Gene Krupa "Sing, Sing, Sing" on The Ed Sullivan Show

[@garyraines7511]

Krupa IS the Coolest Cat in the Jungle!! glr

[@daleloyola932]

I was 11 years old when I saw this performance. I decided then and there I wanted to play the drums. Now 64 years later I'm still jamming! GO ,Gene, GO!

[@ibleebinU]

I got bit by the drumming bug when I was around 9. I was forever air drumming to anything with drums in it. Now 66 and still playing whether it be pop, jazz, blues, big band or anything that feels good.

[@j.s.connolly8579]

YEP! For ME it was seeing "Neil Peart" and "RUSH" open for KISS in 1975. I was ten. Our oldest/only brother took my sister and I to see our FAV band "KISS" for our birthdays... but it was the OPENING Band... RUSH that gave me the "Drumming Bug"! THEN I got to see and MET Buddy Rich when I was 13 in middle school! THAT Summer... one hot Saturday afternoon when Mom and Dad went to the store to get flowers and plants for the garden. I stayed home and was listening to a local Rock station on the stereo with the volume CRANKED and a RUSH Song came on... and I decided that I HAD to go down to the basement and get on my brother's vintage 68/69 Red Sparkle "Ludwig" kit and try to play to it?! I realized two things that day... ONE... Drumming is ALOT HARDER then It MIGHT Look or then I thought! And TWO...I was FOREVER Changed and wanted to be a drummer! Now 43 yrs. later I'm STILL a Progressive Rock Drummer! :D No band at the present... but STILL Jammin'! :D

[@dorianward4909]

What do you think of Bonham and Peart? And for shyts and giggles, have you seen the vid of the grandma doing “Disturbed, down with the sickness” and “ in the deer tonight” ? Both fun vids. p.s. the deer could have walked around. Rock on

[@cmc8375]

Yay! I first saw the film The Gene Krupa Story when I was about 10, although Sal Mineo played Gene in the film, and had to learn to play drums first, it got me totally obsessed with drums and percussion. I only got a full drum kit a few years back. Before that I had small, portable drums which I used when belly dancing, and a pair of drumsticks, which I used on the kitchen countertops and pots and pans! 😁🤣💙🤭

[@dannolson6661]

I played sax and some jazz clarinet when I was younger. Couldn't keep up with Benny or Pete Fountain! I tried!

[@timlupo4121]

He didn’t play the drums, he owned them.

[@chetsenior7253]

Nah, this is at a level beyond silly things like ownership.

[@zachredner8]

He literally "Lived" in his drums and he expressed himself to the world through his drums! He played what he felt!

[@forneverlandsfambase1995]

This was amazing🤘

[@malinwj1167]

Tempo is so fast here, yet still swingin!

[@mikeywid4954]

Thank goodness for KZbin. In 2022 we can still enjoy listening to Gene Krupa, the godfather of the drum solo.

[@howieduwit2551]

Speaking from the future, it's even better in 2024!

[@mikeywid4954]

@@howieduwit2551 Respectfully tbh I'm an old guy and I don't keep up but that's just me. My idea of the quintessential drum solo is In A Gadda Da Vida but as I said that's just me.

[@rjwh67220]

Greatest drummer of the swing era. One of the greatest of all time.

[@cappyfann750]

THE

[@paularnold1641]

agree 100%

[@BruceBoschek]

I was 5 years old in 1946 and was invited to play Stardust on the clarinet at WJOB radio station in Hammond, Indiana. As luck would have it Mr. Gene Krupa was also a guest at the station that day and after an interview he moved to the drums and motioned to me to come over to him. He told me how much he enjoyed Stardust and asked if I wanted to sit on his lap, which I definitely did and he went on to bang out an incredible drum solo (I have no idea what it was). My mom and dad thought I would be afraid, but I loved every minute of it and I went on to a 60 year avocational career in music, beginning with playing jazz in bars and bowling alleys and later on to classical music. At age 82 I still hold the experience with Gene Krupa close to my heart.f

[@threadtapwhisperer5136]

Sir or madam, thats absolutely amazing. I reckon Krupas era of drumming was totally wildly innovative to most of what was accepted at the time. But hell, im 40 now, and I would say our generations Gene krupa style drumming influence has got to be El Estapariano Siberiano. Good god, his technique and fundamental drum skills are so crispy sharp. Hes got a series on playing wild wild drum parts 1 handed. Estaprianl is the current final boss of drumming mastery, haha😂😂😂 We wouldnt have the current crops of technical prog metal drumming and all that without these guys breaking the original molds. I would have dug it too, im that type of persons whose like 'yeah this timing change and cord progression plus arrangement blah blah" y'know, really into thw nerdynerd musical details. So, most people are like, yeah I like music, this one huge popular song has memorable chorus lyrics. Im very admittedly the person arguing stuff like a Hammond versus moog synth feel and sound, the texture of the noises, haha. Have i shown my useless recording arts degree? No? Well, this napkin does all the same shit the degree does and cost way less Wish id seen im a dang music bred before rackin up the school costs, but hey, without bills, how would my taxes ever fund world war 3! Hah😂😂😂😢

[@Joe-ym6bw]

I was 9 great story

[@davidstout6051]

Wouldn’t you be 72 if you were 5 in 1956? Love your story. What a wonderful experience.

