America's Ace Drummer Man: Gene Krupa Gene Krupa Selected Discography






indicates availability on compact disc.

This listing only includes selected Lp, Ep, and CD releases and is not meant to be a complete guide. I have included pull-down menus with track listings for certain albums. With the amount of recordings available, reduncancy is inevitable. A large percentage of these albums are out-of-print, including some of the CDs. With a little searching, you should be able to find them through a good used record store.





Recordings as a Sideman


Eddie Condon - Chicago Style (ASV Living Era CD AJA 5192) Features 2 tracks from Gene's first recording session in 1927, as well as 4 cuts from 1928. Other sidemen include Frank Teshemacher, Bud Freeman and Jack Teagarden. This is a historical landmark in drumming! Also features the drumming of Sid Catlett & George Wettling.
Bix Beiderbecke - 1924-1930 (DRG 36183) Early dates featuring Bing Crosby, Goodman, Jack Teagarden, Tommy & Jimmy Dorsey & others.

Bix Beiderbecke - At the Jazz Band Ball (ASV/Living Era 5080) Early dates featuring Bing Crosby, Goodman, Jack Teagarden, Tommy & Jimmy Dorsey & others.

Fats Waller - Fats Waller and His Buddies (Bluebird 61005-2) 1927-29 recordings featuring Red Allen, James P. Johnson, Eddie Condon & others.

Coleman Hawkins - 1929-1934 (Classics 587) Features John Kirby, Red Allen, Pee Wee Russell, Muggsy Spanier & others.

Billie Holiday - The Legacy Box 1933-1958 (Columbia C3K-47724) 3 disc set covers Holiday's career. With Count Basie, Red Allen, Chu Berry & others.

Benny Goodman - 1931-1933 (Classics 719) Features Bunny Berigan, Teagarden, Ray Bauduc, Glenn Miller & others.

Benny Goodman and The Giants of Swing (Prestige 7644) - 1933-35 recordings featuring Jack Teagarden.

The Complete Benny Goodman, Vol. 1 (1935) (RCA AXK2-5505) -Early dates with Goodman, features first Trio recordings.

Benny Goodman - Stompin' at the Savoy (Bluebird 61067-2) 1935-38 Recordings arranged by Count Basie & Fletcher Henderson, featuring Bunny Berigan.

Benny Goodman - The Birth of Swing (Bluebird 61038-2) 3 disc set featuring all of Goodman's 1935-36 recordings. I won't list the entire track listing but this baby is packed! Total of 71 tracks including lots of alternate takes.

Benny Goodman - Airplay (Doctor Jazz AGK-40350) 1936-38 live broadcasts featuring full band, trio & quartet. Davey Tough plays drums on 11 cuts.

Benny Goodman Trio & Quartet - The Complete RCA Victor Small Group Recordings
(BMG 09026-68764-2) 3 disc set of every small group recording from July 1935 to April 1939. Includes 20 alternate takes, booklet with several pics and picture discs. Disc 3 features Davey Tough on drums. A must have collection!

Benny Goodman - On the Air 1937-1938 (Columbia/Legacy 4883) 2 disc set of live material previously released on 1937-38 Jazz Concert #2. Also includes several unreleased live recordings with full band, trio & quartet. Also features the drumming of Davey Tough and Buddy Schutz.

Benny Goodman - 1938 Bill Dodge All-Star Recordings Complete (Circle 111) Remastered tracks featuring Jack Jenney on trombone.

Benny Goodman Live At Carnegie Hall (Columbia Jazz Masterpieces G2K 40244) Legendary 1938 recording featuring full band, Trio and Quartet. The first jazz concert performed at Carnegie Hall and one of the most important recordings in the history of jazz. If you get one Krupa recording, this should be the one.

Benny Goodman At Carnegie Hall - Complete (Columbia/Legacy C2K 65143) Same as above with 2 extra songs previously unavailable (Sometimes I'm Happy, If Dreams Come True). Also includes Buck Clayton's infamous 3rd chorus on "Honeysuckle Rose" which was edited from the original release, along with Freddie Green's unamplified guitar solo.

The Original Benny Goodman Trio & Quartet Sessions Vol. 1 (Bluebird Treasury Series 5631-2-RB) Studio recordings from 1935-37.

Benny Goodman and his Orchestra - Sing, Sing, Sing (Bluebird Treasury Series 5630-2-RB) Big Band recordings from 1935-38.

