Click here to see all of our digital download albums

Just added: BENNY GOODMAN AND GENE KRUPA LIVE AT THE MADHATTAN: CHICAGO, December 1937

Arguably Goodman’s best band, these broadcasts–comprising almost an hour in surprising fidelity–feature BG and the boys, along with the Trio, Quartet, Harry James, Krupa and Martha Tilton, at their absolute height. Not listed on the JazzLegends.com site and exclusive to the MP3 store.

Track List:

Track 1) Lets Dance
Track 2) Big Johns Special
Track 3) You Took the Words Right Out of my Heart
Track 4) If Dreams Come True
Track 5) Bei Mir Bist Duo Schon
Track 6) Where or When Trio
Track 7) Darktown Strutters Ball
Track 8) I’ve Hitched my Wagon to a Star
Track 9) Dinah Quartet
Track 10) I Want to be in Winchells Column
Track 11) All of Me
Track 12) Lets Dance
Track 13) Life Goes to a Party
Track 14) Sweet Someone
Track 15) If Dreams Come True
Track 16) Cant Help Lovin That Man Trio
Track 17) Goodbye
Track 18) Alice Blue Gown
Track 19) Josephine
Track 20) Its Wonderful
Track 21) Avalon Quartet
Track 22) Rockin the Town

Head over to the eStore to purchase

Last month Jazz Legends introduced a new way to order rare Gene Krupa Albums by launching the Jazz Legends eStore. The eStore allows customers to purchase their album and download the digital music in mp3 format. It’s convenient and you get your music immediately. Over the last week we have added a few new digital download albums including:

1) HEY, HERE’S GENE KRUPA: MAY 1957

2) GENE KRUPA: THE GREAT CONCERT, 1966

3) GENE KRUPA AT NEWPORT, CA July 1958

4) GENE KRUPA JAZZ TRIO IN JAPAN: APRIL 18,22,23 1952

5) LIONEL HAMPTON BIG BAND WITH GENE KRUPA, TEDDY WILSON AND RPY ELDRIDGE: July 5,1972

6) THE ORIGINAL BENNY GOODMAN QUARTET AT CARNEGIE HALL: June 29, 1973

Head over to estore.jazzlegends.com to order and download your copy.

We have recently arrived back in Naples, FL, and before I could even get comfortable, I received a call from my editor at the Naples Daily News asking if I would review the upcoming Charlie Daniels Band concert at The Naples Philharmonic Center for the Arts. I’m pretty much open to any kind of music these days–as long as it’s played well–and though I wasn’t overly familiar with Daniels, I figured, what the heck. While I could have done without his redneck rhetoric about Jesus, the flag, hanging criminals from a tall tree with a short rope–and a bit of gay-bashing thrown in for good measure–there was no getting around the fact that this group is superb. Sure, the 72-year-old singer/songwriter/guitarist/violinist did his few country hits, and a tribute to Johnny Cash as well, but a good amount of what was played was a Latin/Southern rock/western swing/jazz/fusion hybrid that swung, was expertly executed and darned impressive. Those who thought they were in for a night of good ol’ country fiddlin’ may have been disappointed. I was impressed and surprised. Most of you know that fusion, of any kind, isn’t easy to play. Daniels and his five talented sidemen made it look easy. As he said during a recent interview about his plans for the future, Daniels said, “Heck, I might even make a jazz album.” He should. If Willie Nelson can do it, so can Charlie Daniels.

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You may have noticed that we have lowered the price of everything to $10. Given the terrible economic climate, it’s the least we could do. So please order early and often–and try to order more than one item, please– and be patient with delivery. It will get there, and if anything is wrong, we will make it right. In our complaint department, we receive, from time to time as you all know, complaints about DVDs freezing or sometimes not playing at all. More than a few of our “in the know” customers have said that the stick-on disc labels we use might be the source of the problem. For that reason, we’re suspending their use and we are simply using a black marker to indicate the title. Let’s see how this works.

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Word has come that pianist Dave McKenna has passed away at the age of 78. McKenna was one of the giants of the keyboard and one of the real individuals. He had an instantly identifiable sound and touch and was possibly one of the last, two-handed players. Indeed, he was an orchestra unto himself and was stylistically beyond categorization. JazzLegends.com visitors may be familiar with his stellar work with Krupa on “Hey Here’s Gene Krupa” and on the live set recorded at “The Inn Club.” He spent some time with Charlie Ventura as well. We are taking the liberty of reprinting Dave McKenna’s bio from his web site. Rest in peace, Dave, and keep swingin’.