[@BruceBoschek]

@@davidstout6051 Typo: I was 5!

[@BruceBoschek]

@@davidstout6051 it was 1946. Sorry.

[@DrLumpyDMus]

Gene Krupa, The Beatles, opera singers, magicians, plate spinners, comedians - Ed brought something for everybody into the magic box once a week. Thanks Mr Sullivan.

[@paularnold1641]

agree 100%

[@Wildvideonyc]

So very true. In fact despite having so few channels available television programming was more daring and adult back then. In 1959 CBS gave Miles Davis a half hour in prime time to perform live with his mind blowing band that included John Coltrane and Jimmy Cobb. Gil Evans performed live on CBS too. That kind of progressive television programming at a major network would be unthinkable today. They've dumbed their content down for an audience they believe is too immature to view such programs.

[@robertgosselin14]

Krupa’s timing is impeccable. His drumsticks seem to glide at times across his set. An absolute iconic master drummer.

[@brotherlove9374]

Somebody, quick, get the cops here . . . . Gene murdering those drums . . .

[@bkrbyex4339]

He was even an inspiration for a young John Bonham...who later developed his drumming skills, long before he was recruited to join "the new Yardbirds,"....(later renamed "Led Zeppelin")

[@c.anderson3444]

That is alot...and with no drugs?

[@whyjnot420]

@@bkrbyex4339 He basically invented the typical small set that rock drummers used when rock first started (not to mention style and energy as well). He is essentially a crazy prototype and is the father of popular drumming as we know it in the west today. He is to drums what Earl Scruggs is to banjo. As such, the amount of influence he has had on the world of music is literally beyond measure. Truly, if Neil Peart & John Bonham are great, Keith Moon is a god, Mickey Hart & Bill Kreutzmann are devils, Krupa is the damned universe itself.

[@domenicv7962]

when you add it all up.....he's the best ever !

[@bertiebuckley9018]

Gene krupa led the way for all modern drummers - always played to enhance the musicians he played with

[@antoniotorres-wm4eo]

These were the great numbers that they presented on TV in primetime at that time, today they present Bad Bunny, J Balvin, Nicki Minaj, Daddy Yankee, etc.

[@briandouglas5098]

In sync

[@harrymills2770]

@@antoniotorres-wm4eo Standards are lower, today, in everything, except lunacy, where greater heights are achieved every day!

[@reythmband]

@@harrymills2770 Right - crazy costumes, light shows, and shit blowing up!

[@jamesperry2322]

Incidently....Keith Moon was definitely influenced by Gene!

[@hotrock51]

Grew up listening to my fathers Benny Goodman 1938 Carniege Hall concert featuring Gene Krupa,I’m 72, been a fan of Krupa ever since.

[@andysear]

That was my favorite album of all the ones I had. I'm 79 and always played that one over and over and over, but, you know what I mean. The greatest jazz concert of all time, bar none.

[@salvereginavirgomaria]

Same here!!!

[@markpage9886]

Gene always looked like he was having the best time of his life. Who's got it better than me? Nobody.

[@damirhlobik6488]

As Zen teaching says, "If you want to be a drummer be a drum" Gene was THE DRUM

[@korribanphoto7758]

Yup, the first superstar drummer. It has to start somewhere and we’re looking at him. Live on Gene Krupa!!!

[@rf396]

Gene had a primal feel to his playing that NO ONE, not even Buddy could replicate.Gene himself said he wasn't the technically proficient guy Buddy was or Chick Webb was and he was very modest when it came to his own playing. But his feel, style and attitude are all his own and every drummer in the world myself included owe him a HUGE debt. He was one of a kind and we wont likely see another one OF him.

[@markjames8603]

Primal and urgent, 2 words to describe Gene's playing and if you can make it Swing like Gene too then you've done your job as a drummer, also like Buddy Harman keep it simple, an adage I've adhered to as a drummer all my life

[@matthewc.ganong5497]

Heck yeah, the truth!

[@matthewc.ganong5497]

Gene was a master of groove

[@bychkovigor9552]

Ну да, их оркестры - "Братья побратимы" ))) Знаете кто мог порвать их обоих?))) Был ещё один оркестр, который порвал в своё время Бенни Гудмана.

[@rays7005]

Mr. Krupa was a master of the beat and bash. He didn't caress or make love to his hides, he used his sticks to beat them into total submission. Buddy on the other hand could almost make his hides sing. His technique was .... well I don't have the words for it, but he was sublime. Put them together and.....worlds explode. I don't know how many times I have watched this clip of the two maestros on Sammys show but I do know I won't live long enough to watch it as many times as I want.

[@rossnaheedy3400]

I have never seen drums being played, how shall I put it, so melodically. Although the song is a masterpiece in and of itself, Gene's part in this song reaches a level of a masterpiece on its own. Just wow!

[@milan1200]

Maybe look up some of Thomas Lang’s solos, I see him as one of the most ‘melodic’ drummers nowadays.

[@Riddim4]

Check out Max Roach and those who followed him.

[@ricklovell8702]

,❤️

[@mvies77]

Krupa is not on a plane with any other drummer. He is unique and simply cannot be rated as best, second best, etc. No one plays like or in his league. He simply mesmerizes you and envelops you in his intense physical, emotional and tympanic rhythm and beat. I mean, his jive is the living end!