Benny Goodman - Way Down Yonder (1943-1944) (Vintage Jazz Classics 100) Recordings made for WWII servicemen. Original recordings & outtakes.

The Benny Goodman Story (MCA MCAD-4055) 1956 Film soundtrack recreates Goodman's golden era.

Benny Goodman - Together Again (Bluebird 6283-2-RB13) 1963 Reunion with Teddy Wilson & Lionel Hampton.

Benny Goodman - King of Swing 1958-1967 (Accord 300152) Features a myriad of top names. Dinah Shore, Lionel Hampton, Charlie Byrd, Barney Kessel & others.

Charlie Christian - 1939-1941 (Best of Jazz 4032) Compilation featuring Count Basie, Goodman, Jo Jones, Cootie Williams & many others.

Lionel Hampton - Compact Jazz (Verve 833287) All star recordings from 1954-55 featuring Gene on a few tracks.

Eddie Condon - The Town Hall Concerts (Jazzology JCD-1001/1002, 1003/1004, 1005/1006, 1007/1008, 1009/10) Five 2 cd sets of Condon's legendary traditional jazz all-star bands. Available directly through Jazzology.

Norman Granz' Jazz at the Philharmonic - Hartford 1953 (Pablo Live 2308-240) Features Gene on "Cottontail" with all-star band, includes Charlie Shavers, Roy Eldridge, Flip Phillips, Willie Smith and others.

Cozy Cole - Drum Beat for Dancing Feet (Coral CRL 757423) Highly commercial 1962 production featuring Cole, Krupa, Ray McKinley and Panama Francis. Orchestra directed by Henry Jerome.

Eddie Condon - Live At The New School (Chiaroscuro CR 110) - Gene's final officially released recording from April 1972. Features Wild Bill Davison, Kenny Davern and Dick Wellstood.


Recordings as a Leader


Gene Krupa & his Orchestra - The Chronogical 1935-38 (Classics 754)The first cd in an excellent series from France's "Classics" label. Features every recording from Gene Krupa & his Chicagoans with Benny Goodman & Israel Crosby, Gene Krupa's Swing Band with Goodman, Roy Eldredge & Chu Berry, and Gene's first Orchestra from 1938.

Gene Krupa & his Orchestra - The Chronogical 1938 (Classics 767)Complete collection of Gene's 1938 band featuring Vido Musso & Irene Day.

Gene Krupa & his Orchestra - The Chronogical 1939 (Classics 799)22 recordings featuring Irene Day & Floyd O' Brien.

Gene Krupa & his Orchestra - The Chronogical 1939-40 (Classics 834)23 track collection features trumpeter Corky Cornelius & guitarist Ray Biondi.

Gene Krupa & his Orchestra "The Radio Years" 1940 (Jazz Unlimited JUCD 2021) Live remote recording from Frank Dailey's Meadowbrook features Corky Cornelius and Floyd O'Brien. Includes announcer Bill Abernathy repeatedly referring to Gene as "America's #1 Drummer Boy, Gene Kruper."

The Gene Krupa Story (Proper Records U.K) 4 CD set, not to be confused with the film soundtrack, containing 99 songs from 1938 to 1947. Studio recordings and airchecks with varying sound quality.

Drums Drums Drums - Gene Krupa (Castle MAC CD 362) Studio recordings and previously unreleased live dates from 1939 to the mid-forties. Features Roy Eldridge, Leo Watson and Red Rodney.

Drummin' Man (Columbia C2L-29) - Excellent 1938-1949 anthology. Features 2 Lps and booklet.

Gene Krupa & His Orchestra (Jazz Hour JH-1044) - Excellent collection of airchecks from 1939 to 1943, featuring Roy Eldridge, Charlie Ventura and Buddy DeFranco. Includes lots of funny banter between Gene and the announcer.

Uptown - Roy Eldridge with the Gene Krupa Orchestra featuring Anita O'Day. (Columbia Jazz Masterpieces CK 45448) 1941-1949 material showcases Roy Eldridge's days with Krupa.
Gene Krupa Jazz Trio (Columbia Hall of Fame Series B2519) - 7" EP features 4 cuts with Charlie Ventura & Teddy Napoleon.

Gene Krupa & his Orchestra 1944-46 (Hep 16) - Live big band recordings featuring strings. With Charlie Ventura and Red Rodney.