DAVE McKENNA: 1930-2008

Dave McKenna was simply one of the legends of the jazz piano. He, of course, would probably have disagreed. “I don’t know if I qualify as a bona-fide jazz guy,” he said. “I play saloon piano. I like to stay close to the melody.” His humility and laid-back personal style seemed a contrast to the vibrant vitality of his masterful piano style. His range is truly extraordinary. One minute he is caressing a lovely ballad, the next he is thundering and rumbling through a high-powered rendition of “I Found a New Baby.”

Dave was born in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, into a musical family. His father William McKenna, a postman, played the drums part-time, and two sisters are singers. His mother, Catherine Reilly McKenna, was Dave’s first piano teacher. In additions to being a good piano player, she was a fine violinist as a young woman. He also took lessons from Preston “Sandy” Sandiford in Boston, a fine piano teacher Dave liked very much. He explains that he developed his trademark left-handed bass style because “I wanted to hear something like what I heard on the records.”

Dave began his career with Boots Mussulli Band, then left home to play with the Charlie Ventura band, followed by a stint with Woody Herman. After two years in the army, he returned to Charlie Ventura’s band, then worked with Gene Krupa, Stan Getz, and Zoot Sims and Al Cohn. He often worked with Bobby Hackett, including some gigs at Eddie Condon’s in Manhattan, playing what Hackett called “Whiskeyland Jazz.” Among Dave’s biggest influences was Nat King Cole, who remains one of his favorites to this day.
While working with Bobby Hackett, Dave discovered the pleasures of Cape Cod. He and his wife Frankie moved to the Cape in 1966 with their sons Stephen and Douglas. The move changed his career as well as his address – he worked less frequently with bands and more often as a solo pianist, but he still spent a great deal of time on the road.

Dave’s musical magic found a wider audience through recordings, from his first solo recording on ABC records in 1955 to his wonderful work in the 70s for Chiaroscuro Records and then for Concord Jazz. In the 1980s, Dave’s many fans could enjoy his magnificent medleys six nights a week at the Plaza Bar at the Copley Plaza Hotel in Boston, where he was pianist-in-residence.

Dave has traveled all over the world to play festivals, cruises and concerts, and Boston-area fans always considered it a rare treat when he did perform close to home, either solo or with noted jazz artists including Dick Johnson, Gray Sargent, Marshall Wood, and Donna Byrne. Although he was no longer performing the last few years, he always appreciated the support and kind words he has received over the years from his many fans all over the world. Those of us who had the privilege to know him, whether personally or through his music, will miss him terribly.

Imagine a worldwide resource where one could obtain CDs and DVDs by the legends of jazz drumming-live concerts, television and radio programs and more, never commercially released-for $15, with no charge for shipping all over the world.

That was and is www.JazzLegends.com, and since the original announcement and the extension of our “everything $15 sale,” we have been overrun with orders that have come from all over the world.

That is the good news.

The reality is that, as big as we may sound, JazzLegends.com is a one-person operation-me-devoted to bringing the finest and rarest unreleased music to the world at large. I process the orders, duplicate them and mail them personally.

Additionally, the PayPal organization, which processes our credit card payment system and millions of other online credit card payment systems, seems to notify us of about eight in ten orders we receive. The other two fall into the cracks, and that’s a shame for you and for us.

In the ten years I’ve been running JazzLegends.com, I have now heard the word “rip-off” two times. This hurts and this saddens me deeply.

As most of you know, I will personally go to the ends of the earth to make good on each and every order, whether a DVD is defective (you are all aware that the duplication process has not yet been perfected), and/or whether an order has not been received. I have offered free items and double your money in order to make up for any problems in processing your orders.

You know us. Hopefully, you love us. Ideally, you will continue to know us and love us. We have touched on the fact, via various other columns, that worldwide economic problems have touched us all. JazzLegends.com is no exception, which is why we have lowered prices across the board.

Please trust us. Please be patient. And above all, please help keep us operating by ordering early and often.

Our longtime colleague and friend, Cathy Rich, has thankfully resurrected the Buddy Rich Memorial Scholarship Concerts. Cathy has single-handedly kept her dads memory, legacy and contributions alive, and believe me-and I know-it has not been easy.

