Louis Bellson RIP

Log Out | Topics | Search Moderators | Register | Edit Profile

Author Message chuckc Member Username: chuckc Post Number: 55 Registered: 7-2004 Posted on Friday, February 20, 2009 - 6:55 am:    Well, the drumming community has lost another true icon in jazz drumming. Louis Bellson passed away on Tuesday. Before moving to bass I spent many years as a drummer, both rock, jazz and big band. I had the pleasure of seeing Mr. Bellson at several clinics put on by the now defunct Brockstein's Music here in Houston (who's namesake owner, Herb was the CEO of ProMark Drumsticks) He was an amazing drummer who I always considered the "grandfather" of the double bass setup. I'm sure that Neil Peart of Rush and Keith Moon of The Who, amoung others, owed a debt of gratitude for the stylizing of the late great Louis Bellson flaxattack Senior Member Username: flaxattack Post Number: 2179 Registered: 4-2004 Posted on Friday, February 20, 2009 - 9:54 am:    sad to see- i remember seeing louis in some jazz movies cause they couldnt find someone who could copy his playing. he also had his issues with narcotics i believe. i think he did some johnny carson shows since carson was a closet drummer. am sure there is a whos who of who he played with. cozmik_cowboy Senior Member Username: cozmik_cowboy Post Number: 414 Registered: 10-2006 Posted on Friday, February 20, 2009 - 10:10 am:    Louie was one of two regular drummers in the Tonight Show Orchestra during the Carson years - it would be either him or Ed Shaughnessy, depending on who was in town & available (on the rare occassions when neither were, Jack Arnold got the call). Peter alemberic Member Username: alemberic Post Number: 82 Registered: 6-2006 Posted on Friday, February 20, 2009 - 2:06 pm:    The loss of such an icon is always sad. In Louis Bellson's case, it is an even bigger loss; he, Buddy Rich, and Gene Krupa were kind of a triumverate of the big band era. Of course, he was also a fantastic small combo and/or jazz drummer. RIP-- Eric davehouck Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 7610 Registered: 5-2002 Posted on Friday, February 20, 2009 - 3:46 pm:    This is very cool! Bellson from last October. davehouck Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 7611 Registered: 5-2002 Posted on Friday, February 20, 2009 - 3:50 pm:    And from 1950 with Ellington. terryc Senior Member Username: terryc Post Number: 719 Registered: 11-2004 Posted on Monday, February 23, 2009 - 6:13 am:    I think my dad had a 78 record of his called 'Skin Deep', was this one of his solo tunes?? davehouck Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 7623 Registered: 5-2002 Posted on Monday, February 23, 2009 - 8:17 am:    Here is Skin Deep. terryc Senior Member Username: terryc Post Number: 720 Registered: 11-2004 Posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 - 2:24 pm:    Nice one dave..as usual you always come up with the goods. Oh yes..we did a latin version of 'milestones'..many thanks for the links as the keyboard player found the chord theory useful too