Italian drummers - why are there so many?

[TheDrummerFromAmsterdam]

More interesting is why so many Italian super stars like Eros and Zucherro hiring US (mostly gospel born) drummers.

 

[RayB]

I'm holding out for the Polish drummer thread.

Color me woke.

I have a great Italian joke too FWIW, two of them for the record. Told to me by two Italian dudes. pm me if you want to hear them. ...see them to be specific.

Few people's know it was an Italian who invented modern brush playing, and he wasn't even a drummer!

This big guy Tony Fongabacci worked for certain businesses in our neighborhood. You know, if someone didn't pay their debts, he'd straighten them out. He was so big and tough he could smarten up 2 guys at a time.
So one night he grabbed these 2 guys who were always avoiding him. He picked up one of them by his ankles and was mopping the sidewalk with him. Making a circle with this guys face. That was wit his left hand, In his right hands he grabbed the other guy by his ankles. Wit this loser he was banging his head in rtyhm.
Meantime, this drummer Frankie Z, was sitting on the stoop watching. He sez to himself this is beautiful. He's making a circle motion wit one guys head while keeping a steady beat wit the other guy's head.
Frankie Z. ran upstairs, grabbed a pair of brushes and played the pattern he just saw on his snare drum. Later that night, he played brushes like that on the gig, The band loved the sound. Soon every drummer was copying his brush playing. The rest is history,
Years later when guys were praising him for inventing this brush style, he'd always say, "I owe it all to a guy named Tony Fongabacci." Guys would give him a puzzled look and he'd say, "Ah, it's a long story."
For the record, those 2 jerks paid their debt right away.

 

[Whitten]

More interesting is why so many Italian super stars like Eros and Zucherro hiring US (mostly gospel born) drummers.

There's a kind of inverse snobbery. It's cool to have English or American drummers on your project.
I made a few albums in Rome in the early 80's. There were Italian drummers in Rome who were as good, if not better than me.

 

[TheDrummerFromAmsterdam]

There's a kind of inverse snobbery. It's cool to have English or American drummers on your project.
I made a few albums in Rome in the early 80's. There were Italian drummers in Rome who were as good, if not better than me.

I had that feeling (although cats like Eric Moore and Cora Coleman are top heavy too).

Maybe its a mindset that modern younger Italian drummers not posess anymore in the pop area?

I see the same thing with K pop where cats like Bennie Rodgers do some of the big tours (although there the gospelchops are more mandatory so I get that more).

Im not too deep in Italian pop, but I always found the Italian drum sound from the 90’s on records and live soooo good and inspiring.

A punchy kick, cutting snare and more in the front of the mix.

Then see a craftsman as Tullio Granatello (Tamburo) making such intricate designs, you can’t not love the Italian drum heritage.

 

[Whitten]

They were big on the Steve Gadd sound when I was there early 80's. Tight sound, quite dead.
It suited their funky, groovy music.

 

[Croatian Man]

I'm holding out for the Polish drummer thread.

Color me woke.

I have a great Italian joke too FWIW, two of them for the record. Told to me by two Italian dudes. pm me if you want to hear them. ...see them to be specific.

Squirrel Man, Gene Krupa was polish. One of the Greats of the swing Era and copied world wide. Watch his Drum Off with Buddy Rich many years ago.

 

[RayB]

I’ll mentioned a true story that happened to me many years ago. Back in New York City where I’m from musicians looked in the Village Voice paper in the musicians section . I called a band looking for a drummer. After a while the person I was speaking to asked for my last name, when I told him he said … sorry that’s not going to work! I said what do you mean? He replied the Italians have the best rock drummers, Carmine Appice, Dino Daneli, etc but he wasn’t interested in hearing me and that was that. It’s funny now but it was annoying fifty years ago.

As long as you want to go back in time, Earl Palmer out of New Orleans (Little Richard, Fats Domino, countless other hits like "Let the Good Times Roll") was probably one of the first "rock" drummers heard all over the world. Or you may consider Fred Below who played on the Chuck Berry hits; how many people picked up on those records? Some other guys like Al Jackson Jr. (Stax/Volt, Memphis) and Benny Benjamin (Motown) happened to play pretty good Soul and R & B before Dino and Dave Garibaldi did.
Go back a little further. Like Baby Dodds, Jo Jones, Sid Catlett, Max Roach, Art Blakey, Shadow Wilson, Roy Haynes, Elvin Jones, Tony Williams. I think these "minor" talents had a slight influence on how we play drums. I notice there are a few drummers today playing with major hip hop artists whom wait for it, may not be of Italian heritage.
Drum Forum is a celebration of white drummers. Yeah, there are some members who are well aware of the history of the instrument and the major contributions of African American drummers in a century of American music. But the majority of members seem to regard Buddy as the epitome of jazz drumming, and white guys who adapted the styles of New Orleans black drummers as the greatest rock drummers. How many guys on this forum think the British drummer copying what he heard an American black drummer playing is, in fact, the guy who made up the beat?