On October 18 at the Hammerstein Ballroom within New York city’s Manhattan Center, The Buddy Rich Memorial will again be with us. Among the stars booked thus far are the worlds greatest drummers, including Neil Peart, Terry Bozzio, John Blackwell and various others, who will be playing with the reconstituted Buddy Rich band. Also appearing? None other than the “heir to the throne,” Buddy’s grandson Nicky and bassist Will Lee. I’ve also heard rumors that there will be a certain, very underrated singer on the stage who you all know. Get your tickets now via Ticketmaster or the other usual ticket outlets.
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The first of the 24-hour Internet percussion channels is about to roll out. As previously reported here, TheDrumChannel.com is the brainchild of Drum Workshop, Inc., and this site will be a doozy. On view will be interviews with the jazz legends, lessons, vintage footage, blogs and much more. Log on in the next few weeks for a free preview, including film of the famed, Buddy Rich/Statler Hilton Hotel shows.

Our Glenn Miller releases have received a surprisingly good reception. In all honesty, I was never really a fan of Miller’s, outside of having to learn all the charts, like any drummer should. My tastes, however, do not dictate what we carry, so we’ve gotten hold of a TV special that was broadcast some years ago, entitled “Glenn Miller’s Last Flight,” which examines the controversy related to the as yet unsolved death of the bandleader resulting from his airplane trip from London to Paris on December 15, 1944.

It is important to remember that out of all the big bands still on the road and still performing, the Miller franchise-under the direction of trombonist Larry O’Brien-remains the busiest. As of this writing, the Miller band has three franchises worldwide and they all work over 300 days and nights, per year.

We have lost several great drummers over the past few months, and each and every one of them have made significant contributions to the legacy of jazz and jazz drumming.

Earl Palmer was a rhythm and blues pioneer who perfected his studio chops in his native New Orleans with the likes of Fats Domino and Lloyd Price. Along with Hal Blaine, Palmer became so much in demand, that even Sinatra had to have him. His roots, however, remained in jazz, which is likely why he was able to swing even the non-swingers.

Jim Blakemore played for singer Jack Jones for years and years and years. Jim passed not to long ago in his adopted location of Naples, FL, not too long ago, where he was backing artists like Stu Shelton, Bob Zottola and many others. Jim was a great, great human being. Personally, he was as understated as his playing. As a timekeeper and as an accompanist, he was impeccable. He was taste personified. I could to my wildest, Buddy Rich drum solo impersonation, and Jim would put me away with a well-placed, two-bar break. I learned a lot from him.

This item is a bit off the beaten path, but it bears detailing. Those of you who have to travel have probably been scared to death to purchase airline tickets of late, given the prices of fuel, security surcharges, etc. On top of it, I am certain you all have heard about additional charges for checked baggage, snacks, water, etc. (I’m waiting for the time when the “pay toilet” concept will be reinstated for benefit of the airlines).

There is one airline, however, that is somehow bucking the trend of expense, surcharge and poor service. This is Southwest Airways.

They are the absolute best, in every area you can imagine.

Truthfully, I was most hesitant to go online and purchase airplane tickets for our annual, Naples, FL sojourn. I shouldn’t have been concerned. Given the general panic that goes along with any travel situation these days, I was pleased and overjoyed to get a very, very fair-actually incredible– Philadelphia-to-Fort Myers fare. And traveling on Southwest is a joy. Their personnel, often singing, dancing and joking throughout the trip, make the often stress-filled process of traveling by air an absolute ball. For the life of me, I cannot figure out why all the other airlines are not following the lead of Southwest.
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Stay tuned for more new on TheDrumChannel.com, the status of the Slingerland Drum Company and other issues. Remember, if there is anything specifically that you are looking for, feel free to contact me directly at DrumAlive@aol.com.

Keep swingin’

Bruce Klauber
October, 2008

I cannot think of a business or an individual who has not been touched by the unfortunate economic situation in this country in some way, shape or form. JazzLegend.com is no exception. After all, is there really a choice between filling the gas tank or spending $20 for a Gene Krupa DVD? While I’m confident that a good many of you, and God bless you for it, would go for the Krupa DVD, most just cannot. And I understand. Over the summer, we experimented with the idea of pricing each and every JazzLegends.com DVD, CD and book at $15, with free shipping worldwide, of course. The response was so overwhelming that we are still, believe it or not, fulfilling orders. In an effort to lend an assist to the economy, the thousands of collectors out there, and to benefit JazzLegends.com, we are changing our pricing structure for the immediate future: Everything is, once again, $15.

