A SONG IS BORN

Professor Hobart Frisbee (Danny Kaye) starts his lesson rather squarely but with the help of his talented friends Lionel Hampton, Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, The Golden Gate Quartet, Tommy Dorsey, Mel Powell, Louis Bellson, Charlie Barnett and more, he builds a song from the ground up. Great swinging tune from all the greats in this clip from the 1948 musical, A Song is Born. Thanks to jazzman Tom DeGraff for the tip.

DRUM BATTLE ROYALE!

Drum solos may be out of fashion (I think of the drunk yelling out "Caravan with a drum solo!") but here are two great drummers from the old school, Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich, battling it out like the wizards in Lord of the Rings. These guys have been practicing their rudiments and paraddidles, as our school bandleader Mr. Fitzimmons used to say.

Go, man, Go!