[@theirishhammer9451]

Keith Moon even said that Gene krupa was his biggest influence!

[@genewilliams617]

Mr Krupa was an influence on me, and at 75, I'm still drumming and teaching!!!

[@bromasi]

Me too,I’m 85yrs still going

[@josephbuckley7240]

@@bromasi You guys are a bridge from the past. Our world needs you again.

[@TimBales-ys3mk]

I never get tired of Gene Kurpa playing that song and those drums. He is a melodic master on the drums.

[@John-cr2tn]

The goat

[@bloodgrss]

My Dad and I never really saw eye to eye. In fact, I hated the bastard. But he took lessons from Krupa, and idolized him. Now, I share at least that with him. What an exciting performer!

[@Klukys]

Could be the best. Ever blue eyed jazz drummer

[@LS-ki9ft]

I also did not have a great relationship with my dad, but he was a guitar and fiddle player, and I played drums growing up, so we had that musical connection. I'm glad that you have a good memory of your father that you can cherish for a lifetime. Have a good one.

[@butcho7492]

Krupa was a rock star before there were rock stars. What a badass!!!!

[@StrangeScaryNewEngland]

Yessss!!! And I guarantee he's the sweatiest one there as well

[@peterbernhard7415]

Only the highest notes on the clarinet can compliment, in the end, as if the clarinet was the lead-guitar of a heavy metal band.

[@boblowney]

While I appreciate all the comments, the only thing that really mattters is the smile on his face while he is playing. Joy at what you are doing.

[@ricmatteson225]

Gene Krupa was the first Rock Star. Just rocked those drums. Such a huge impact on all of us drummers. I’m 68 and this video takes me way back,and you knew when Gene was playing.

[@chetsenior7253]

It was Beethoven.

[@zachredner8]

We're the same age! And I've been playing drums since I was 10. And Gene Krupa was a huge part of what made the drums my "main" or first instrument! He was my "drummer idol" when I was a kid, and his talent still impresses me.

[@TracyC-nj2tq]

I know. I agree. It's a true shame all these young drummers know is, "JOHN BONHAM! MIKE PORTNOY! JOHN BONHAM! MIKE PORTNOY!" I was taught to follow a "family tree," of sorts, among drummers. You start with a contemporary one, then trace back who all of their inspirations were. I found many of them trace back to Louie Bellson, Buddy Rich, Max Roach, and this wonderful gentleman here, Gene Krupa.

[@zachredner8]

@@TracyC-nj2tq look up "Avery Drummer Molek" on KZbin. He's now about 16 or 17 but he's got videos of him playing as young as 5 years old. Several years ago I was studying Neil Pert's style to learn how to play Rush's song Tom Sawyer. He's the hardest drummer I've ever tried to emulate. And watching Avery play Tom Sawyer at 7 years old helped me to learn how to play it. That kid is phenomenal! Check him out. I think you'll be impressed like I was.

[@STho205]

Killa Dilla

[@ronaldstrange8981]

Delighted that this is available via the internet. Sound so good after all these years. Thanks Gene. Still remembered and greatly appreciated. England, October, 2024.

[@drumno5631]

That Sullivan turned him loose for over eight minutes on a variety show with multiple acts really says something. Wow, just wow.

[@AaronGRandall]

You don't see drummers like him anymore. Such amazing talent!!

[@the1FAAIID]

Yes you do. If you can't, then your eyes are closed.

[@e_z_livn]

Loved his style of play..

[@ian.coburn]

Check out a cat named Evan Sherman. He’s an amazing big band drummer.

[@missbelled6700]

Well yeah, this is from 60 years ago, so if you want new stuff, you have to go find them, it's called living life in the moment. You can certainly wait 60 years for people to curate all the greats from this time period if you want, though.

[@jumpinjojo]

Because he's dead.

[@U2WB]

Brilliant ! I love Gene’s sense of rhythm. And such a consummate drummer; he played to support each player, rather than just grandstanding for himself. Dynamics !! Fantastic.

[@DavidLeBlanc]

I think you nailed the magic of Gene Krupa. He wanted to make everyone sound good, the whole band sound good. That's why I think he clicked so well with Goodman, strong chops, superb feel, instinctively knew what to do. Krupa's been gone for how many years and he's still thrilling audiences. Amazing.

[@DoctorQuackenbush]

"...just grandstanding for himself" See: Buddy Rich. He and his orchestra performed at my high school, What a schmuck.

[@rherchenreder]

@@DavidLeBlanc I'm not a drummer (I play bass) but I'm fascinated by his work on the toms, especially that huuge floor tom. That way he reverses his hands to alter the tonality and the cadence is very cool.

[@nealsausen4651]

@@DoctorQuackenbush ; totally wrong about Buddy Rich! don’t be such a grouch ….o!

[@DoctorQuackenbush]

@@nealsausen4651 All I have is my experience (and watching him on TV).

[@bobbysands6923]

This is the best post of Gene playing Sing Sing Sing. Best sound quality, and you can actually see him the entire time. What a great post!

[@ericwobschall8410]

Professional entertainer. People loved watching him be a great musician. When MTV happened, the only videos I wanted to see were of people playing their instruments. They knew Gene had that it factor when they shot this. How far have we come since then?

