Alvin Stoller (October 7, 1925 – October 19, 1992) was an American

jazz drummer Jazz drumming is the art of playing percussion (predominantly the drum kit, which includes a variety of drums and cymbals) in jazz styles ranging from 1910s-style Dixieland jazz to 1970s-era jazz fusion and 1980s-era Latin jazz. The techniques an ...

. Though he seems to have been largely forgotten, he was held in high regard in the 1940s and 1950s. He was best known for playing drums on both

Mitch Miller Mitchell William Miller (July 4, 1911 – July 31, 2010) was an American choral conductor, record producer, record-industry executive, and professional oboist. He was involved in almost all aspects of the industry, particularly as a conductor ...

's recording of " The Yellow Rose of Texas" and Stan Freberg's parody of Miller's recording.

Career

Born in New York City, Stoller studied with drum teacher

Henry Adler Henry Adler (June 28, 1915 – September 30, 2008) was an American jazz drummer, teacher, author, and publisher. He taught drummer Buddy Rich how to read music and co-wrote ''Buddy Rich's Modern Interpretation of Snare Drum Rudiments'', publ ...

and launched his career touring and recording with swing era

big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s an ...

s led by

Benny Goodman Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader known as the "King of Swing". From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing big bands in the United States. His co ...

Tommy Dorsey Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was an American jazz trombonist, composer, conductor and bandleader of the big band era. He was known as the "Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" because of his smooth-toned trombo ...

Harry James Harry Haag James (March 15, 1916 – July 5, 1983) was an American musician who is best known as a trumpet-playing band leader who led a big band from 1939 to 1946. He broke up his band for a short period in 1947 but shortly after he reorganized ...

, and

Charlie Barnet Charles Daly Barnet (October 26, 1913 – September 4, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. His major recordings were "Skyliner", " Cherokee", "The Wrong Idea", "Scotch and Soda", "In a Mizz", and "Southland Shuffl ...

. He backed singers including

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop s ...

Mel Tormé Melvin Howard Tormé (September 13, 1925 – June 5, 1999), nicknamed "The Velvet Fog", was an American musician, singer, composer, arranger, drummer, actor, and author. He composed the music for "The Christmas Song" ("Chestnuts Roasting on an Op ...

, and

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

on some of their major recordings. His drums may be heard on many of

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...

's "

Songbook A song book is a book containing lyrics for songs. Song books may be simple composition books or spiral-bound notebooks. Music publishers also produced printed editions for group singing. Such volumes were used in the United States by piano manuf ...

" recordings; on ''

Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Songbook Ella may refer to: * Ella (name), most often a feminine given name, but also used as a surname Places United States * Ella, Kentucky, an unincorporated community * Ella, Oregon, an unincorporated community * Ella, Pennsylvania, an unincorporat ...

'', he performed with the

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1923 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was based ...

orchestra itself, alongside Ellington's own

Sam Woodyard Sam Woodyard (January 7, 1925 – September 20, 1988) was an American jazz drummer. He was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States. Woodyard was largely an autodidact on drums and played locally in the Newark, New Jersey area in the 1940 ...

. From the moment Frank Sinatra started to record with

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...

in 1953, Stoller was the singer's preferred percussionist and performed on nearly all Sinatra recordings until 1958, including albums such as "

In the Wee Small Hours ''In the Wee Small Hours'' is the ninth studio album by American vocalist Frank Sinatra. It was released in April 1955 by Capitol and produced by Voyle Gilmore with arrangements by Nelson Riddle. All the songs on the album deal with themes ...

", ''

Songs for Swingin' Lovers! ''Songs for Swingin' Lovers!'' is the tenth album by American singer Frank Sinatra and his fourth for Capitol Records. It was arranged by Nelson Riddle and released in March 1956 on LP and January 1987 on CD. It was the first album ever to top ...

'', and " Come Fly With Me", among others. Stoller also recorded with

Art Tatum Arthur Tatum Jr. (, October 13, 1909 – November 5, 1956) was an American jazz pianist who is widely regarded as one of the greatest in his field. From early in his career, Tatum's technical ability was regarded by fellow musicians as extraord ...