Please take advantage of this extraordinary price break, and please be patient with delivery. As many of you know, each order is custom made, custom duplicated and custom shipped, and if something is not right or not exactly what you wanted or were looking for, we hope we’ve demonstrated our desire and ability to go to the ends of the earth until everyone is happy.

The only thing we ask in return is, given the low, low price and the fact that we continue to offer free shipping all over the world, please think about ordering more than one item. That’s all we ask.

Despite our recent rants about YouTube and the “vintage footage for free” situation, there are still outfits out there who know there is a market for unearthed discoveries. The folks running the “Jazz Icons” organization is one example. Another is Drum Workshop, Inc., one of the world’s premier manufacturers of quality drums, and certainly the makers of the best drums in the United States.

Drum Workshop, in addition to prepping the internet DrumChannel.com, has gotten into the DVD business in an impressive way. In the coming months, look for three of the most sought after programs in jazz drumming history: The famed, Buddy Rich, Statler Hilton programs.

For those unfamiliar with the shows, here’s a bit of background

Collectors of Buddy Rich material, and there are many all over the world, have their “Buddy Rich holy grail list. The “Eddie Condon Floor Show” television programs from the late 1940s, where Rich relaxed, sang, played and danced with dixielanders and mainstreamers, are high on that list. Right now, only some audio portions have been discovered.

Then there are those who still believe there is film from the Krupa and Rich “original drum battle at Jazz at the Philharmonic” of 1952. Norman Granz, the late producer of JATP and mastermind behind the famous duel, repeatedly denied there was any film taken of Gene, Buddy or any Jazz at the Philharmonic show.

The third item that has been discussed by collectors and fans throught the years are the Statler Hilton Shows.

In the past 10 or so seasons, there wasn’t a year that didn’t go by where someone stepped forward and claimed to have or own the shows and/or to know someone who did. A snippet or two did surface, but nothing ever more than a tantalizing minutes’ worth. Now, thanks to Drum Workshop and Cathy Rich, they will soon be in wide release, in all their mesmerizing entirety.

It would have been great if Rich had been able to do television programs like these on a regular basis throughout his career. They combined all facets of his talents as a player, as a personality and as champion of jazz.

And, of course, he was no stranger to television, having appeared often during the 1950s on “The Steve Allen Show,” “Broadway Open House,” “The Marge and Gower Champion Show,” “The Patti Page Show” and various others. And from the 1960s through the 1980s, hardly a month went by without an appearance on programs hosted by Johnny Carson, Dick Cavett, Merv Griffin, Mike Douglas and Dinah Shore.

In December of 1981, Buddy told author Doug Meriwether that there were plans afoot for an actual Buddy Rich TV series. “We’re going to have our own series very soon on PBS,” he told Meriwether. “Yeah, with the whole band and some guests who will be appearing with us, taped before a live audience. It’s something I’ve wanted. I’d been told more than once by people who supposedly knew what they were talking about, that the audience for a jazz series, man, was just too small. I never bought into that, and I feel we can prove them wrong.”

Well…he did and didn’t. Three programs were filmed on February 16th through the 18th, 1982. at the Terrace Ballroom within New York city’s venerable Statler Hilton Hotel. They were and are remarkable, but they were never sold, perhaps never offered for sale, never aired and no other episodes were filmed. A very, very few have even seen them.

And Buddy’s guest stars on these three shows? How about Mel Torme’, Lionel Hampton, Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan, Ray Charles, Anita O’Day and Woody Herman? Wow.

Rich didn’t wait around to see if the programs were sold or aired. As usual, he just went straight ahead after the taping of the shows, and continued to be a constant guest star on everyone else’s talk, music or variety show. Indeed, three weeks after the filming of these shows, Buddy and the band were off to London to tour with Tony Bennett and Sammy Davis, Dr., with no looking back.

Watch this space for release dates and availability.
Keep swingin’
Bruce Klauber
September, 2008

Websites like YouTube, MySpace, DailyMotion and the rest–to say nothing of the plethora of drum sites out there–are invaluable guides to learning and wonderful clearing houses for knowledge and information. By way of making available hours of vintage footage from the legendary jazz drummers, percussionists of every age have the ability to enjoy and learn from the likes of Gene, Papa Jo, Big Sid, Buddy, Tony, Art, Max and the rest. Influences of these giants can already be heard in the playing of the younger artists out there and I know they’re really listening to these legends more than ever.