[@dhanajikenjle7124]

I spied God in the audience....😊 Retired Navy Captain Don Kenjle

[@Maderyne]

This is the apex of Sing, Sing, Sing. No one can ever outshine this man's ability to blend with the music and make it his own. Gene Krupa is Sing, Sing, Sing!

[@_Pauper_]

This tune never stops making me smile going on 25 years

[@BOGATA9]

Man, this dude paved the way for John Bonham, Keith moon, Peter Criss, Buddy Rich, and Neil Peart. Just an amazing drummer and essential musician for Jazz and Rock.

[@powbobs]

One of these things is not like the other. LOL

[@kevinbickford8848]

LOL Peter Criss? In the same sentence as Neil Peart? LOL

[@BOGATA9]

@@kevinbickford8848 PETER CRISS was a huge influence for many drummers in the 70`s and took lessons from Gene Krupa in New York.

[@COA47]

@@BOGATA9 true. 100 000 years on KISS' debut album clearly shows this and it's sweet

[@guillermogarcia5061]

Love Peter Criss but....

[@MisterSplendy]

The level of talent of each of these fellas is mind-blowing. Krupa respects his bandmates with he way he plays.

[@birdmansclambake]

Best sounding floor tom I’ve ever heard. Gene had the lightest touch. Not terribly loud. You can hear the clarinet without a mic 🎤

[@jerrymammoser9857]

The Big 18”!!!!!!!!!

[@markanderson3870]

Yeah, light touch but a massive sound. Great feel!

[@jamesperry2322]

The clarinetist/tenor saxophonist's name is Eddie Shu

[@fibboobbif]

@@jerrymammoser9857 indeed. I am sure also Bonham knew this. In those times, until the 70s, you could not rely on the PA system as a drummer... You got to use the big package to be heard. I wonder if they had drum roadies in those Krupa days...

[@norbiudeako518]

Radio kings

[@flyingmerkel6]

This is what made Ed Sullivan great, he gave so many performers a chance to be seen. Big bands were pretty much gone by then, but he had them on. What a performance.

[@MortonLuvz2drum]

Yeah. Can you even imagine skilled musicians getting 5:37 on air in 2023? Instead we get two hour Naked and Afraid.

[@rogerscalf231]

A trio is NOT a big band.

[@flyingmerkel6]

@@rogerscalf231 Never said it was. Gene Krupa made his name in the big band era.

[@rogerscalf231]

You don't say that in your comment. We're you referring to The Beatles or Elvis.

[@flyingmerkel6]

@@rogerscalf231 I'm referring to the many performers that got exposure on the Ed Sullivan show.

[@Plmncvb]

At 78, and remembering all the great music that came out of the 50s/60s/70s, I consider the full recording of "Sing, Sing, Sing" by Benny Goodman's Orchestra (with this same great Gene Krupa electrifying on drums) one of the greatest swing/big band musical recordings of all time...listening to that lengthy full version (and lengthy Krupa drum performance within) just about gives me goose bumps to this day!

[@andrewmccarnan4498]

We always hear Benny Goodman's version of Sing SIng SIng in movies set in the 40s. Especially in scenes with a girl who's supposed to be kind of wild, (Madonna in A League of Their Own.) Problem was they never mentioned the title. It took me years to find it. What a rockin tune.

[@roncaruso931]

lets not forget the 1940's!!

[@gerrykoch9761]

I'm 77 drummer. Had high school band and played every Friday night at the fair grounds. Those where the good old days.

[@johnfoster535]

Gene was all about style and making the drums the centerpiece on stage during the jazz era....he was a huge star and the FIRST famous and influential jazz drummer who cemented the drums as a solo instrument. He laid the foundation for greater technicians like Buddy and Louis Bellson to build on.....much like Ringo did for rock and roll.....with Bonham, Baker, and others to follow. Ringo was the first REAL rock drummer, and Gene was the first model in jazz for others to follow. He was a family friend of ours, and I got to spend an entire evening with him before he died.....he was a humble and kind gentleman....but, he sure made history and " rocked" the stage during his time !!

[@stevedriscoll2539]

Lucky you for having got to know this wonderful drummer and man

[@blueycarlton]

Wonderful story and great memories for you. Did Gene comment on Ringo's drumming to you?

[@johnfoster535]

@@blueycarlton just saw your reply ! Gene said to me that if he could do it all over again, he would want to play in the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and that I should do that !! In 1973, just before his death, rock music was mainly 4/4 bashing, so, I understood his point. Of course, as progressive jazz and " fusion" appeared later, more sophisticated drummers appeared with massive precision and talent that I think he would have appreciated. Who can deny the likes of Vinny Colaiuta and others today who amaze all with their skill and taste?

[@malotonga4957]

Love the drum players of the great olden times that got swag I mean they play in a tuxedo for crying out loud. Great performance all around.

[@Fubeman]

It's performances like this is why I always tell people that Gene Krupa was the FIRST Rock N' Roll drummer and will always be in my book as one of the best - in ANY genre.

[@mymailgoog5169]

Yes, but props to his predecessor, Warren 'Baby' Dodds, who often played with Louis Armstrong in their early years.