Roy Eldridge David Roy Eldridge (January 30, 1911 – February 26, 1989), nicknamed "Little Jazz", was an American jazz trumpeter. His sophisticated use of harmony, including the use of tritone substitutions, his virtuosic solos exhibiting a departure from ...

Oscar Peterson Oscar Emmanuel Peterson (August 15, 1925 – December 23, 2007) was a Canadian virtuoso jazz pianist and composer. Considered one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time, Peterson released more than 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards, ...

Coleman Hawkins Coleman Randolph Hawkins (November 21, 1904 – May 19, 1969), nicknamed "Hawk" and sometimes "Bean", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.Yanow, Scot"Coleman Hawkins: Artist Biography" AllMusic. Retrieved December 27, 2013. One of the first p ...

Ben Webster Benjamin Francis Webster (March 27, 1909 – September 20, 1973) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Career Early life and career A native of Kansas City, Missouri, he studied violin, learned how to play blues on the piano from ...

(see '' Coleman Hawkins Encounters Ben Webster''),

Benny Carter Bennett Lester Carter (August 8, 1907 – July 12, 2003) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. With Johnny Hodges, he was a pioneer on the alto saxophone. From the beginning of his career ...

, Herb Ellis, and

Erroll Garner Erroll Louis Garner (June 15, 1921 – January 2, 1977) was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his swing playing and ballads. His instrumental ballad "Misty", his best-known composition, has become a jazz standard. It was first rec ...

among many other jazz musicians. In the 1950s, Stoller settled in the

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

area, where he became respected for his work in the Hollywood studios, lasting for several decades.

Leonard Feather Leonard Geoffrey Feather (13 September 1914 – 22 September 1994) was a British-born jazz pianist, composer, and producer, who was best known for his music journalism and other writing. Biography Feather was born in London, England, into an u ...

considered him a "first-rate, swinging drummer". That

Buddy Rich Bernard "Buddy" Rich (September 30, 1917 – April 2, 1987) was an American jazz drummer, songwriter, conductor, and bandleader. He is considered one of the most influential drummers of all time. Rich was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York ...

, whom some consider to have been the greatest of all jazz drummers, chose Stoller to play drums on an album in which Rich himself sang suggests the esteem Stoller earned from his fellow musicians. Stoller played

snare drum The snare (or side drum) is a percussion instrument that produces a sharp staccato sound when the head is struck with a drum stick, due to the use of a series of stiff wires held under tension against the lower skin. Snare drums are often used ...

and received label credit for "Yankee snare drumming", on Stan Freberg's version of

's " Yellow Rose of Texas", in which his loud playing interrupts the singer, Freberg. Stoller had played the prominent snare on the original Mitch Miller recording.

Personal life

On September 23, 1951, Stoller married

Mary Hatcher Mary Hatcher (June 6, 1929 – April 3, 2018) was an American coloratura soprano and actress whose screen career spanned the years from 1946-51. During that time she appeared in eight films, mostly in credited roles and several times as le ...

, an American singer and actress, in Westwood, California.

Discography

As leader

* ''The Art Tatum-Roy Eldridge-Alvin Stoller-John Simmons Quartet'' (Clef, 1955) * ''The Moon Is Low'' with Art Tatum, Roy Eldridge, John Simmons (Clef, 1956)

As sideman

With

Ray Anthony Raymond Antonini (born January 20, 1922), known as Ray Anthony, is an American bandleader, trumpeter, songwriter, and actor. He is the last surviving member of the Glenn Miller Orchestra. Biography Anthony was born to an Italian family in Ben ...

* ''Jam Session at the Tower'' (Capitol, 1956) * ''Ray Anthony Plays Steve Allen'' (Capitol, 1958) * ''Sound Spectacular'' (Capitol, 1959) With

The Coasters The Coasters are an American rhythm and blues/rock and roll vocal group who had a string of hits in the late 1950s. Beginning with "Searchin'" and " Young Blood" in 1957, their most memorable songs were written by the songwriting and producing ...

* ''

Searchin' "Searchin'" is a song written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller specifically for the Coasters. Atco Records released it as a single in March 1957, which topped the R&B Chart for twelve weeks. It also reached number three on the ''Billboard'' sing ...

