Backstage With Bruce Klauber

I've had the good fortune of working as an entertainment writer AND performer, my relationships with the performers themselves have often been personal and unique.

My credentials:
Degrees: B.A. Radio/Television/FIlm, Temple University, Philadelphia. Honorary Doctorate of Music Degree, for "contributions to jazz scholarship and performance," Combs College of Music, Philadelphia.
Author: World of Gene Krupa, with introduction by Mel Torme' (Pathfinder Publishing of California), Gene Krupa: The Pictorial Life of a Jazz Legend (Alfred Publishing).
Writer/producer, Warner Bros., Hudson Music and Alfred Publishing "Jazz Legends" DVD series. Titles include: Gene Krupa: Jazz Legend (narrated by Steve Allen), Buddy Rich: Jazz Legend (narrated by Mel Torme'), Legends of Jazz Drumming (narrated by Louie Bellson), Gene Krupa: Swing Swing Swing, Classic Drum Solos and Drum Battles Volumes One and Two, Classic Jazz Drummers: Swing and Beyond, Classic Rock Drum Solos (hosted by Carmine Appice).
Wrote and produced the "mini video life stories" of Max Roach, Louie Bellson, Elvin Jones and Roy Haynes -- narrated by Ed Bradley, in conjunction with the Avedis Zildjian Lifetime Achievement Awards.
Wrote and produced the video tribute to R & B pioneer Louis Jordan -- also narrated by Ed Bradley -- for the Rhythm and Blues Pioneer's Foundation.
Edited and/or contributed to periodicals that include DownBeat magazine, Atlantic City magazine, Jazz Times magazine, Jazziz magazine, Film BULLETIN, Video Insider, Modern Drummer magazine, Philadelphia Weekly newspaper, National News Bureau syndication organization.

As a working jazz musician since childhood, performances in Philadelphia, Atlantic City and Las Vegas with Al Grey, Pepper Adams, Bernard Peiffer, Buddy Greco, Joanie Sommers, Sonny King, Sonny Averona, Charlie Ventura, Milt Buckner and many, many others. I appear on award-winning jazz guitarist Jimmy Bruno's first outing for Concord Jazz Records, "Sleight of Hand," and played on and co-produced an acclaimed series of recordings for the DBK Jazz label, including "Bruce Klauber Salutes the Legends of Jazz Drumming," a 1998 Grammy nominee. I continue to serve as Musical Director for noted jazz singer Joy Adams, and appear regularly in the Naples area with trumpeter Bob Zottola's Expandable Jazz Band.

Current work:
Music Contributor, Naples Daily News and ETC.
Co-editor for TheDrumChannel.com.
Editor/Consultant, Hudson Music.
Featured Writer and reviewer on the Jazz Times "Community Pages."
Founder/columnist for JazzLegends.com. You can find my work elsewhere online at jazztimes.com and jazzlegends.com

• Louis Prima: Life After Keely Smith Posted 11/12/2009 at 4:15 p.m. 0 comments

  Master entertainer Louis Prima died in 1978, but he remains as popular as ever, mainly due to the efforts of his widow, Gia Maione.

• Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich: The Lost Drum Battles Posted 10/26/2009 at 4:19 p.m. 0 comments

  The world's greatest drummers battled it out in concert, on records on on television for almost 20 years. And all of those duels have been well-documented. But is there more, rare and very valuable audio and video of Gene and Buddy out there that we don't know about?

• Al Martino: The Last of the Italian Troubadors Posted 10/16/2009 at 1:17 p.m. 0 comments

  Singer Al Martino, who died on October 13 at the age of 82, represents the end of a singing era.

• Weighing in on Letterman: Already Yesterday's News Posted 10/5/2009 at 2:37 p.m. 0 comments

  Some are calling for the comic's resignation, no one has yet accused him of any wrong doing. Other's are already looking at this as yesterday's news.

• Mitch Miller: The Kitch of Mitch Posted 9/29/2009 at 12:09 p.m. 0 comments

  The public loved him. Some in the industry didn't. The "SIng Along with Mitch" television star is now 98 and still following that elusive bouncing ball.

• Maynard! Master of the Trumpet Stratosphere Posted 9/22/2009 at 1:08 p.m. 0 comments

  A new book about the legendary bandleader and trumpeter, Maynard Ferguson.

• The Missing Artie Shaw: Retraction and Clarification Posted 9/21/2009 at 9:26 a.m. 0 comments

  "Time is All You've Got," the 1987 documentary film focusing on jazz legend Artie Shaw is under copyright and is owned by its producer/director. It cannot and will not be made available via JazzLegends.com at any time.

• The Missing Artie Shaw Posted 9/18/2009 at 11:48 a.m. 0 comments

  In 1987, an Academy Award-winning documentary film on the life and music of clarinetist/bandleader Artie Shaw was released, put pulled from distribution after only a few showings? What happened and where can fans get a copy of this thing?

• Louis Prima and 9/11 Posted 9/11/2009 at 11:35 a.m. 0 comments

  Our scheduled trip to Las Vegas on the morning of September 11, 2001 to interview Louis Prima's famed drummer, Jimmy Vincent.

• Jerry Lewis Leaves Them Laughing Posted 9/9/2009 at 12:01 p.m. 0 comments

  Jerry Lewis, the telethon, and my assocation with "The King of Comedy."