ENDEIT
Louie Bellson
Photo: Wojciech Soporek, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Drummers · 1924–2009

Louie Bellson

American jazz drummer (1924–2009)

Born
6 July 1924
Rock Falls
Died
14 February 2009
Los Angeles
Country
United States
Record labels
Verve Records, Concord Records, Chiaroscuro Records, Pablo, Roulette Records, Inc.
Discography
29 albums

Biography

Louie Bellson was a jazz musician who played drum kit. Louie Bellson was born on 6 July 1924 in Rock Falls and died on 14 February 2009 in Los Angeles. The music is usually filed under jazz and swing. Record labels: Verve Records, Concord Records, Chiaroscuro Records and Pablo. The discography here lists 29 albums, from “The Exciting Mr. Bellson (And His Big Band)” (1954) to “The Mighty Two” (2020). Honours include NEA Jazz Masters.

Louie Bellson (born Luigi Paolino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni, July 6, 1924 – February 14, 2009) was an American jazz drummer, composer, arranger, bandleader, and jazz educator. He is credited with pioneering the use of two bass drums. His name was often seen in sources as Louis Bellson, although he himself preferred the spelling Louie. Bellson and his wife, actress and singer Pearl Bailey (married from 1952 until Bailey's death in 1990), had the second highest number of appearances at the White House (only Bob Hope had more). Bellson was a vice president at Remo, a drum company. He was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 1985.

Read the full article on Wikipedia ↗ · From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Discography

Studio and live albums

The Exciting Mr. Bellson (And His Big Band) 1954
Thunderbird 1966
Repercussion 1967
Pearl Bailey and Louie Bellson 1974
The Drum Sessions 1975
The Louie Bellson Explosion 1975
Intensive Care 1978
Louie Bellson Jam With Blue Mitchell 1979 · Live
Dynamite! 1980
Side Track 1981
Loose Walk 1983
Airmail Special: A Salute to the Big Band Masters 1990
Basie In Sweden 1991 · Live
Ecué ritmos Cubanos 1991
Jazz Giants 1992 · Live
Peaceful Thunder 1992
Black, Brown & Beige 1994
Don't Stop Now! 1994
June 28-1959 at the Flamingo Hotel, Volume 1 1994 · Live
Live From New York 1994 · Live
Prime Time 1995
Their Time Was the Greatest! 1996
Skin Deep 1999
Matterhorn 2003
Cool, Cool Blue 2007
Louie & Clark Expedition 2 2008
Big Band Jazz From the Summit and Small Band Unreleased Studio Session 2013
The Mighty Two 2020
150 MPH

Also plays on

Albums where Louie Bellson is credited as a sideman

1954 Recital by Oscar Peterson — Oscar Peterson drums (drum set)
1955 Roy & Diz — Dizzy Gillespie • Roy Eldridge drums (drum set)
1957 Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson — Louis Armstrong & Oscar Peterson drums (drum set)
1957 Ella and Louis Again — Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong drums (drum set)
1957 Ella and Louis Again, Volume Two — Ella and Louis drums (drum set)
1966 Ella at Duke’s Place — Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington drums (drum set)
1966 Concert of Sacred Music — Duke Ellington drums (drum set)
1966 Soul Mates — Dizzy Gillespie & Roy Eldridge drums (drum set)
1968 30 by Ella — Ella Fitzgerald drums (drum set)
1972 Ella Loves Cole — Ella Fitzgerald drums (drum set)
1974 Duke's Big 4 — Duke Ellington drums (drum set)
1978 Dream Dancing: Ella Fitzgerald & Cole Porter — Ella Fitzgerald drums (drum set)
1978 Lady Time — Ella Fitzgerald drums (drum set)
1978 “Fine and Mellow”: Ella Fitzgerald Jams — Ella Fitzgerald drums (drum set)
2008 Ella & Louis (and Oscar Too) — Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong & The Oscar Peterson Trio drums (drum set)
2017 Blues In Orbit + The Cosmic Scene — Duke Ellington– drums (drum set)

Awards

Frequently asked questions

What instrument did Louie Bellson play?

Louie Bellson is known for playing drum kit.

When and where was Louie Bellson born?

Louie Bellson was born 6 July 1924 in Rock Falls.

What are Louie Bellson's best-known albums?

Albums in our database include The Exciting Mr. Bellson (And His Big Band) (1954), Thunderbird (1966), Repercussion (1967), Pearl Bailey and Louie Bellson (1974) and The Drum Sessions (1975).

External links

Data compiled from open sources; see the source links below. Spotted an error? Let us know.