[@Fubeman]

@@mymailgoog5169 Oh I love me some Baby Dodds. He definitely is the father of jazz drumming overall and one of my favorite drummers for sure. But while Dodds is well known for the absence of hi-hats and cymbals in his kit, he is also known for his "shimmy beat" as well as being the first modern swing drummer in the business. Krupa though is more of a modern and hard hitting drummer that really brought in a more modern style to jazz drumming (and why I think he is the first rock drummer). Ok. Now I got to break out some of my old "Live At New York Town Hall 1947" LP and get me another fix! Thanks for bringing Baby Dodds. Everyone needs to know about him.

[@Crackers2549]

I couldn't agree more.... Hell he and Slingerland came up with the standard drum kit that is still the standard... My all time favorite drummer, Gene Krupa...!!!

[@tinymoon1975]

Drums that sound like cannons! You can see how much Keith Moon adored Gene… the expressions, the theatrics, the effortless brilliance.

[@maryhirsch7170]

Gene Krupa is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in Calumet City, IL. Spitting distance from my Aunt & Uncle. I think of him whenever I go there- not forgotten. Fantastic drummer.

[@CHRISRepAZ]

my grandparents are buried there

[@andysear15]

The BEST drummer that ever lived. A pure and true Showman. No one could electrify an audience like Gene did.

[@Tecumseh4-k2z]

And he did it in wearing a Tux!

[@peacefulruler1]

Look up John Bonham

[@americanegale697]

@@peacefulruler1 lmao,gtfoh with John Bonham.

[@MegaLJ3]

I studied with Gene's teacher in Chicago for over 1 year at Frank's Drum Shop on Wabash. Gene studied with Roy Knapp and Roy spoke to me about Gene. Whenever i get back to Chicago land I visit Gene's grave and family plot in Holy Cross catholic cemetery.

[@andysear15]

@@MegaLJ3 I was surprised at the small stone at this grave site that I saw online. I would have loved to have been at any concert he was performing at. You are a lucky man to have first hand knowledge from Roy about gene. Wishing you the best. Keep on Drumming.

[@trainliker100]

I wouldn't have thought Sing Sing Sing could be that good with just a four piece band. Of course, they are REALLY good. You have to be. With such a small group, there's no place to hide.

[@steviesevieria1868]

It was a lot better with Benny Goodman‘s entire band though, you have to admit….

[@carlhicksjr8401]

Something I'll bet not a lot of people notice... Krupa's playing the drums over a live 'universal' mic.... a microphone hanging above the entire band... with a live studio audience. With his bass drum, konga drum and cymbals he could have easily overpowered the subtler sounds of the piano and especially the clarinet. But he strikes the heads with just enough force to get his impact on the song **and no more** so as not to show up the other not-so-famous musicians in his band. This is a mark of not only great skill but real professionalism.

[@TheMusicalElitist]

Something today’s drummers cannot do

[@MCatSHF]

Hello Carl Hicks Jr: Something I'll bet you didn't notice... The clarinet player has a microphone clearly visibly clipped to his left lapel. 1:01

[@carlhicksjr8401]

@@MCatSHF You're right. I didn't. Still, even with that Krupa could have overwhelmed the clarinet's more subtle sounds. If you look at video from Benny Goodman, you can hear his band almost overwhelm his 'licorice stick' in several songs.

[@michaelharwood8848]

Even though he plays the floor tom with the low side of his sticks AND match grip. Both common tricks to get extra power out of the floor tom

[@carlhicksjr8401]

@@michaelharwood8848 Not a drummer myself, so it's interesting to hear the actual technique involved.

[@Elle-ud6ey]

Playing drums as easily as breathing ❤

[@chestermarcol3831]

Krupa was the GOAT. It's not even debatable...

[@15emac]

Saw GK @ the Metropole Cafe off Times Sq. in NY. Wonderful trio with Eddie Shu playing several instruments. I was underage & trying not to get noticed so I didn't go near the bandstand. My Dad was a drummer & GK was GOD to him so I grew up with this music. Gene said that the 2 things he is most proud of is he attracted fans to the music & he helped bring the drummer out of the background. You could add that he developed along with slingerland & zildjian the tunable tom-tom, the modern hi-hat , drum kit & cymbal layout . STILL listen to him-love his sides with the Benny Goodman band & small groups with Benny, Teddy Wilson & Lionel Hampton.

[@rollzolo]

I cutted out of hs school in maybe 77, was he with the grease back hair in front of the music district? I did know much back then was 15 at the time.

[@jaystrass8608]

I was a drummer maybev20 and worked opposite him at the metropole nyc. I was in the house band so I worked opposite him for at least 2 weeks and another time for two weeks. He was the best, when I would practice upstairs he always came over and talked. The thing I remember most was he said practice slow play fast. One time he had James moody in his band. The good old days. Jimmy strassburg

[@CeeLyd1000]

Thank you Evan for a look back at a captured time in your life. 😃

[@imbees2]

No sound boards. No electronics. Nothing but straight music from the heart by every musician. Either you is or you ain’t playing right. That’s music.

[@mapo5976]

Straight up. Au natural .....

[@WxkR]

There are some wooden objects with stretched membranes and strings too. And electronic mics without which nobody would’ve heard the show.

