Louie Bellson (1924-2009)

Louie Bellson, one of the last headline drummers of the big band era whose twin bass drums and high-energy beat-keeping thrilled audiences and powered orchestras ranging from Benny Goodman to Duke Ellington, died on February 14. He was 84 and had been recovering at home from a broken hip.

Considered a swing drummer, Louie's style was less pronounced than Gene Krupa's and Buddy Rich's but could be equally bombastic and showy. Louie had a different sort of vigor than other drummers of the period, built largely on endurance and a near-hypnotic passion for hard-snap rhythms and subtle strokes. It was not unusual on a Louie Bellson solo for the drummer to punish the heads and skins while at the same time mixing in soft subtle figures that grew to a roaring crescendo.

Born in Rock Falls, Illinois, Louie told me in a series of interviews in 2007 that he spent much of his early youth at his father's music store, where he learned to play nearly all of the instruments sold there. But it was a passing parade that inspired Louie most, particularly the drummer. From that day on, Louie focused his energy on the drums. In high school, Louie developed what would become his signature technique of playing two bass drums at once, one for his left foot and one for his right...

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