Town Hall Concert (Commodore CCD 7006) - out-of-print. Excellent all around concert featuring GK Jazz Trio, Bill Coleman Quartet, Teddy Wilson with Flip Phillips and the Stuff Smith Trio.
Drummin' Man (Columbia CL2515 10"Lp) - previously released first Big Band recordings.

Gene Krupa & his Orchestra On the Air (Aircheck 35) - 1944-46 radio broadcasts, 1943 V-Discs.

That Drummer's Band (Epic/Encore Series EE22027) - 1940-1942.

Challenging the Challenger (First Herd FH 35) - 1945 Big Band with string section.

Gene Krupa V-Disc Recordings (IMC/Movieplay) - WWII recordings made for servicemen, features GK Jazz Trio and Gene announcing a few cuts. Track listing on cd insert is out of order, with various typos and also has "Boogie Blues" titled as "Ooh Hot Dog"(as does the original V-Disc 78). Nevertheless is a great, rare recording.

Gene Krupa & his Orchestra with Anita O'Day and Roy Eldridge (Verve 2008)
Norman Granz' produced 1956 reunion.

Gene Krupa - Drummer Man (Verve MGV-2008) Reunion band with Roy Eldridge & Anita O'Day from 1956.

Gene Krupa (Columbia Special Products JCL 753) - Big Band recordings from 1940-47, featuring Roy Eldridge & Anita O'Day.

Gene Krupa & his Orchestra - Krupa Swings (Encore P 14379) - Unissued and re-issued Big Band recordings from first band, 1938-42.

King Krupa - Gene Krupa Orchestra (Swing Treasury 106) - Live 1945 recordings feature Charlie Ventura, Anita O'Day and Buddy Stewart.

Gene Krupa & his Orchestra - Hollywood Palladium Jan. 18, 1945 (Canby CACD-1003) Poor quality radio broadcasts with Charlie Ventura & Buddy Stewart.

Gene Krupa & his Orchestra - What's This? 1946 Vol. 1 (Hep CD 26) Featuring Red Rodney and the GK Jazz Trio with Charlie Ventura.

Gene Krupa & his Orchestra - It's Up To You 1946 Vol.2 (Hep CD 46) Another excellent release from England's Hep label. Features arrangements by Eddie Finkel & Gerry Mulligan. Recordings of full band and Jazz Trio.

Gene Krupa & his Orchestra - Hop, Skip and Jump 1946 Vol.3 (Hep CD 51)Third disc in the Hep series features 1946 & 1947 studio and broadcast recordings. Recordings of full band and Jazz Trio.

Hot Drums - Gene Krupa (Stack-O-Hits Lp AG 9048) (Classic CD 7776) - previously unreleased(as of the Lp's 1981 release) live Big Band performances from the late 40's. Also available on CD.

Gene Krupa-Marty Napoleon-Charlie Ventura (Ozone 25) - Budget Lp of bootlegged trio performance from 1952. Teddy Napoleon actually plays piano, not Marty.

The Original Drum Battle - Gene Krupa & Buddy Rich (Verve V6-8484) JATP recordings from 1952 and 1954. Featuring Lionel Hampton and Oscar Peterson. Also available on cd under the original Lp title, "The Drum Battle", on Verve 314 559 810-2.

Jazz At the Philharmonic - Gene Krupa & Buddy Rich The Drum Battle (Verve 815 146 1) - Repackaging of "The Original Drum Battle" with slightly different track listing. Featuring Lester Young and Buddy DeFranco.
Jazz At The Philharmonic In Tokyo 1953 (Pablo Live PACD-2620-104-2) - Great 2 cd set features Oscar Peterson and Benny Carter with the GK Trio. Gene's solo on "Stompin' At the Savoy" is incredible! Also includes Ella Fitzgerald and the JATP All-Stars.

Gene Krupa Quartet and Max Roach/Clifford Brown Quintet (Hall of Fame Jazz Greats JG 633) -
Recorded live in 1955 at Jazz at the Philharmonic. Features Eddie Shu, Bobby Scott and Whitey Mitchell. One of the best live dates by Gene, his drums are explosive. Includes a 16 minute version of "Sing Sing Sing."


Drum Boogie - Gene Krupa his Trio & Sextet (Verve/Clef MGC-703) - Excellent Lp features reconstituted trio recordings with Charlie Ventura & Teddy Napoleon and "All-Star" sextet with Charlie Shavers, Teddy Wilson and Willie Smith.

