The Cat's a Killer Diller

In the annals of gum-chewing performers, Britney Spears is a piker compared to my man, Gene Krupa. With Gene, however, you get the sense that the chaw is a testosterone-packed part of the show. Here's Gene in a clip from "Ball of Fire," with Barbara Stanwyck and Gary Cooper. The entire clip--well, shoot, the whole movie--is a "killer diller," but if you want to jump straight into Gene-Worship territory, skip ahead to minutes 2:17, 1:32 or, my favorite, 3:04, where you can see the similarity of drumming style between Gene and Keith Moon, who must have been a devotee. They're the only drummers I've noticed who use that overhand grip.

My fave contemporary drummer toured with Steely Dan this summer. He is amazing --not to mention disturbingly young to be so talented: www.keithcarlock.com

clipped from youtube.com