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

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".

As a drummer many of the comments here are right on. Good job .

@bdp24 

Thanks, learned something new

In the 1990’s Earl Palmer’s jazz trio (piano, bass, drums) was performing in the bar at Chadney’s Restaurant in Burbank, located directly across the street from the NBC studio where the Tonight Show is taped. I lived two blocks away, and would occasionally walk over and sit on a bar stool, nursing a Scotch-on-the-rocks while listening to (and watching) them for a set or two.

Recordings are great, but there is nothing like watching a master musician playing live, up close if possible. I went to literally hundreds of live shows in the 1960’s, seeing everyone from The Beach Boys (my first concert, in the summer of 1964 at The San Jose Civic Auditorium in San Jose, with Brian playing bass and singing falsetto), The Beatles in ’65, and all the local San Jose groups and bands during 1965-67 (including Fritz, whose membership included Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. They were just another SJ group).

Then it was up to San Francisco to see and hear Hendrix and Cream, Procol Harum and The Kinks, The Nice (Keith Emerson’s pre-ELP group), The Dead and The Airplane, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks (Dan had a Jazz drummer in his band when I saw them), and too many others to remember.

In ’68 The Electric Flag (with Mike Bloomfield and Buddy Miles) and the doors appeared at The Santa Clara County Folk-Rock Festival (held outdoors. Ugh, I don’t care for that). The poor doors had to follow The Flag, and paled in comparison. Buddy Miles was amazing!

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