Gene Krupa and his orchestra – in session for Capitol Transcriptions – February 20, 1946 – Gordon Skene Sound Collection –
Gene Krupa for a Saturday night/Sunday morning. From a series of sessions Krupa for Capitol Records Transcription service in 1946, six numbers from that session:
1. Indiana
2. Up and Atom
3. Wings on my shoes
4. Hop, Skip and Jump
5. Out of Nowhere
6. Boogie Woogie Blues.
The band features: Charlie Kennedy, Harry Terrill (as), Charlie Ventura, Buddy Wise (ts), Joe Koch (bar), Jimmy Millazzio, Red Rodney, Joe Triscari, Ray Triscari (t), Bob Ascher, Nick Gaglio, Tasso Harris, Dick Taylor (tb), Mike Triscari (g), Teddy Napoleon (p), Irv Lang (b), Joe Dale, Gene Krupa (d), Carolyn Grey, Buddy Stewart (vocals)
As the 1940s ended, Count Basie closed his band and Woody Herman reduced his to an octet. In 1951, Krupa cut down the size of his band to a ten-piece for a short while and from 1952 on he led trios, then quartets, often with Charlie Ventura then Eddie Shu on tenor sax, clarinet, and harmonica. He appeared regularly in the Jazz at the Philharmonic concerts. In 1950’s, Krupa returned to Hollywood to appear in the films The Glenn Miller Story and The Benny Goodman Story. In 1959, the movie biography The Gene Krupa Story was released; Sal Mineo portrayed Krupa, and the film included cameos by Anita O’Day and Red Nichols. During the 1950s and ’60’s, Krupa often played at the Metropole near Times Square in Manhattan. He continued to perform in famous clubs in the 1960s, including the Showboat Lounge in northwest Washington, D.C. With peer Cozy Cole, Gene started a music school in 1954 that carried on into the 1960’s. Some of the school’s students included Peter Criss of KISS and Jerry Nolan of The New York Dolls. Doug Clifford of Creedence Clearwater Revival cited Krupa as an inspiration. Krupa was still very busy in the early 1970s until shortly before his death. That included several reunion concerts of the original Benny Goodman Quartette. April 17, 1973, the Gene Krupa Quartet, composed of Eddie Shu (tenor and clarinet), John Bunch (piano), Nabil Totah (Bass) and Krupa (drums), recorded a live performance at the New School featuring the Louis Prima composition “Sing, Sing, Sing.”
Enjoy the session.
