Above: Slim Gaillard on guitar and a drummer I cannot identify, 1946. From the LIFE archives.
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Wednesday, June 3, 2009
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Drummer is Scatman Crothers. Picture taken at Billy Berg's, 356 North Vine Street, Hollywood. You can recognize this from film that was made during this time period. Example on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXHd-yDAK1I
Billy Berg's it is but with all due respect, Steve, I believe the drummer is the scat singing genius Leo Watson. He also played trombone and drums but his stream-of-consciousness scatting was one-of-a-kind. Leo was one of the several L.A. drummers who worked with Gaillard in the mid 1940s; they included Zutty Singleton, Oscar Bradley and Chico Hamilton. But Leo's ability to improvise as a singer set him apart from almost all of the musical Gaillard associates of that time.
Scatman Crothers, recently arrived in L.A., still had a little bit of hair in 1946. Leo was near the end of his life and acting crazier than usual. One way that played out was the shaving of his head--not a common sight in those days.
Bingie-scooty!
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