Duke Ellington featuring Louie Bellson: Skin Deep

[stoinge]

fkn wow

[alphillips100]

I first heard this in London UK at Christmas 1946 when AFN played it on my crystal set - thus was my love for Jazz born.

[Easleytee]

Master drummer and consummate artist/musician.

[fredtappin]

This is just about the very best drum solo you are likely to hear........next best is gene krupa 'sing sing sing' with Benny Goodman'

[mhlytle]

I'm a rocker at heart and I LOVE this song. What great drumming action !!!

[StixH]

Technically somewhat better than Rich!!

[stevebul]

One of the greatest drum solos on record ever. Excellent sound quality on the drums especially since it was in the 50's.

[lynzcow]

My first Snare was a Remo PTS.. Thanks Louie!!

[James0022ify]

This is and always will be my favourite drum solo, and I've seen some of the great rock drummers of today such as Neil Peart (Rush) and Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater)

[cacsac]

Louie Bellson.... He not only wrote this piece, but obviously

performed one of the great drum solos of all time. Eddie C

[cacsac]

Whoever put up the comment, nothing special, is obviously tone deaf, and hasn't got a clue as to what drumming is

all about. Must be a rock and roller.

[calliope1234]

Superbe!!!!Merci*

[MARKMANIATT]

Can I correct the comment that Louie was the first drummer to come up with the two bass drum set up.This was in fact the great Ray McKinley.Its all there for you to check if you can be bothered.However,Louie was certainly the man who put the idea on the map and perfected it.Alongside Genes 'Sing Sing Sing' surely a contender for the greatest drum recording ever made.

RIP Louie.

[SAHBfan]

@MARKMANIATT

About why Louis gets the credit for bass drums:

Louis made a drawing of a double bass drum kit in 1938. That means, unusually, that he has documentary evidence that he had the idea pre WW2. It was a few years before he got Gretch to make him his first double kit & Ray McKinley may have beat him to it - but it would have been so easy for any drummer after the pedal was introduced around 1900 to drag two bass drums together, someone must surely have tried it for a laugh, before Ray?

[whity72]

Impressive solo, I practiced to copy the best elements of it for more than tow years and it blows any "common" audience away. Thanks for all those great ideas, fills, breaks, soli, improvements, Louie. Give them h... in heaven, hehe!

[davesf]

I saw Louie play at Dante's in LA a couple of times, also free shows at the Greek Theater. He'd hang around after and talk to us kids. Always gracious, radiating a good heart, willing to answer drumming questions all day long. Connsumate gentleman and performer. His personal, political and musical life speak for themselves. Thank you Louie, RIP.

[rinfuso1]

FYI: Louie 'invented' the double bass drum technique. It had never been done before by any drummer. He was the first and the drum companies back then said it would never last.

[JuneBee55]

Loved this track since I was 14 years old in the 1950s. Used to jive to it at The Mecca in Leeds. Ah, happy days. RIP darling Louie.

[GRINNAL7]

God bless Louie, died today R.I.P this is one of the defining tracks of my life!

[WOTDFUC]

got to be one of the best drumming tracks by any drummer,ever.

[johanisu]

when was this recorded? 4:10 sounds exactly like the big sid by max roach, i presume he must have got it from louie.

[JacqueShredo]

Bellson is amazing really

He's still my favorite drummer, even as a die hard buddy rich fan I still place bellson as my #1. He's just too dang good!

[ludwig222]

That picture of Louie lighting Pearl's cigarette . Great Picture !

Where can I get a copy of that ?

[Hendrikdevuile]

I appreciate the posting of this video, which is one of my favourites. I find it so moving that it often brings me to the verge of tears as do Tchaikovsky's Pathétique and Ravel's Bolero. Many years ago I played it in the Music Club of a Zambian college to youths of 17-25 years of age and they, thoroughly familiar with Afican drum playing (ngoma), just refused to believe that a single man could produce so much magnificent sound!

Louie Bellson is still alive and has been passing on his art.

[jazzart1]

thankyou very much!