Of course there are great drummers of all races and backgrounds. But this Forum overwhelmingly focuses on white drummers: maybe because most of the drummers who contribute are white. God forbide you listen a little to the history of drumming; you may discover there are a few other great drummers who shaped the very way we play the instrument aside from Buddy, Bonham and Peart.

Isn't it funny that in over a century of drumset playing, the white guys get all the attention here? Why not? Paul Whiteman was the King of Jazz in the 20's. Benny Goodman was the King of Swing in the 30's. Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Fletcher Henderson, Chick Webb: they were "okay". Nah, the real great big bands were Goodman, Dorsey, Miller, etc.
There were some "okay" African American drummers in rock and R & B, but they were minor figures compared to the great drummers of Italian heritage. The Italian drummers have a special gift for rthym African American drummers can only wish for.
Go ahead; censor this. How dare I bring up the role race plays in the history of American music?
Yeah, right. Let's get back to acknowledging more great white drummers. After all, they're the true greats; they taught the black guys how to play.

 

[Croatian Man]

FWIW, and really not applicable to the Broad Topic here about Italian Drummers - but very interesting, nonetheless... Checkout Steve Copeland's You Tube Video about the History of The Drum Set (according to him in New Orleans) circa 1890s. I don't have the Link handy, but you can search it.

 

[langmick]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Italian_composers
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Italian_scientists
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Italian_mathematicians

 

[Croatian Man]

Wow, didnt realize this became the Italian Network. Absolutely, nothing wrong with that because Italians have made tremendous contributions to the world over Centuries. Including Drummers, Music in general, Food and Wine of course, Women's Beauty, and science too. Throw in the Mafia ( La Cosa Nostra - Our Cause or Thing) to boot!
What could be better than sitting in warm Roman bath, listening to Italian Opera (Lanza, Pavarotti, or Bocelli), and calculating your 2022 Taxes !!! The Romans invented Taxes. I guess everyone knows that the Republic of Italy was created in 1849. Before that the different areas were regions unto their own....Venetian, Neopolitan, Roman, Bolognese ( a nice bowl of fresh Fettuccini Bolognese would be nice after that bath, with a glass of Chianti), Puglia, etc.
Ciao for Now.

 

[RayB]

Wow, didnt realize this became the Italian Network. Absolutely, nothing wrong with that because Italians have made tremendous contributions to the world over Centuries. Including Drummers, Music in general, Food and Wine of course, Women's Beauty, and science too. Throw in the Mafia ( La Cosa Nostra - Our Cause or Thing) to boot!
What could be better than sitting in warm Roman bath, listening to Italian Opera (Lanza, Pavarotti, or Bocelli), and calculating your 2022 Taxes !!! The Romans invented Taxes. I guess everyone knows that the Republic of Italy was created in 1849. Before that the different areas were regions unto their own....Venetian, Neopolitan, Roman, Bolognese ( a nice bowl of fresh Fettuccini Bolognese would be nice after that bath, with a glass of Chianti), Puglia, etc.
Ciao for Now.

You'd have to be "stunad" (pardon the expression) to deny the tremendous contributions Italians contributed to the world throughout history. It's also important to remember Italians faced a lot of discrimination when they emigrated to America in the early 20th century. There were vicious stereotypes and like many new arrivals, they had to live together in segregated areas of big cities. I point this out because there is always a group of new immigrants who face hardships and discrimination. The people who came over in previous decades want to blow up the bridges and keep the newcomers out. We have a border crisis right now; and while there are legitimate concerns, they are mixed in with prejudice and stereotypes. I've seen videos of "Americans" screaming at people to stop speaking Spanish to each other. Well, I know many people whose grandparents and great-grandparents spoke Yiddish or Italian to each other.