'' (Atco, 1957) * '' Young Blood'' (Atco, 1957) With

Harry Edison Harry "Sweets" Edison (October 10, 1915 – July 27, 1999) was an American jazz trumpeter and a member of the Count Basie Orchestra. His most important contribution was as a Hollywood studio musician, whose muted trumpet can be heard backi ...

* ''

Sweets Candy, also called sweets (British English) or lollies (Australian English, New Zealand English), is a confection that features sugar as a principal ingredient. The category, called ''sugar confectionery'', encompasses any sweet confection, i ...

'' (Clef, 1956) * ''

Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You "Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good to You" is a 1929 song written by Andy Razaf and Don Redman. It was recorded by the Redman-led McKinney's Cotton Pickers on Victor on November 5, 1929 as "Gee, Ain't I Good to You." King Cole Trio recording Nat King C ...

'' (Verve, 1957) * ''The Inventive Mr. Edison'' (Pacific Jazz, 1960) With

* ''Coleman Hawkins Encounters Ben Webster'' (Verve, 1959) * ''The Genius of Coleman Hawkins'' (Verve, 1959) * '' Coleman Hawkins and Confrères'' (Verve, 1960) With

* ''Solitude'' (Clef, 1956) * ''Body and Soul'' (Verve, 1957) * ''All or Nothing at All'' (Verve, 1958) * ''Songs for Distingue Lovers'' (Columbia, 1959) With others *

Laurindo Almeida Laurindo Almeida (September 2, 1917 – July 26, 1995) was a Brazilian guitarist and composer in classical, jazz, and Latin music. He and Bud Shank were pioneers in the creation of bossa nova. Almeida was the first guitarist to receive Gra ...

, ''Happy Cha-Cha-Cha!'' (Capitol, 1959) *

Marvin Ash Marvin E. Ashbaugh (October 4, 1914 – August 21, 1974) was an American jazz pianist. Early life He was born in Lamar, Colorado. His father, Roy Ashbaugh, was a barber. His mother's name was Nora (Tuttle) Ashbaugh. He grew up in Junction Cit ...

, ''New Orleans at Midnight'' (Brunswick, 1957) *

Fred Astaire Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, choreographer, actor, and singer. He is often called the greatest dancer in Hollywood film history. Astaire's career in stage, film, and tele ...

, ''Mr. Top Hat'' (Verve, 1956) * George Auld, ''

In the Land of Hi-Fi with Georgie Auld and His Orchestra ''In the Land of Hi-Fi with Georgie Auld and His Orchestra'' is an album by American jazz saxophonist and bandleader Georgie Auld featuring tracks recorded in 1955 and released on the EmArcy label.Brothers Candoli, ''The Brothers Candoli'' (Dot, 1957) * Ray Brown, ''Bass Hit!'' (Verve, 1957) * Rusty Bryant, ''Jazz Horizons: Rusty Bryant Plays Jazz'' (Dot, 1958) *

, ''Additions to Further Definitions'' (Impulse!, 1966) *

Dick Cathcart Charles Richard Cathcart (November 6, 1924 – November 8, 1993) was an American Dixieland trumpet player who was best known as a member of ''The Lawrence Welk Show'' in which he appeared from 1962 to 1968. Cathcart was born in Michigan City, In ...

, ''BIX MCMLIX'' (Warner Bros., 1959) *

Page Cavanaugh Walter Page Cavanaugh (January 26, 1922 in Cherokee, Kansas – December 19, 2008 in Los Angeles) was an American jazz and pop pianist, vocalist, and arranger. Career He began on piano at age nine and played with Ernie Williamson's band in 1938 ...

, ''The Girl'' (Vaya 1956) *

Buddy DeFranco Boniface Ferdinand Leonard "Buddy" DeFranco (February 17, 1923 – December 24, 2014) was an Italian-American jazz clarinetist. In addition to his work as a bandleader, DeFranco led the Glenn Miller Orchestra for almost a decade in the 1960s and ...

