Gene Krupa - The Big Noise From Winnetka (1959)

Recorded live in front of a hometown Chicago crowd, Big Noise from Winnetka: Gene Krupa at the London House eschews the gimmickry that often undermines Krupa's studio LPs in favor of a simple small-group setting that enables the drummer to stretch his considerable muscles across an appealingly wide variety of tempos and moods. Ably supported by reedman Eddie Wasserman, pianist Ronnie Ball and bassist Jim Gannon, Krupa indulges in the kind of sheer childlike abandon that no doubt motivates one to pick up the drumsticks in the first place the energy and joy of his performance here is infectious, and inspires him to creative peaks on par with any in his catalog. This is jazz at its most lively, physical and accessible.