LOUIE BELLSON
Referred to by
Oscar Peterson as “one of the musical giants of our age”, Louie Bellson has
expressed himself on drums since age three.
At 15, he pioneered the double bass drum set-up. His detailed sketch earned him an ‘A’ in his
high school art class. At 17, he
triumphed over 40,000 drummers to win the Slingerland National Gene Krupa
drumming contest.
He has
performed on more than 200 albums as leader, co-leader, or sideman with such
greats as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Harry
James, Woody Herman, Norman Granz’ J.A.T.P., Benny Carter, Sarah Vaughan, Ella
Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, Art Tatum, Dizzy Gillespie, Gerry Mulligan, Stan
Getz, Hank Jones, Zoot Sims, Sonny Stitt, Milt Jackson, Clark Terry, Louie
Armstrong, Lionel Hampton, Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, Shelly Manne, Billy Cobham,
James Brown, Sammy Davis Jr., Tony Bennett, Mel Torme, Joe Williams, Wayne
Newton, and Bellson’s late wife Pearl Bailey.
In
1942, he performed with the Benny Goodman band and Peggy Lee in The Power Girl and The Gang’s All Here, the first two of his many film
appearances. Louie was 24 and a veteran
of the U.S. Army Band when he joined Danny Kaye, Louis Armstrong, Tommy Dorsey,
Lionel Hampton, Charlie Barnett, Benny Carter, Mel Powell, Benny Goodman and
others in A Song Is Born (1948).
Louie
Bellson replaced Sonny Greer in the Duke Ellington Orchestra in 1951. He left in 1953 returning in 1956 and once
more from 1965-66. His contributions to
the Ellington repertoire include Skin
Deep and The Hawk Talks. He also performed with Ellington on the
classic Concerts of Sacred Music; on
the stage production My People; and
on the movie soundtrack of Assault on A
Queen.
In
1966, Bellson toured briefly with both Count Basie and ex-boss Harry
James. He served as musical director
for his late wife both on her TV show, ABC’s The Pearl Bailey Show, and on the numerous tours they performed
together.
As a prolific
creator of music, both written and improvised, his more than 1,000 compositions
and arrangements embrace jazz, swing, romantic orchestral suites, symphonic
works and ballet. As an author, he has
published more than a dozen books on drums and percussion.
Voted
into the Halls of Fame for both Modern Drummer magazine and the Percussive
Arts Society, Yale University named him a Duke Ellington Fellow in 1977. He holds honorary Doctorates from Northern
Illinois University in 1985, from Denison University in 1995 and from Augustana
College in 1996. He performed his
original concert Tomus I, II, and III, with
the Washington Civic Symphony in historic Constitution Hall in 1993. He received the prestigious American Jazz
Masters Award from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1994. A member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, he is a
six-time GRAMMY nominee.
For 2001, Modern Drummer magazine
again named him Big Band Drummer of the year, this time sharing the honor with
Ed Shaughnessy, also of “The Tonight Show” fame. Stick It magazine devoted
it’s entire spring issue in tribute to Louie Bellson. In June, Dr. Bellson
received his 4th honorary doctorate, this time from DePaul
University in Chicago. In July, he played his hometown (Quad-cities area,
Illinois) reuniting in brief performance with Ray Charles.
In 2002 the Ellington-inspired
“Sacred Music of Louie Bellson”, which combines the voicings of symphony
orchestra, concert choir and big band, was performed at Stanford University and
Emmanuel Baptist Church. It has been deemed “a masterpiece” by friend Tony
Bennett. Foreign engagements that year covered trips to Switzerland, Canada and
the Caribbean. His fall tour included a jazz cruise sponsored by Jazz Times
magazine and a week with his quintet at the Jazz Showcase in Chicago.
2003 witnessed the dedication of
an historical land-marker at his July 6, 1924 birthplace in Rock Falls,
Illinois. Again being named Big Band Drummer of the Year by Modern Drummer;
observance of the 50th anniversary of his classic composition “Skin
Deep” as recorded with Ellington. Receipt of U.C.L.A’s “Master of Jazz Award”
presented by Tony Bennett.
2004 saw tributes and performances
worldwide in observance of his 80th birthday. These included a concert hosted by longtime
friend Clint Eastwood and being subject of the December cover story of Modern Drummer magazine.
Footnotes
“Louie
Bellson Heritage Days” is a celebration held every July in Rock Falls,
Illinois, the city of Bellson’s July 6, 1924 birth. It is sponsored by The Rock Falls Chamber of Commerce. For info on attending or contributing to
this four-day event, contact: (815) 626-8053, or e-mail RFchambr@cin.net.
To
communicate with Mr. Bellson (book an engagement, request order form, etc.)
write or call:
c/o
REMO, Inc.
(661) 294-5600
or e-mail bellson@remo.com
giving your full postal address and phone.