, ''Buddy De Franco Plays Artie Shaw'' (Verve, 1958) * Buddy DeFranco, ''Generalissimo'' (Verve, 1958) * Matt Dennis, ''Dennis, Anyone?'' (RCA Victor, 1955) * Matt Dennis & Red Norvo, ''Some of My Favorites'' (RCA 1957) *

, ''The Urbane Jazz of Roy Eldridge and Benny Carter'' (Verve, 1957) * Herb Ellis, '' Ellis in Wonderland'' (Norgran, 1956) *

Dennis Farnon Dennis Farnon (13 August 1923 – 21 May 2019) was a Canadian musical arranger, composer and orchestra conductor. Dennis Farnon was born in 1923 in Toronto, Canada as John Denis Farnon to Robert and Elsie Farnon (née Menzies). He grew up in a m ...

, ''Caution! Men Swinging'' (RCA Victor, 1957) * Maynard Ferguson, ''Around the Horn with Maynard Ferguson'' (EmArcy, 1956) *

, ''Ella and Louis at the Hollywood Bowl'' (Karusell, 1958) * Ella Fitzgerald, ''Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Jerome Kern Song Book'' (Verve, 1963) *

, ''All of Me'' (Savoy, 1963) *

Helen Grayco Helen Grayco (; September 20, 1924 – August 20, 2022) was an American singer and actress active from the 1930s to the 1960s. She was most famous for appearances with her husband Spike Jones on ''The Spike Jones Show'' in the 1950s and the 19 ...

, ''After Midnight'' (Vik, 1957) * Toni Harper, ''Toni'' (Verve, 1956) *

The Hi-Lo's The Hi-Lo's were a vocal quartet formed in 1953, who achieved their greatest fame in the late 1950s and 1960s. The group's name is a reference to their extreme vocal and physical ranges (Bob Strasen and Bob Morse were tall, Gene Puerling and Cla ...

Marty Paich Martin Louis Paich (January 23, 1925 – August 12, 1995) was an American pianist, composer, arranger, record producer, music director, and conductor. As a musician and arranger he worked with jazz musicians Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Kento ...

, ''And All That Jazz'' (Columbia, 1958) * Peggy Lee, ''Mirrors'' (A&M, 1975) * Joseph J. Lilley, ''Alone Together'' (Decca, 1955) *

Nellie Lutcher Nellie Rose Lutcher (October 15, 1912 – June 8, 2007) was an American R&B and jazz singer and pianist, who gained prominence in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Lutcher was most recognizable for her diction and exaggerated pronunciation a ...

, ''Our New Nellie'' (Liberty, 1956) *

Henry Mancini Henry Mancini ( ; born Enrico Nicola Mancini, ; April 16, 1924 – June 14, 1994) was an American composer, conductor, arranger, pianist and flautist. Often cited as one of the greatest composers in the history of film, he won four Academy Award ...

, ''More Music from Peter Gunn'' (RCA Victor, 1959) *

Billy May Edward William May Jr. (November 10, 1916 – January 22, 2004) was an American composer, arranger and trumpeter. He composed film and television music for ''The Green Hornet'' (1966), ''The Mod Squad'' (1968), ''Batman'' (with '' Batgirl'' them ...

, ''Sorta May'' (Capitol, 1955) * Billy May, ''Big Fat Brass'' (Capitol, 1958) *

Murray McEachern Murray McEachern (August 16, 1915 – April 28, 1982) was a Canadian jazz trombonist and alto saxophonist, perhaps best known for having played trombone for Benny Goodman from 1936 to 1937. McEachern is also remembered for playing both the trombo ...

, ''Music for Sleepwalkers Only'' (Key, 1956) *

Hugo Montenegro Hugo Mario Montenegro (September 2, 1925 – February 6, 1981) was an American orchestra leader and composer of film soundtracks. His best-known work is interpretations of the music from Spaghetti Westerns, especially his cover version of Ennio M ...

, ''Process 70'' (Time, 1962) * Audrey Morris, ''The Voice of Audrey Morris'' (Bethlehem, 1956) *

Rose Murphy Rose Murphy (April 28, 1913 – November 16, 1989) was an American jazz pianist and singer, famous for the song "Busy Line" and her unique vocal style.Brethour, Ross, sleevenotes to ''Busy Line'', a Rose Murphy best of compilation, Body and Soul, ...

