Louie Bellson
Albums
A Salute to the Big Band Masters. Powerhouse salute to big-band masters. ~ Ron Wynn, All Music Guide
Good combo date from a veteran drummer with substantial swing and big band credentials. Bellson's recent records adhere to established musical values, yet seem to have a freshness [more]
Rather than try to recreate Duke Ellington's famous "Black, Brown & Beige," Louie Bellson's big band does a reinterpretation of the 50-minute work on this CD that takes a lot of [more]
Louie Bellson's big bands are always hot and explosive, if not all that surprising. This 1987 CD features four originals by the drummer, three obscurities, and an opening "Caravan" that has [more]
Appearances
This is not and cannot be the Complete Cole Porter Songbooks, but it's a marvelous collection of 48 timeless jazz interpretations drawn from the Verve catalog. [more]
As he left Ellington said, 'It was lovely.' At 8:00 a.m., he and his band were off to an engagement in Oklahoma City. For Duke, it was back to business as usual, but, as Whitney Balliett wrote in The New Yorker, the maestro 'was finally given his due by his country.' -Doug Ramsey
One of the undeniable highlights of President Richard Nixon's administration was the 1969 White House gala celebrating Duke Ellington's 70th birthday, though jazz [more]
One of the giants of American popular song gets his due with this three-disc Verve box, comprising a trio of separately released compilations. Though Mercer's [more]
A Salute to the Big Band Masters. Powerhouse salute to big-band masters. ~ Ron Wynn, All Music Guide
Good combo date from a veteran drummer with substantial swing and big band credentials. Bellson's recent records adhere to established musical values, yet seem to have a freshness [more]
When 1965-1972 was first released a decade ago, all of the music was being put out for the first time. The 15 selections are from 10 different [more]
A really cool CD, and one of the better Goodman volumes, despite its 16 songs being drawn from across five years (1941-1946). Most of the material is instrumental [more]
One of Benny Goodman's greatest combos was the sextet that he led in 1945. With Red Norvo on vibes, either Teddy Wilson or Mel Powell on piano and the humming bass solos [more]
Rather than try to recreate Duke Ellington's famous "Black, Brown & Beige," Louie Bellson's big band does a reinterpretation of the 50-minute work on this CD that takes a lot of [more]
Arthur Fiedler, one of the best-selling conductors in history and director of the Boston Pops for 50 years, summed up his uniquely programmed concerts [more]
Biography
- Born Jul 6th 1924 in Rock Falls, IL
- Died Feb 14th 2009 in Los Angeles, CA
One of the great drummers of all time (and one of the few whose name can be said in the same sentence with Buddy Rich), Louie Bellson has the rare ability to continually hold one's interest throughout a 15-minute solo. He became famous in the 1950s for using two bass drums simultaneously, but Bellson was never a gimmicky or overly bombastic player. In addition to being able to drive a big band to exciting effect, Bellson can play very quietly with a trio and sound quite satisfied.
Winner of a Gene Krupa talent contest while a teenager, Bellson was with the big bands of Benny Goodman (1943 and 1946), Tommy Dorsey (1947-1949), and Harry James (1950-1951) before replacing Sonny Greer with the Duke Ellington Orchestra. A talented writer, Bellson contributed "Skin Deep" and "The Hawk Talks" to Ellington's permanent repertoire. Bellson married Pearl Bailey in 1952, and the following year left Ellington to be her musical director. Bellson toured with Jazz at the Philharmonic (1954-1955), recorded many dates in the 1950s for Verve, and was with the Dorsey Brothers (1955-1956), Count Basie (1962), Duke Ellington (1965-1966), and Harry James (1966). He continued to be active, leading big bands (different ones on the East and West Coasts), putting together combos for record dates, giving clinics for younger drummers, and writing new music. Bellson has recorded extensively for Roulette (early '60s), Concord, Pablo, and Music Masters. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
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