Drum Boogie

"Drum Boogie" is a 1941 jazz "boogie-woogie" standard, composed by Gene Krupa[1] and trumpeter Roy Eldridge and originally sung by Irene Daye, soon replaced by Anita O'Day.[2][3][4]

Movie appearance[edit]

It was first recorded on January 17, 1941 in Chicago and was also featured in a film that year, Ball of Fire, performed by Krupa and his band in an extended version, when it was sung by Barbara Stanwyck, whose singing was dubbed by Martha Tilton.[5]

Other versions[edit]

In 1942, Ella Fitzgerald sang the song on tour with the Gene Krupa Orchestra.[6] In 1953, Gene Krupa played the song at the US-operated Ernie Pyle Theatre in Tokyo, which "brought the house down" according to The Pittsburgh Courier.[7]

Analysis[edit]

David Dicaire referred to the song as "Krupa's best drum solo, an accumulation of twenty years of studying the intricacies of rhythmic textures".[4] It is an E flat blues boogie-woogie progression with lyrics such as "Boogie! You hear the rhythm rompin'! Boogie! You see the drummer stompin'! It really is a killer!". In 1971 The Danville Register cited it as one of "50 Great Songs" of the Swinging 40's.[8]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Yanow, Scott (2003). Jazz on Record: The First Sixty Years. Backbeat Books. p. 199. ISBN 978-0-87930-755-4.
  2. ^ Silvester, Peter J. (29 July 2009). The Story of Boogie-Woogie: A Left Hand Like God. Scarecrow Press. p. 252. ISBN 978-0-8108-6933-2.
  3. ^ Bogdanov, Vladimir; Woodstra, Chris; Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (2002). All Music Guide to Jazz: The Definitive Guide to Jazz Music. Backbeat Books. p. 739. ISBN 978-0-87930-717-2.
  4. ^ a b Dicaire, David (12 August 2003). Jazz Musicians of the Early Years, to 1945. McFarland. p. 222. ISBN 978-0-7864-8556-7.
  5. ^ Reid, John Howard (March 2005). Your Colossal Main Feature Plus Full Support Program. Lulu.com. p. 27. ISBN 978-1-4116-2909-7.
  6. ^ "Drum Boogie". The Pittsburgh Courier. 24 January 1942. Retrieved 10 November 2014 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  7. ^ "Japanese go for JATP". The Pittsburgh Courier. 21 November 1953. p. 18. Retrieved 10 November 2014 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  8. ^ "Drum Boogie". The Danville Register. 28 November 1971. p. 85. Retrieved 10 November 2014 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon