The Master of Drums

Gene Krupa and the Music He Gave the World

Elizabeth J. Rosenthal

$55

Hardback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Citadel Press Inc.,U.S.
27 May 2025

Music

""A substantial and engaging biography that contributes significantly to the history of jazz in the United States.""-Library Journal

The first definitive biography of Gene Krupa, the most famous drummer on the planet, whose feverish rhythms defined the Swing Era, changed jazz music forever, spurred rock and roll, and influenced generations.

""A substantial and engaging biography that contributes significantly to the history of jazz in the United States.""-Library Journal

The first definitive biography of Gene Krupa, the most famous drummer on the planet, whose feverish rhythms defined the Swing Era, changed jazz music forever, spurred rock and roll, and influenced generations.

From the early 1930s onward, Gene Krupa was a drum-centric rarity in the jazz world. Never before had a drummer been in the forefront as a solo artist. His galvanizing, unrestrained passion for percussion demanded it. Rocking the rafters, Gene thrilled audiences in ballrooms, nightclubs, and movies. He always knew he would. It was in his blood.

Seemingly born jazz-drum crazy in 1909 to a Polish-immigrant working-class family in South Chicago, Gene was a professional by the age of thirteen and soon made his first recordings. By the early 1930s, he was New York City's most in-demand drummer, and starting in 1934, he joined brilliant clarinetist Benny Goodman's band, helped inaugurate the Swing Era, and played the first-ever swing concert at Carnegie Hall, which made history. So did Gene, whose celebrity spread with every ride cymbal beat and bass drum bomb drop. He formed his own band, hired such dazzlingly outsized personalities as singer Anita O'Day, and unconditionally shattered racial boundaries by sharing the spotlight with the blistering African-American trumpeter Roy Eldridge. But after a skyrocketing ride to the top, Gene experienced a roller-coaster ride of good and bad luck, emotional highs, and devastating depths.

In The Master of Drums, biographer Elizabeth J. Rosenthal crafts a celebratory, honest, and exhaustively researched portrait of a twentieth-century music legend whose acolytes would include such rock-era artists as Ringo Starr, Keith Moon, John Bonham, and Apollo 440. When he died, Gene Krupa may have left behind a world of grieving friends, colleagues, fans, students, and progeny, but as The Master of Drums proves, his dynamic musical and cultural influences live on.

Foreword by Slim Jim Phantom of the Stray Cats

Includes 16 pages of exclusive, never-before-seen photographs

By: Elizabeth J. Rosenthal
Imprint: Citadel Press Inc.,U.S.
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 235mm, Width: 160mm,
Weight: 567g
ISBN: 9780806543260
ISBN 10: 0806543264
Pages: 400
Publication Date: 27 May 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Elizabeth J. Rosenthal earned degrees in journalism at Syracuse University's Newhouse School of Public Communications ('82) and law at Rutgers University ('85), and served as legal liaison with the New Jersey Civil Service Commission for 28 years before retiring in 2015. She has always been an enthusiast of 20th-century popular culture and history. Her previous books are His Song- The Musical Journey of Elton John and Birdwatcher- The Life of Roger Tory Peterson. Please visit her website, ElizabethJRosenthal.com, for more information.

Reviews for The Master of Drums: Gene Krupa and the Music He Gave the World

Praise for The Master of Drums “No one played the drums like Gene Krupa, and no one has captured his life story as poignantly as Elizabeth J. Rosenthal does in The Master of Drums.” —Jeff Apter, author of Keith Urban and Carl Perkins: The King of Rockabilly “Gene Krupa was the swing drummer who rocked. His flair, talent, and obvious joy behind those Slingerland kits became the template for multiple generations of players who followed. He exploded the music with showmanship and dazzling technique, and dragged the drums out of the shadows and right onto the lip of the stage. Elizabeth J. Rosenthal has produced an exhaustively researched account of the man and the times. It’s the story of a famous drummer, but will surely appeal to everyone interested in the history of modern American jazz. Splendid!” —Rob Hirst, drummer/songwriter, Midnight Oil