Zutty Singleton
Singleton was born in Bunkie, Louisiana, United States, and grew up in New Orleans. His nickname, which he had as a baby, comes from a Creole word meaning “cute.” He began working professionally with Steve Lewis by 1915. He served in the United States Navy during World War I.
Baby Dodds
Warren “Baby” Dodds (December 24, 1898 – February 14, 1959) was an American jazz drummer born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is considered one of the best jazz drummers of the time before the big band era. He used different drum patterns with special beats and decorations, and he usually kept the rhythm using the bass drum while playing rolling sounds on the snare.
Gene Krupa
Eugene Bertram Krupa was born on January 15, 1909, and died on October 16, 1973. He was an American jazz drummer, bandleader, and composer. Krupa is often considered one of the most important drummers in the history of popular music.
Buddy Rich
Bernard “Buddy” Rich (September 30, 1917 – April 2, 1987) was an American jazz drummer, songwriter, conductor, and bandleader. He is considered one of the most influential drummers of all time. Rich was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, United States.
Cozy Cole
William Randolph “Cozy” Cole (October 17, 1909 – January 29, 1981) was an American jazz drummer who played with famous musicians such as Cab Calloway and Louis Armstrong. He also led his own musical groups.
Jo Jones
Jonathan David Samuel Jones was born on October 7, 1911, and passed away on September 3, 1985. He was an American jazz drummer who helped lead a group called the Count Basie Orchestra from 1934 to 1948. Jones was important in developing new ways to play jazz drums.
Chico Hamilton
Forest “Chico” Hamilton (September 20, 1921 – November 25, 2013) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He became well-known as a supporting musician for famous artists such as Lester Young, Gerry Mulligan, Count Basie, and Lena Horne. Hamilton later became a bandleader, first leading a group of five musicians that included a cello as the main instrument, a rare choice for a jazz band back then.
Shelly Manne
Sheldon “Shelly” Manne was born on June 11, 1920, and passed away on September 26, 1984. He was an American jazz drummer who is most closely linked to West Coast jazz. He was able to play many different styles of music, such as Dixieland, swing, bebop, avant-garde jazz, and fusion.
Billy Higgins
Billy Higgins (October 11, 1936 – May 3, 2001) was an American musician who played the drums. He primarily performed free jazz and hard bop music.
Paul Motian
Stephen Paul Motian was born on March 25, 1931, and passed away on November 22, 2011. He was an American jazz drummer, percussionist, and composer of Armenian heritage. He helped change how jazz drummers worked by moving them away from strictly keeping time.