Barrett Deems

March 1, 2008. Posted by Joshua Jackson.

Add new comment | Filed under: 1950s, all stars, barrett, bing crosby, Birthdays, contemporaries, drummer, frank sinatra, gene krupa, hyperkinetic, Jazz Alive, jazz giant, louis armstrong, playing the drums, pops, swing
1950s

all stars

barrett

bing crosby

Birthdays

contemporaries

drummer

frank sinatra

gene krupa

hyperkinetic

Jazz Alive

jazz giant

louis armstrong

playing the drums

pops

swing

Today is the birthday of drummer Barrett Deems, called "The World's Fastest Drummer" by his contemporaries Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa. I can't say that I would call Barrett Deems a jazz giant, but I always found him entertaining. Have you ever seen High Society with Grace Kelly, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and Louis Armstrong? If you answered yes, then you've seen Barrett Deems. He played drums for Louis Armstrong's All-Stars during the 1950s, and his hyperkinetic drumming was an excellent foil to the super-cool swing of Pops.
Here's "The World's Fastest Drummer" playing the drums, the stage, and a chair.
© 2008 WBGO

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