The Godfather, Sopranos, Wiseguys, Casino, and unfortunately, The Jersey Shore, occupy a considerable presence in American pop culture. While it's fun to say "badda-bing" or quote great lines from movies ("leave the gun, take the canolli"), does this really serve Italian Americans well?

The other issue is we can make a list of contributions Jews made to the world, or African Americans, Irish and so on. Ethnic pride becomes negative when applied as, "look at how much more my group did than yours: we're more deserving!". I'm not saying anyone is doing this here (I hope), but please remember to show the love and respect for others that we all deserve.

 

[bigbonzo]

A thread about great Italian drummers and most people are listing American drummers.
There are some incredible Italian drummers living and working in Italy.

Name a few.

 

[Squirrel Man]

There's a kind of inverse snobbery. It's cool to have English or American drummers on your project.
I made a few albums in Rome in the early 80's. There were Italian drummers in Rome who were as good, if not better than me.

So you're saying they pasta test?

...yeah, I'll shut up now.

 

[Tornado]

I know not to ever be surprised, but there are great drummers all over. I was in a dive bar in Saltillo, Mexico two nights ago They had a live band and the drummer was as solid as they come. Young guy too. I was surprised to see such a good band on a Wednesday night in the mountains of Mexico. With a packed bar totally into the band as well.

 

[bigbonzo]

Category:English drummers - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[Croatian Man]

I know not to ever be surprised, but there are great drummers all over. I was in a dive bar in Saltillo, Mexico two nights ago They had a live band and the drummer was as solid as they come. Young guy too. I was surprised to see such a good band on a Wednesday night in the mountains of Mexico. With a packed bar totally into the band as well.

Tornado, Sounds like you had lots of Fun. I'm a bit of an old timer.... so forgive me. The Youngest outstanding Drummer I can recall was Michael Schrieve in Santana at Woodstock (1969). He was 15 going on 16 and played a fanatastic Solo in the last song : Soul Sacrifice.

 

[Squirrel Man]

Did anyone mention Frankie Banali or @bpaluzzi ?

 

[JohnnyVibesAZ]

Frank Devito, (a first cousin of Danny Devito), was The Baja Marimba Band's drummer. This video isn't very clear, but here he is having some fun. Wait for his solo!

 

[Demonslayer]

As long as you want to go back in time, Earl Palmer out of New Orleans (Little Richard, Fats Domino, countless other hits like "Let the Good Times Roll") was probably one of the first "rock" drummers heard all over the world. Or you may consider Fred Below who played on the Chuck Berry hits; how many people picked up on those records? Some other guys like Al Jackson Jr. (Stax/Volt, Memphis) and Benny Benjamin (Motown) happened to play pretty good Soul and R & B before Dino and Dave Garibaldi did.
Go back a little further. Like Baby Dodds, Jo Jones, Sid Catlett, Max Roach, Art Blakey, Shadow Wilson, Roy Haynes, Elvin Jones, Tony Williams. I think these "minor" talents had a slight influence on how we play drums. I notice there are a few drummers today playing with major hip hop artists whom wait for it, may not be of Italian heritage.
Drum Forum is a celebration of white drummers. Yeah, there are some members who are well aware of the history of the instrument and the major contributions of African American drummers in a century of American music. But the majority of members seem to regard Buddy as the epitome of jazz drumming, and white guys who adapted the styles of New Orleans black drummers as the greatest rock drummers. How many guys on this forum think the British drummer copying what he heard an American black drummer playing is, in fact, the guy who made up the beat?

Of course there are great drummers of all races and backgrounds. But this Forum overwhelmingly focuses on white drummers: maybe because most of the drummers who contribute are white. God forbide you listen a little to the history of drumming; you may discover there are a few other great drummers who shaped the very way we play the instrument aside from Buddy, Bonham and Peart.

Isn't it funny that in over a century of drumset playing, the white guys get all the attention here? Why not? Paul Whiteman was the King of Jazz in the 20's. Benny Goodman was the King of Swing in the 30's. Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Fletcher Henderson, Chick Webb: they were "okay". Nah, the real great big bands were Goodman, Dorsey, Miller, etc.
There were some "okay" African American drummers in rock and R & B, but they were minor figures compared to the great drummers of Italian heritage. The Italian drummers have a special gift for rthym African American drummers can only wish for.
Go ahead; censor this. How dare I bring up the role race plays in the history of American music?
Yeah, right. Let's get back to acknowledging more great white drummers. After all, they're the true greats; they taught the black guys how to play.

This. All of this.