R.I.P.: Louie Bellson dies at 84

Before there was "Hot for Teacher," there was Louie Bellson. The Italian-American rhythm dynamo is best known for his work with Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellington, and Benny Goodman, but he was also a trailblazer of the double bass drum.

Bellson died on Valentine's Day in Los Angeles. Born with a mouthful of a name--Luigi Paulino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni--Bellson composed thousands of tunes, published numerous books about percussion, and recorded dozens of albums. The last among these was the cheekily named Louie & Clark Expedition 2 (with trumpeter Clark Terry), a five-star cut and a fine swan song.

More knowledgeable fans of Bellson and his music are encouraged to craft a community biography for the Louie Bellson page at Sound Unwound, and those into Dorsey, Goodman, and their ilk would do well to tune into KUOW's "The Swing Years and Beyond." Seattle's NPR station plays five (!) hours of the stuff every Saturday night.

Here's a taste of Bellson's soloing circa 1950, posted by a high-strung YouTube contributor:

Rhythm in peace, Louie!

     --Jason Kirk

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[Nat Sattayapornphisut on February 17, 2009 at 11:38 AM]

So..... He was lived many decades ago......??

Rest in peace man.........

[Anthony F. on February 17, 2009 at 11:24 AM]

I hate it when musicians who I know very little about die. It's kind of like a missed opportunity.