Why I don't hear bass drums on Jazz LPs?

Krupa and Rich were bandleaders, featured performers, so naturally they did long solos with plenty of bass drum to emphasize the beat. So you may say the recordings are technically deficient but that wasn’t the question. The thumps are not particularly low frequency and can easily be heard.

@pwerahera

@bdp24 

Thank you for posting and answering this question.  Even listening to small-group, more recently-recorded jazz, I have wondered about the same issue.

Hi all - jazz drummer here. What @bdp24 wrote is spot on. In a jazz combo, I almost never keep time with the 18" bass drum; it serves as an accent piece while my hi-hat is the most metronomic instrument, followed closely by my ride. When I do emphasize the bass drum, it’s on a powerful punch accent but that’s about all.

Now, in my modern country project, the 22" bass drum is where it’s at!

For that matter, I attend live small group jazz gigs two or three times a month, usually in small clubs sitting within 15-20 feet of the drummer. Even in that setting one is not very aware of the bass drum. High hat and snare drum ( correct me if that’s not the correct name for the smaller drum usually mounted near to the high hat) predominate. So I wouldn’t fault the recording or your audio system if you can’t make out the bass drum on vinyl.

My Audiogon handle is a reference to my preference when it comes to bass drum diameter (and drum covering finish). Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa (and most all other big band drummers in the 1930’s and 40’s) played 26" bass drums early on, downsizing as time went on. Buddy settled on 24" in the 1950’s, and played that size the rest of his life.

On the first U.S.A. tour with Zeppelin, Bonham was playing a 24" kick, but soon moved on to 26 inches, for the rest of his life. Mitch Mitchell was also found of 24 inches, while Ginger Baker’s double-kick set up included one 20" and one 22".