Mainstream publications like Jazz Times and various drum magazines are directing readers to what they believe are “the best” clips on these sites.

What a revolution.

Until the advent of such sources of video and audio, where did drummers and music fans have to go for their info?

Most likely to videos and DVDs with titles like “Gene Krupa: Jazz Legend,” “Gene Krupa: Swing Swing Swing,” “Legends of Jazz Drumming,” “Classic Drum Solos and Drum Battles,” “Buddy Rich: Jazz Legend,” “Lionel Hampton: King of the Vibes,” and more.

What do those titles, still very much in print, by the way, have in common? They were produced by true visionaries, from companies like DCI Music Video, Warner Bros. Publications and Hudson Music, who pioneered the concept of the “performance-oriented retrospective” on the great drummers in history, and enlisted such names as Steve Allen, Mel Torme’, Louis Bellson, Jack DeJohnette, Roy Haynes and Mike Mainieri to narrate and add commentary to these projects in an effort to reach as wide an audience as possible.

Oh, yes. They also were all co-produced and written by me, and I can give you no accurate estimate of the time and expense it took to put these together. These films were made to viewed in their entirety, with the narration, the order of clips, and the hundreds of historic photographs spanning 75 years of music adding up to a complete and organic “whole,” i.e., the sum of its parts.

Around a good 80 percent of the clips from these DVDs and from others are all up on YouTube and the like, free of charge, and with no credit given as to where they came from . It is not only the fault of the site (“You want to sue?” we were once asked by someone from YouTube, “Then stand in line behind CNN, Paramount, CBS, NBC and Disney”) but the fault of those who have purchased the products through the years and upload them on such sites without regard for those involved in the creative end, and without regard for those who spent hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars finding these historic gems.

When this started happening, and it blossomed rather quickly, my hope was that these clips on YouTube would feed into interest and hopefully, sales, for the complete product. In other words, if someone posted the famed clip of Gene Krupa on The Dean Martin Show and put a credit line on the clip that read–“from the Hudson Music video ‘Gene Krupa: Swing Swing Swing’–then maybe a few YouTubers would check out the actual video, buy it, and make it financially possible to produce more.

That hasn’t happened, except in a rare instance or two, and too many of the folks posting this material are either in states of denial or are just plain lying. For instance, one chap I emailed about unauthorized posting of material with no credit given claimed he found the video in a thrift shop in an unmarked package and therefore had no idea as to its source material. I guess he didn’t watch the part of the tape that said “a Hudson Music release produced and written by Bruce Klauber.” Another fellow challenged me on ownership.

These people are basically coming on my job and doing it for free. I wonder what would happen if I showed up at their places of business and did their work for free.

If this sounds like sour grapes, that’s because it is. Like I’ve said and have said many times in this space and other places, if we can just give credit where credit is due, then everyone profits. Folks get to see the free clips, with credit lines, on YouTube. In that way, everyone has the chance at profiting.

YouTube cannot be stopped. It’s just too large. And because of what they and the YouTube visitors have created, the “given” is that all this material should, quite simply, just be free for everyone.

One of the things we’ve tried to do through the years at JazzLegends.com is to discover and offer film and audio that is just not available on YouTube, DailyMotion or anywhere else. Perhaps you’ll see a clip or two from one of our discoveries, but never the whole DVD or CD. Likewise with the long-anticipated Internet drum channels from Hudson Music and Drum Workshop. Though still in the development stage, they will be offering everything from drum lessons to vintage films and interviews with the giants in a manner where everyone involved is duly compensated and credited.

I must also add here that the vast majority of drum sites, from Drummerworld.com on up and down, to a fine, fine job of crediting everyone involved in what they post, including artists, photographers, producers, writers, etc.

Is there still a market for the stand alone DVD? You bet there is, given that it’s material you can’t find on the Internet. And that’s what JazzLegends.com will continue to devote itself to.

God bless and keep swingin,

Bruce Klauber, September, 2008

Once again, I extend my sincerest thanks to each and every one of you for your good wishes in line with my medical condition. Things are improving and healing well, though there will be additional treatments and surgeries down the line. The immediate concern, not just for me but for all of us in the states, is the insane prices being charged for essential prescription medicines. By and large, medical insurance only covers a fraction of this, so I would ask you again to take advantage of our JazzLegends $15 sale–now extended through Labor Day–and order as much as you can. Though we always work on the honor system here, because we offer free shipping worldwide, we do ask that you order a minimum of two items to defray these costs.

