The year was 1973. I was starting my senior year of high school when I tuned into the nightly jazz program on a local AM radio station. The host had just anounced that jazz drummer Gene Krupa had passed away and that he would be playing Krupa recordings for his entire show in memory of Gene. Luckily, I had a tape recorder and I taped the show so I could listen to those great sides. That was my introduction to the music of the Krupa band. I had several Benny Goodman albums where Gene was a sideman but today we are going to explore the sides where Gene is leading his own band. We'll start with some of Gene's early recordings from 1938 and then play some of those great sides with Anita O'Day. I hope you enjoy this look at the great band of Gene Krupa. Please visit this podcast at http://bigbandbashfm.blogspot.com