The Jazz Rhythms of Gene Krupa

Having disbanded his big band in 1951, Gene Krupa began playing with his own small groups, usually a trio or quartet, as well as touring as a member of Jazz at the Philharmonic. While the rhythm section changed fairly frequently, one name that kept popping up in Krupa's combos was multi-instrumentalist Eddie Shu. Because he was adept on the trumpet, most reeds, accordion, and harmonica, Shu could make a small assembly sound much larger than it actually was, as he does here. While he was accomplished on several horns, the sax was the preferred outlet for his musical ideas, as he shows on a creatively improvisational "Tenderly." This LP, issued by the jazz section of the American Recording Society label, runs closely parallel to an album of the same title issued by Verve, with a few tunes here not appearing on the Verve release. Culling pieces from three separate sessions held in Los Angeles and New York in 1955 and 1956, Krupa uses the quartet format for an agenda of standards and a couple of his originals for a pleasing, relaxed, and swinging session that holds his drumming pyrotechnics to less than what would be expected on a Krupa-led outing. In other words, Krupa doesn't try to overwhelm his fellow playing mates with his sometimes heavy-handed approach, although he comes close on a raucous and strange "Krupa's Wail." Joining Krupa and Shu are Bobby Scott on piano with Milt Hinton, Wendell Marshall, and John Drew sharing bass responsibilities. Not the greatest Krupa ever, but good work nonetheless. Other than snippets here and there, this LP has yet to be transferred to CD.