The saxophone, the bass, the piano … but what about the drums? In this playlist, I try to trace the role of drums in the history of jazz. From the ‘oompah oomph’ of the bass drum, to ‘pea soup pea-soup’ of the hi-hat, hopefully this selection covers the lot:
‘Heebie Jeebies’ – Louis Armstrong’s Hot Five
It’s 1926, and clarinettist Mezz Mezzrow rushes up to his friends on a street corner in Harlem holding a record of Louis Armstrong singing ‘Heebie Jeebies’, the first recording of him doing his scat singing. Legend has it that Satchmo’s lyric sheet fell on the floor and so he started to substitute sounds for the missing words. Word of this new sound spreads rapidly and soon everyone is doing it. There are no drums on this record: the rhythm comes from the strumming of the banjo player.
‘Summertime’ – Sidney Bechet
By 1938, the drums were a staple of most jazz recordings.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in