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

Listen first live to jazz in a club or theatre or a concert than asked the same question. I think you never asked again.

@dogearedaudio I was listening to Ben Webster's Blue Light LP yesterday. Really wonderful album. Double bass in the front-middle of the soundstage and the cymbols/snare drums on the left side back of the stage. Webster played the horn on right side with the piano also placed on the right side, but behind Webster.

I can clearly hear the cymbols and snare drums, but no sound of the bass drums. There were tracks from two sessions on this album, one with Kenny Drew - piano, Niles Pederson -bass and Ales Riel - drums. Three more tacks were recorded with Arnved Meyer band, a Danish jazz band from 1959 to 1973.

At first I thought I was hearing the bass drums, but bit later realized that was more of my imagination than am actually hearing the thing (LOL). So that initiated my post and thanks for the reply. I have also noted missing bass drums in Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, and many other albums. As you have correctly noted bass drums wasn't heavily featured in these small-group settings like Hawkins and Webster.

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!