[@imbees2]

I’m so surprised at the multitude of comments about gene Krupa. I thought everybody knew him. At least everyone that played drums. It’s very inspiring to hear the admiration and recognition for gene Krupa. I love it.

[@maxputhoff1436]

@@WxkR It's only REAL music if you're banging rocks together while grunting in a dark cave!

[@carlhicksjr8401]

BEHOLD! The Age Before Autotune... Yeah, I know what you mean, man.

[@spyderlogan4992]

Some things I noticed: Left hand grip, except for some fast snare work, was the 'match grip' and not 'traditional'. Krupa was an endorser for Slingerland Drums and must have help sell thousands of kits...along with Buddy Rich. Also, he never 'overplayed' his arrangement, kept it tight with the other musicians; no showboating, just a clean performance...A key member of Goodman's band back in the pre-war era...But he never gave the 6" splash some love... :-(

[@spyderlogan4992]

@@ShiftingDrifter I guess I'm confused. I always thought that the 'trad' grip physically enabled the player to perform 'drags' and 'grace notes' more precisely. Thanks for the feedback.

[@JOHNSAG1]

@@spyderlogan4992 Krupa typically played with traditional grip but used match grip for a number like Sing Sing Sing .. that's what you do when playing toms with a demanding number like that..

[@bholaoates1542]

@@JOHNSAG1 Yep. It's a bit awkward to use traditional grip when your body is twisted toward the floor tom for more than a couple of seconds.

[@harrymills2770]

Big bands is where it's at. They're there to entertain rather than just show off. Not a big Be-Bop fan, and a lot of the stuff in the last 40 or 50 years has been "If you criticize my lack of musicality in my technical display, then you just don't understand music." Screw that. If you can't meet a broad audience half-way, you're not much of a musician.

[@margueritepadovani1402]

my dad played with the GK orchestra back in the day..he was a trombonist..

[@ChristopherJones-cjphoto]

My dad heard Gene back before the big war, and from that day on I was destined to be a drummer. He came back from PT Boat service in the Pacific and bought my first drum for me when I was a toddler, then a full set when I was 11. He never once told me to turn it down, or stop playing, even though I'm sure he and Mom suffered through the early years. Later, when I was playing Cream and Led Zeppelin with my band in the 60's, he and mom would come see all of our local gigs. I'm still playing....

[@patriciasmith7074]

I was a daughter of a WWII Navy veteran who volunteered at age 17, his mom was a widow and she had a daughter who joined the Convent. His mom had to sign because he was still a minor. First he was assigned to the USS Idaho that survived Pearl Harbor because it had been stationed at Iceland, then he was transferred to The USS Commencement Bay Aircraft carrier. My grandma lost her husband from an infected cut, then she essentially lost her daughter because for many years she was pretty locked up and far away teaching children and being a Principal of Catholic Schools all over. She spent many years in Montana. Then to allow your only son to enlist during a World War had to be scary. He tried to join the Coast Guard first but he was too skinny to meet the minimum weight, so he drank tons of milk shakes everyday to gain enough weight to be accepted. In the Navy my dad was a Radioman, sending and receiving the code in the radio shack, He fought at the Battle of Midway. In his 80’s we took him to visit Pearl Harbor on the anniversary of 9/11 and he had his Navy hat on that had his ship on it and he was put it the Honor Guard and women wanted to get their picture taken with the old veteran. He toured the USS Missouri and got to go into the radio shack. He said we gave him the best day of his life. My dad wanted to be a drummer too and he played Hawaiian War Chant on a toy drum set that I got for Christmas one year, I knew the song. I wish my dad could have had the money to take lessons and buy a drum, but his dad died 10 years before my dad went to war and they were barely eating. I think he would have been a good drummer because he was so good at code, the Navy wanted to keep him as an instructor and be stationed at San Diego. How different our life might have been but he wanted to come back to his widowed mother because he made a dead bed promise that he always would. My mom was his girlfriend and she didn’t want to leave her widowed mother either.

[@swingandsweat5099]

Gene Krupa: incredible taste, professionalism and just love of music.

[@roybeckerman7843]

Many drummers have played this well over the years…but Gene lives and breathes it…

[@billschuch6409]

They should give an award to the audio guy for making sure we heard that bass solo over Gene’s drums.

[@rikraven3741]

It's fown to Gene himself as there is only ONE microphone for the whole band!

[@ReidFriedson]

My father's favorite drummer. Incredible.

[@gcorriveau6864]

Some drummers might "hit stuff faster" (i.e. BR) but no one makes more music with drums than Gene Krupa.

[@LazyIRanch]

OOps, looks like one person accidentally loved this so much they hit the thumbs down by mistake! Krupa! I've known since childhood he's the man when it comes to drummers! Pretty sure I would have seen this show when it first aired. My family loved Ed Sullivan. That's where I first heard and fell in love with Ella's singing.

[@rosairedubrule60]

sullivan make or break in 4 decades

[@lfader]

Oops 😂🤣

[@jackwezesa1081]

I know , Ella ‘s pretty voice!

[@RCALivingStereo]

Who gave this a thumbs down?? Shame on you Best drummer in the world right here

[@DrHogfan]

Buddy rich ...from the grave gave this a thumbs down ?

[@TheHeater90]

Fun fact: There may have been no bigger fan of Gene Krupa than Buddy Rich.

