Sid Catlett

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Sid Catlett, nicknamed Big Sid, was an American jazz drummer, born in Evansville, Indiana, in 1910. As a child he had piano and drum lessons, and in Chicago he got his first drum kit. There he absorbed the styles of drummers such as Zutty Singleton and Baby Dodds. In 1928 he played with Darnell Howard and then with the orchestra of Sammy Stewart in New York. In the 1930s he played and recorded with Benny Carter, McKinney's Cotton Pickers, Fletcher Henderson and Don Redman.

Music and breakthrough

From 1938 to 1942 he was the regular drummer in Louis Armstrong's big band, and from 1947 to 1949 he played with Armstrong's All-Stars. He also played occasionally with Benny Goodman and, briefly in 1945, with Duke Ellington. He was one of the few drummers who made the move to bebop without difficulty, and in 1945 he played on recordings by Dizzy Gillespie. He appeared on screen in the film Jammin' the Blues, but the drums on the soundtrack were played by Jo Jones. He died in 1951 of a heart attack, during a benefit concert in Chicago.

Influence

Catlett was known as tasteful, steady and supportive. He wanted his sound to merge with that of the whole group and asked soloists what they wanted: brushes, sticks or the Chinese cymbal. Earl Hines said he seemed to know what you were going to play before you knew it yourself. His solos sounded structured, with variations and sudden silences, and he was also a showman who bounced his sticks. His son Sid became an NBA basketball player.

Listening

In School of Rock

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