, ''Not Cha-Cha But Chi-Chi'' (Verve, 1957) * Ted Nash, ''Peter Gunn'' (Crown, 1959) *

Anita O'Day Anita Belle Colton (October 18, 1919 – November 23, 2006), known professionally as Anita O'Day, was an American jazz singer and self proclaimed “song stylist” widely admired for her sense of rhythm and dynamics, and her early big band app ...

, ''Anita'' (Verve, 1956) *

Patti Page Clara Ann Fowler (November 8, 1927 – January 1, 2013), known professionally as Patti Page, was an American singer and actress. Primarily known for pop and country music, she was the top-charting female vocalist and best-selling female ar ...

, ''The West Side'' (EmArcy/Mercury, 1958) *

, ''Oscar Peterson Quartet #1'' (Clef, 1956) *

, ''Buddy Rich Just Sings'' (Verve, 1957) *

Mavis Rivers Mavis Chloe Rivers (19 May 1929 – 29 May 1992) was a Samoan and New Zealand jazz singer. She was born in Apia, Samoa, as one of thirteen children to a musical family. In 1954, she moved to the United States. She married Glicerio Reyes "David" ...

, ''Swing Along with Mavis'' (Reprise, 1961) *

Howard Roberts Howard Mancel Roberts (October 2, 1929 – June 28, 1992) was an American jazz guitarist, educator, and session musician. Early years Roberts was born in Phoenix, Arizona to Damon and Vesta Roberts, and began playing guitar at the age of 8 - a ...

, ''Mr. Roberts Plays Guitar'' (Verve, 1957) *

Pete Rugolo Pietro "Pete" Rugolo (December 25, 1915 – October 16, 2011) was an American jazz composer, arranger and record producer. Life and career Rugolo was born in San Piero Patti, Sicily. His family emigrated to the United States in 1920 and settle ...

, '' Ten Trumpets and 2 Guitars'' (Mercury, 1961) *

Hal Schaefer Hal Schaefer (22 July 1925 – 8 December 2012) was an American jazz musician and vocal coach. He coached Marilyn Monroe, Mitzi Gaynor, Judy Garland, Robert Wagner, Jane Russell and Barbra Streisand in films and musical comedy songs, and composed th ...

, ''Just Too Much'' (RCA Victor, 1955) * Paul Smith, ''By the Fireside'' (Savoy, 1956) *

Stuff Smith Hezekiah Leroy Gordon Smith (August 14, 1909 – September 25, 1967), better known as Stuff Smith, was an American jazz violinist. He is well known for the song " If You're a Viper" (the original title was "You'se a Viper"). Smith was, al ...

, ''Stuff Smith'' (Verve, 1957) *

Joanie Sommers Joanie Sommers (born Joan Drost, February 24, 1941) is an American singer and actress with a career concentrating on jazz, standards and popular material and show-business credits. Once billed as "The Voice of the Sixties", and associated with to ...

, ''For Those Who Think Young'' (Warner Bros., 1962) *

Mel Torme Mel, Mels or MEL may refer to: Biology * Mouse erythroleukemia cell line (MEL) * National Herbarium of Victoria, a herbarium with the Index Herbariorum code MEL People * Mel (given name), the abbreviated version of several given names (including ...

, '' Mel Torme Sings Fred Astaire'' (Bethlehem, 1956) *

, ''The Consummate Artistry of Ben Webster'' (Norgran, 1954) *

Kitty White Kitty Jean Bilbrew (July 7, 1923 – August 11, 2009), better known as Kitty White, was an American jazz singer who was popular in Los Angeles nightclubs. She recorded mostly on the West Coast with Buddy Collette, Gerald Wiggins, Chico H ...

, ''Sweet Talk'' (Roulette, 1958) * Stanley Wilson, ''The Music from M Squad'' (RCA Victor, 1959) *

Si Zentner Simon Hugh Zentner (June 13, 1917 in New York City, United States – January 31, 2000 in Las Vegas, Nevada) was an American trombonist and jazz big-band leader. Zentner played in the bands of Les Brown, Harry James, and Jimmy Dorsey in the ...

, ''High Noon Cha Cha Cha'' (Bel Canto, 1959)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Stoller, Alvin 1925 births 1992 deaths American jazz drummers West Coast jazz drummers 20th-century American drummers American male drummers 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians