George:
Hope you are well, safe, and hanging in there. George, the "The Poetic Thoughts and Verses of Louis Bellson," now coming out via Hudson Music, really got to me in a profound way. I knew and loved Louie and I know you'll agree that a cat like him comes along but once. I was moved to write the following about it, and I'm hoping you have room somewhere in NSMD to use it. I know it's long, but I think this is something we should all know about. Thanks for all, man, and keep swingin'. -- Bruce H. Klauber, D., Mus.
The back story: Like many of you in the international community of jazz drumming, I had the good fortune of getting to know Louie Bellson, and I know that all of us who knew him will agree that Louie was one, unforgettable man. My good fortune came via our close work together in New York City and Los Angeles on the production of the "Legends of Jazz Drumming" videos. He was passionate about the subject, and said more than once how important it was that we work together to let the world at large know about geniuses like Chick Webb, Big Sid Catlett, Dave Tough, Gene, Buddy, Max and everyone else. We worked long into the night in a New York hotel room, pouring over a borrowed typewriter, to ensure that Louie would say, on camera, all that needed to be said. We were proud of the result. I still am. Mel Torme' once characterized Gene Krupa as "an angel." All I can say is that goes for Louie Bellson, too.
"The Poetic Thoughts and Verses of Louie Bellson"
Duke Ellington called Louie Bellson "the world's greatest drummer." No one, in or out of the music business, had a bad word to say about Louie personally or professionally. And Louie never had a bad word to say about anyone, either. He was a passionate, selfless, tireless, and dedicated artist and educator. He was also the perennial student who never stopped learning or studying. Whatever the situation--gig, clinic, or anything else--he had time for everyone.
An artist--and more importantly, a man--like Louie Bellson comes along only once. Ask anyone.
While Bellson's incomparable talents as a percussionist, arranger, composer, bandleader, teacher, clinician, mentor and innovator (we can't talk about Louie Bellson without mentioning that he introduced the "two bass drum concept" to the drum world) were widely known, his deeper, spiritual side was not on view publicly.
Those who knew Louie Bellson will not be totally surprised by his beautiful and heartfelt poems, writings, and thought-provoking thoughts, assembled for the first time in book form via "The Poetic Thoughts and Verses of Louie Bellson" (Hudson Music), compiled and edited with gentle respect by his dear friend, Dave Black.
But those who only knew Louie as a swinging drummer will be surprised at his spiritual depth and his passion for spirituality. After reading the book, it's clear and it's eye opening that Louie was spiritual before spirituality was an industry, and that his unwavering devotion to the concepts of peace, love, human acceptance and universal understanding, were not mere beliefs: For Louie Bellson, they were ways of life.
His was a lifetime not without its challenges and pain. His courtship and marriage to Pearl Bailey in 1952, a time when interracial marriage, especially one played out in the public eye, was almost unheard of, was not easy, with death threats being the order of the day. And it wasn't easy becoming the first white member of Duke Ellington's band in 1951. The loss of Pearl in 1990 was devastating. Musically, he met a major challenge head on by seamlessly adapting to an always-changing musical environment, without judgement.
Things affected him, and if he ever drew attention to himself, it was done peacefully and gently. Louie called this one "A Man and His Drums."
"I quietly, with Peace and Love, roar like the thunder in the sky and sound the heartbeat of life."
That was Louie Bellson. Originally put together by Louie years ago in a hand-assembled pamphlet for only dear friends and family, Louie's "Poetic Thoughts and Verses" are now available to be read by one and all. Readers will be touched by Louie's thoughts, drawings and writings, and when and if the history books are written, it will likely be said that this book sure came at the right time.
Availability: https://hudsonmusic.com/product/the-poetic-thoughts-and-verses-of-louie-bellson/
Louis Bellson and Dave Black
Steve Gadd, Rob Wallis, Louie Bellson (1989) at the landmark Tribute To Buddy Rich Show in Los Angeles
Rob Wallis and Louis Bellson 2005