[@franckmarronier130]

@@DrHogfan why

[@gaggle57]

Every once in awhile I need to listen to this.

[@sheilalummis769]

OMG. The neighbors probably heard my sounds of pleasure while listening to this. Wish I could have been around to see him live. Great band.

[@domenicv7962]

Saw him in a small club in pittsburgh around 1967....fuh-gedda-bouddit !!!

[@domenicv7962]

He was why I started playing in 1958

[@PMurray2694]

Flickin the bean to Gene, damn

[@domenicv7962]

@@PMurray2694 sicko

[@scottthorning3963]

The greatest drummer that has ever lived

[@slimdugger99]

There is no greatest, ranking genius is a fools errand.

[@michaelklein5242]

If ever there were a man who just looked like he should be among the world's greatest drummers, Gene Krupa was it!

[@GK-ev5rd]

A Master at work...LEts also give applause to those other musicians with him on this number. You see the joy in their faces playing the music they love, and thanks to Ed Sullivan who had the personality of a prune, but certainly knew how to bring top entertainment into our living rooms every Sunday night. I am sure on this night in 1960, there were many just glued watching and listening to this. And GOD BLESS Louis Prima who wrote SING SING SING!!! A wonderful tune that just gets better with age!

[@tonyvincent9753]

Gene understood what turned the average listener / dancer on. His playing brought out the primal instinct in just about everyone.

[@lextownes1042]

Love how he goes from matched to classic grip and only does a fast roll as an accent to his otherwise tribal and primal performance. He doesn’t just flow with the other musicians, he anticipates and then accentuates all of them. He leaves space for everyone to play and creates melody while keeping rhythm-I mean just wow!!

[@shannonk.6528]

Gene Krupa had a real connection to the drums while he was playing, almost like he willed the drums to do what he wanted; and he conversed with the drums while he was playing. He was on a whole other level. This was a real treat to see and a gem of a performance.

[@peterhofmann665]

He treats the drum set like it is a living organism.. cool..

[@douglaspost5097]

When I was in high school in the late 60's, I was a drummer in the school band. My folks took me down to New York City one time to visit a friend of my father's. This guy took us around to see the sights. We came around a corner and saw a marquis over the sidewalk saying "now playing, Gene Krupa". I ran over and watched from the door for a few minutes and saw him playing. I didn't know what they were playing but his hand were just a blur. When I got back to school I told my band teacher all about it and he smiled at my good fortune. I was always glad I took band because I learned to appreciate more than just rock. Swing, Dixie, show tunes, rock, I love them all.

[@pianopappy]

Perhaps you were at the famous Metropole Cafe on Seventh Avenue. Was the band set-up behind the bar?

[@kennyhagan5781]

Holy Chrome! Dude never gets wild like the rock drummers, but he plays like he invented drums,and does it quite calmly. He was (and forever shall be)a Titan among drummers. Wow, that is the stuff!

[@irresistablejewel]

Gene Krupa actually did play a large part in developing the drums; plus in collaboration: hi-hat; ride; crash and splash cymbals, also the standard layout. Might be called "the father of the modern drum kit"; he certainly could play; yes, clearly a master of his craft.

[@peterbennett7863]

Gene Krupa was a rhythmic genius.He maybe,just maybe,didn't have Buddy's phenomenal speed and technique, or Belson's finess,but no -one matched sense of melody and rhythm.Too many modern day drummers are obsessed with speed and technical ability. They seem to not understand the importance of melodic movement and feel.For me,Krupa is the greatest.

[@donaldtemchack7751]

I love this! Good job!

[@williamwhiting6285]

Go Gene Go!! I saw GK in Detroit twice in the mid-1960's at the famed Baker's Keyboard Lounge, and had the chance to meet with my drumming idol. What a wonderful gentleman and incredible talent.

[@drumgk]

I really like how he switches from traditional grip on snare to matched grip on the toms.

[@TheLarryBrown]

That's "really" no big deal, but people here keep commenting on it so I'm going to out that in my act.

[@retrogradevids2010]

I just came across this & never knew it happened. This is SPLENDID. Krupa is a mad genius. Understood texture & nuances along with his incredible love of rhythm. I might add that I'm impressed with the audio. It's rare to hear the bass as well as this on most TV from this era.

[@glennjames7107]

Best drum solo I've ever seen or heard, By a long shot. Gene could feel the rhythm in his bones. You can see it coming out through his facial expressions.

[@philatkinson3955]

I am 66, still drumming and Gene was awesome.

[@richardcoreno]

Countless rock-n-roll drummers owe a debt of gratitude to Gene Krupa.

[@morbidmanmusic]

We owe a debt to any drummer who came before us. It's really simpler than you think. Fans ruin reality,

[@MJEvermore853]

@@morbidmanmusic..totally agree

[@shivaumesh1129]

Yeah!! That was awesome. I love Gene Krupa's drumming

[@waltgzerod5565]

Mr Krupa, The GOAT!! The Beat Lives On!! Thanks to Gene Krupa!! I swear he's got Three Legs!!

[@creeperinvasion6885]

5:12 I love how the bassist is just in awe of genes playing

[@edstein5642]

Glenn Miller rocked. The volume & power his orchestra projected stands up against rock music. His melodies are infectious & the arrangements still hold up after all these decades. I’ve read that every 3rd nickle put in a jukebox between 1938 & 1945 was for a Miller composition.