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There is often a price to pay in some form when trying to keep up with what is considered state-of-the-art these days. Specifically, I am speaking of our brand new, stellar, high-tech web site, and the great community that is coming out of it. I have received nothing but glowing comments on the site, but the price to pay I speak of has to do with a frustrating glitch or two that we’re working on. Several of you have thankfully contacted me directly after attempting, unsuccessfully, to contact me by way of the JazzLegends.com web form. A few of you seemed to think that I dropped off the face of the earth, as I did not receive emails noting that you were attempting to contact me about shipping dates, questions about product, etc. The contact form on the web, quite simply, stopped working. We have now put in place a foolproof–we hope–contact email icon that will put you in touch with me directly and personally. Have a problem, an issue, a request, a question? Email me at DrumAlive@aol.com It’s that simple, and you have my apologies for the tech breakdown.

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In addition to the unbelievable Krupa discoveries that have come to us by way of great friends and colleagues like Bob Bierman and Dean Platt, we will continue to endeavor to offer items by other players and drummers that will, without doubt, be of interest to each and every JazzLegends supporter. Examples? The best print of “Las Vegas Nights” featuring Tommy Dorsey and the crew, The Steve Goodman Trio’s singular jazz version of Broadway’s “Phantom of the Opera” (featuring a guy named Klauber at the traps), and now the film “Second Chorus,” starring the 1940 version of the Artie Shaw big band. There aren’t many examples of the Shaw band on film, so this is well worth having. Rumors still abound about the drummer on the soundtrack of “Second Chorus.” Nick Fatool, in all his glory, is seen onscreen, but if you listen closely, the drummer who preceded Fatool in the Shaw band may actually be playing on the soundtrack.

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Joy Adams and I want to thank the large and enthusiastic crew who joined us for our short stay at Dino’s Restaurant in Naples, FL. Dino proved to be a fine host and the venue was a fun and intimate one. Our group, consisting of pianist Jean Packard, bassist Frank Begonia and trumpeter Bill Papineau was superb. We also want to thank the many supporters in attendance, including guest players Gus Maywald on saxophone the great voice of Rosemarie Smedile. Others special guest stars in the room that night included vocalist Jebry, guitarist Dan Smedile, pianist Mel Rosen, drummer John Lamb and others too numerous to mention. Upon our anticipated return to Naples in September, given that health issues hold up, we will hopefully take on another engagement or two. This has been a busy off-season for Jebry, one of our great vocalists. And musically, to our ears, she’s never been better. By the way, our thanks to Jeb and Bobby (“World’s Greatest Drummer”) for letting Joy and I “borrow” their band for a night.

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We’ve given a good deal of space over the past several years to the wonderful line-up of talent appearing at The Naples Philharmonic Center for the Arts. The 2008-2009 season has just been announced, and jazz-wise, the slate is as impressive as ever. Attractions include Wynton Marsalis with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Dianne Shurr, George Benson’s tribute to Nat Cole, smooth jazzers David Sanborn and Dave Koz, genre’ benders Turtle Island Quartet, Ernestine Anderson and Phil perennial Dick Hyman with Eddie Metz, Jr., Howard Alden, Alan Vache, Randy Sandke and more. There is one, very interesting surprise at The Phil this season. Whatever your personal take is on singer/pianist Michael Feinstein, he certainly has brought the legacy of American popular song to a wider public. So give him credit where credit is due. He did record for Maynard Ferguson, after all. Feinstein’s show at The Phil this season is a salute to Hollywood and MGM musicals, and there are two special guests set to be featured. One is 1950s, B-movie actress and cosmetics mogul Arlene Dahl, and I have no idea what she’ll do on the stage. The other guest is a singer Frank Sinatra once said had “the best pipes in the business.” He was referring to the one and only Vic Damone who has supposedly been retired since 2001. Check out Vic’s website for the actual story. I don’t know who–or what convinced this great artist to come out of retirement, but watch this space for updates and more information.

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Our Buddy Rich collection of original VHS videos from the 1970s–on the Carson, Cavett and Merv Griffin programs–is still up for bid. Contact me about this, or for any other reason, at DrumAlive@aol.com

Keep swingin’
Bruce Klauber
July, 2008

AFTER HOLIDAY BLOW-OUT
Each and every item: $15**
Friday, Saturday and Sunday only
**two-item minimum

Get all the DVDs, CDs and books you’ve always wanted at a once-in-a-lifetime bargain price, with free shipping, of course.