New Releases and News in the World of Gene Krupa...
NEW JAZZ LEGENDS WEBSITE - Bruce Klauber's fabulous website has been redesigned with a great new format. And even better, prices for all cds and books is just $15.00! Be sure to check it out at JazzLegends.com.
NEW GK CDs & VIDEOs "Gene Krupa: In Transition, 1949-1952" presents over an hour of rare Krupa music from one of the most crucial periods in his musical history. Though the big band era was over, Gene kept his going until 1951. On this CD, we have what were among Gene's final big band sessions from 1949 and 1950, and the first session of the "reconstituted" Gene Krupa Jazz Trio with Charlie Ventura and Teddy Napoleon from 1952. Some, but not all of these tracks were originally issued on the long, out-of-print LPs "Swingin' With Krupa" (RCA/Camden) and "The Gene Krupa Trio Collates" (Clef/10"). Bonus tracks are an ultra-rare Tonight Show appearance by Gene from 1962, where Gene plays a big band arrangement of his small-group feature "Caravan," is interviewed by the one and only Johnny Carson and has a drum battle with Carson. A must have. Price is $20 with free shipping worldwide.
CD: "Gene Krupa In Concert: 1971" Never listed in any Krupa discography, this is a live concert recorded at The Forman School in Litchfield, CT on May 29, 1971. It was recently discovered that about a dozen stereo LPs were privately pressed of this fabulous outing, and the actual producer of the concert found one and has given us permission to issue it on CD. Here's Gene with the cream of New England-based "traditionally-oriented" musicians, playing songs like "China Boy," "Honeysuckle Rose," "Lester Leaps In," "At The Jazz Band Ball" and more. Price: $20.
"Gene Krupa: Jazz Legend," the first Krupa video for DCI Music Video, will be released in a deluxe DVD version in the coming weeks complete with never-before-seen bonus clips. For more info, log onto: www.Warnerbrospublications.com.
"Raw Footage By Request #2: 1937-1966. More unbelievable, long-unseen clips of Gene. Two Mike Douglas Programs with the Jazz Quartet from 1965 and 1966 (one includes a Krupa-Douglas-Vic Damone drum lesson), the very rare "Melody In F" segement with great drum solo from "Glamour Girl" (1948), "Big Noise From Winnetka" with Bob Haggart from one of the late 1950s "Timex All Star Jazz Shows," two numbers from "The Big Broadcast of 1937" featuring Gene with the Benny Goodman Orchestra, and "Boogie Blues," "Lover" and "Leave Us Leap" from the 1947 Krupa band. Please note that the footage is unedited (hence the title "Raw") and the Douglas shows have a time code at the bottom of the screen. 41 minutes running time, price: $30.
These products will not be posted on our web site for some time. To order them now, send cash, check or money order (shipping is free worldwide) to: Bruce Klauber, Box 496, Lafayette Hill, PA 19444.
To order from JazzLegends.com via your credit card/PayPal, simply order any $20 CD or any $30 video, and in the "message" section, just list which of the above titles you want.
3 NEW CDs FROM JAZZLEGENDS.COM - three fabulous new cds are now available from JazzLegends:
The Benny Goodman Quartet at Saratoga: August 18, 1973 - Said to be Gene's last performance, this surprisingly above-average audience recording is nonetheless a hot and hard-swinging document of the Original BG Quartet at its best. Despite Gene's illness, he never sounded better. $20
The Gene Krupa Jazz Quartet: Staten Island: March 20, 1972 - A certifiable and previously undocumented find has Gene's working group--Eddie Shu, Knobby Totah and Marty Napoleon--romping through Caravan, Undecided, Sing Sing Sing, Drum Boogie and more. Decidedly on the low-fi side from an audience recording, this is well worth having if only because Gene is absolutely astounding! $20
Gene Krupa: Drummin' Man, a two-CD set - Columbia Records issued these two LPs in 1963--now long, long out-of-print--and they remain the finest overview of Gene's big band from 1938 to 1949. The 32 tracks on two CDs feature all of Gene's hits and all of his stars--Ventura, O'Day, Eldridge, Frank Rosolino, Teddy Napoleon, Irene Daye, et. al. This transfer is exceptional, in that it came from a limited edition CD release that was only issued in Canada very briefly some years ago. The two-CD set is $35.
For more info or to order, visit JazzLegends.com
GET YOUR SHEET MUSIC HERE! - Looking for some music charts for that classic Big Band tune? Be sure to check out Sheet Music Plus with the biggest collection of music available on the net.
DRUMMERMAN.NET JAZZ CLASSICS - I have put together a collection of what I consider to be some of the best recordings in the history of Jazz. It also includes some great videos and books, all of which are available for purchase. You can check it out at www.drummerman.net/jazzclassics/.
NOW ON DVD
"CLASSIC DRUM SOLOS AND BATTLES" & "CLASSIC JAZZ DRUMMERS: Swing and Beyond" are now available on DVD from Hudson Music. For more information or to order, click on the buttons above!
I would like to thank Roy Anderson, President of the Gene Krupa International Jazz Association, for passing along his personal memories of Gene. Roy formed the association along with Gene in 1956. Roy is still periodically sending newsletters so if you would like to be placed on his mailing list, you can drop him a note at the following address below. For those out of the US, please include a self addressed stamped envelope.
Gene Krupa Association
2676 West Main Street
Wappingers Falls, NY 12590
Please e-mail with any comments, suggestions, or contributions!
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This
website was created in March 1997. Last update on Thursday, February 16, 2006.
DISCLAIMER: This
site was constructed solely in memory of Gene Krupa, the man who inspired
me to become a drummer.I
do not claim ownership rights to any information, photos, images or
music used. I only claim rights to the website layout and any original
graphics.
Copyright © 1997-2004, Shawn C. Martin.