Classics In Percussion - Gene Krupa (Verve-8450) - 1961 semi-classical release features 4 man percussion group including Mousey Alexander. Great display of Gene's orchestral training. Also released by Verve under the title Percussion King (Verve-8414).

Perdido - The Gene Krupa Quartet (Swing House SWH 21) - Live small group recordings from 1961-62. Featuring Charlie Ventura.

Gene Krupa Plays Gerry Mulligan Arrangements (Verve/Clef 8292) - 1958 big band recordings, very modern sounding group.

The Gene Krupa Story (Verve Celebrity 15010) - 1959 film soundtrack. Features Shelly Manne, Red Nichols and Anita O'Day.

Gene Krupa (MGM Golden Archive Series GAS-132) - 1950-1958 big band and small group recordings.

Norman Granz Jazz At the Philharmonic featuring the Gene Krupa Trio (Verve 8031) - 1952 live recordings with Charlie Ventura and Teddy Naploleon.

Sing, Sing, Sing (Verve 8190) - 1952 small group with Eddie Shu and Teddy Naploleon.

Gene Krupa Quartet (Clef MGC-668) - 1954-55 Recordings featuring Eddie Shu.

The Jazz Rhythms of Gene Krupa (Verve 8204) - 1954 recordings with Eddie Shu and Dave McKenna.

Krupa Rocks (Verve 8276) - 1957 small group recordings.

Hey, Here's Gene Krupa (Verve 8300) - 1957 small group recordings featuring Eddie Shu and Dave McKenna.

Big Noise From Winnetka (Verve 8310) Live small group recording with Eddie Wasserman, Ronnie Ball and Jimmy Gannon. Recorded at Chicago's London House, 1959. Also available through Japanese import on Verve CD POCJ-2759

The Great New Gene Krupa Quartet featuring Charlie Ventura (Verve 8584) - 1964 Creed Taylor produced small group outing. Very "modern" sounding group.

Gene Krupa Compact Jazz (Verve 833 286-2) previously released big band & small group recordings from 1953-58.

Swing Back With Gene Krupa (B&C Records 74074-2) Budget release of early-mid forties big band material.

Gene Krupa & his Orchestra - Drum Boogie (Columbia/Legacy CK 53425) First big band recordings from 1940-41.

Krupa and Rich - Gene Krupa & Buddy Rich (Verve 314 521 643-2) All-Star drum duel recordings from 1955. CD features Buddy Rich bonus tracks not released on original Lp.

Gene Krupa & Buddy Rich - Burnin' Beat (Verve 8471) - Second studio recording with BR from 1962. Legend has it that Gene & Buddy didn't actually meet in the studio for these recordings. Gene's slowing down is evident on the "drum battles."

Louis Bellson & Gene Krupa - The Mighty Two (Roulette Birdland R-52098) - 1963 drum instruction Lp based on rudimental studies, features Dick Hyman and Milt Hinton. Also available on CD on Unidisc AGEK-2015.

Gene Krupa (Time-Life A-17587/R960-13) Big Band recordings from 1939-45, featuring Anita O'Day and Roy Eldridge.

The Swingin' Gene Krupa Quartet (Star Line SG-8019) - live dates from 1959 and 1965 featuring Eddie Wasserman & Carmen Leggio.

Gene Krupa (Metro MS-518) - Previously released 1950's big band & small group recordings.

Gene Krupa & Buddy Rich (Verve Walkman Jazz 835 314-4) Material previously released on "Krupa and Rich" and "Burnin' Beat."

Gene Krupa and his Men Of Jazz (Starline SLC-61006) - Live Quartet recording from 1958 featuring Teddy Napoleon.

Gene Krupa Ace Drummer Man Volume 2 (Starline SLC-61071) - live 1967 recording of Quartet on the television show "Dial M for Music" with Eddie Shu. Features interview with Gene.

Gene Krupa & his Orchestra - Swingin' With Krupa (RCA Camden CAK-340) - previously released material from Gene Krupa & his Chicagoans, Gene Krupa's Swing Band and the final incarnation of the Big Band, Fats Waller tunes and "country & westernish" sides!

Gene Krupa In Concert with The Six Star International Jazz Band (DBK Jazz 70015) A never- commercially released live show by Gene, circa 1971, with the Detroit-based, traditional jazz group. Features more soloing by Gene than on anything commercially released by him since the late 1950s!






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