverman, Ed Straight and Roy Knapp (Dempsey, 2002). Bernard Rich, better known as Buddy Rich was born in Brooklyn, New York on the 30th September 1917 (Larkin, 2006). Unlike Krupa who got into drumming at age eleven, Rich started drumming when he was eighteen months old he was named “Traps the Drum Wonder” and was part of his parents Vaudeville act (The Official Buddy Rich). Rich was the second highest paid child star in the world (Drummerworld). At the age of four he was a tap dancer on Broadway and at age six he was touring USA and Australia before leading his first band at the age eleven (Larkin,…show more content… Krupa and Rich were not just drummers of the swing era, but were both iconic drummers beyond the big band style. They moved with the changing times of the 1940’s by adapting to bebop in different ways; Krupa’s drumming never really adapted to bebop, but his big band was one of the first to use bebop material as part of the bands repertoire. His use of arrangements by Gerry Mulligan and Eddie Finckel, as well as showcasing future bebop musicians Buddy DeFranco and Urbie Green is a case in point (Klauber, 1990). However, Rich’s drumming adapted to bebop, with Rich even performing with bebop players Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Thelonious Monk. Rich in his later years even took on rock music elements into his big bands repertoire in addition to his own drumming (Hosiasson, 2002). Krupa allowed Roy Eldridge to be a part of his trumpet section, thus making him the first black musician to be a member of a white band, rather than just as an additional attraction (Klauber, 1990). It was Krupa’s drumming and film star good looks in the Goodman band that contributed to the success of that band and when he formed his first big band (Larkin, 2006). Krupa’s influence has not just been in jazz but has reached other genres too; Peter Criss original drummer for rock band KISS said “he was my idol. I got to talk to him and he really liked me. He gave me