[@cobb_thedrummer]

Gene is on fire in this one 🤯 One of the best performances I’ve come across so far by one of my favorite drummers of all time. Glad this was recommended to me!

[@pjbdrummer]

This video is a wonderful example of Gene's muslcal playing - Gene could turn on the technical fireworks when he wanted to (examples"Gene's Solo Flight" from the 1959 album "Hey! Here's Gene Krupa", "Krupa's Wail" from the Jazz Rhythms of Gene Krupa Album or the Jazz at the Philharmonic Hamburg concert 1956 - Drum Boogie solo available on KZbin), but his playing on this Quartet version of Sing, Sing, Sing is superb. I read all the comparisons between Gene and Buddy Rich, there is no need for this. We are blessed to have had both of these geniuses in our lives and we should just enjoy their music and playing and all those other great drummers that we can learn from and enjoy. Thanks for this Ed Sullivan Show video

[@MelloGee33]

That guy did more with just 2 toms than most modern rock drummers can with 22.

[@aqacefan]

That's what impressed me most about finally seeing The Rolling Stones live... how much Charlie Watts got out of his minimal kit.

[@LS-ki9ft]

You are absolutely right.

[@hughmcaloon6506]

I'd heard of Gene Krupa, but I think this is the first time I've seen him perform. ... Holy smoke. He's got four limbs doing four separate things, and making them all work in rhythm. Wow.

[@MMAtiasAsconeguyRaco]

I was 7 yo when I saw this performance live. It changed my life forever.

[@StevenJay-z7o]

Wonderful. I haven't seen this one before. I saw him live twice. A true genius on the drums.

[@reloadNshoot]

Watching this in July 2024, the US is in deep do do. Watching this takes me back to better times. I thoroughly enjoyed the heck out of this performance. GK was on another level and thst level was a great one!

[@elwoodblues9613]

Krupa's playing in "Sing, Sing, Sing" at Carnegie Hall in the late 1930s was the landmark drum solo. Period. The playing in this clip from Ed Sullivan is *better* than Carnegie Hall. I didn't think that was possible. But Krupa did it.

[@fepatton]

I've long held the Carnegie Hall recording as one of the hottest jazz recordings ever. This one is a stunner, though!

[@David-fs2yz]

Best drummer ever in history

[@BludgeonRiffola87]

His drums sound incredible!!

[@larrbrown7277]

Calf skin heads, look how the rims set on his floor Tom, love the man the reason I play drums.

[@eightinches6094]

It's amazing how he switches from match grip to traditional grip so quickly.

[@Ranger1216]

….the great Krupa also the tightest ….makes all the others shine also….wonderful touch and dynamics! He defined more than just his era….a model for anyone to learn…..

[@aldoparrington2118]

Gene was my first influence on drumming. Later Buddy, Ringo, Mitch Mitchell, John Bonham and a hundred others.😊

[@rickfeld7995]

Billy Cobham Jr., Steve Gadd, Bill Bruford.

[@Bootmahoy88]

How well he listens and respects his fellow players, supporting them brilliantly!! Such command of his instrument, which is the whole damn package, the whole man, the artist. Damn!

[@hunnybee971]

When I was very young, I saw a movie about Gene Krupa's life, starring Sal Mineo. Seriously, the only thing that I remember was the drums. That was when I realized how important they are to some music, and Gene Krupa and Sal Mineo are forever in my mind. My son's first musical instrument was a set of drums. He didn't care anything about playing in his high school band, but he joined just so he could learn to play the drums. He convinced the Band Teacher to teach him how to play the guitar after he mastered the drums. He had his own little band for a few years and they played locally at family gatherings, the Country Club, and for an event at Ted Turner's plantation(?) in Florida. That was in the late 90s. Now he has a collection of nice guitars that he worked hard to buy. And he has bought a new set of drums to teach his daughter how to play. But she has since switched to learn to play the French Horn. My dad could play the harmonica. His dad could play a variety of instruments, and family legend has it that he enjoyed more than practice session with Hank Williams. Music, in many different levels runs in our family. What do I play? Well, I don't want to boast, but I play a mean stereo.

[@stevedriscoll2539]

I saw that movie. It was a good movie, I didn't know much about Gene Krupa before I saw that movie. You are lucky to have such a musical , talented family

[@glennhecker4422]

I'm very good at playing the fool! (Stole the pun from John Lennon, riffing on a remark he made when the Beatles were introducing themselves individually on a BBC broadcast.)

[@marbanak]

First time I have ever heard a drum set sound melodic. Wish it didn't have to end.

[@kickstar1]

The weird thing is this is primal but joyful, wondrous and surprised at the same time. It's like mastery with deliberate intention while amazed at what is being produced - as if they are mere partners in the music's mystical unfolding.

[@GereDJ2]

I think the "Tom" may be my fave drum in the kit. Nothing like a well tuned trap set.

[@sandybruce9092]

Beyond his fantastic drumming, I enjoyed just watching his face!!!

[@genramsey]

You too?!? He's so intense... Love it!!

[@hita1070]

This music is indeed immortal. Thanks for uploading it.