Gene Gammage

Gene Gammage begins his professional career as a drummer in 1952 after serving in the Air Force (1948-1952). In 1953, in Los Angeles he finds a steady gig with Teddy Charles, and Bill Crow on bass. Following this, he plays with leaders Buddy Collette (1955)[1] Hampton Hawes (1955), André Previn (1955), Barney Kessel (1956), Herb Geller, Jack Sheldon.[2] Tenor saxophonist Jack Laird hired him for an engagement at Club El Sereno in East LA (with pianist Franck Patchen).[3] In November 1956, he is in Las Vegas with Oscar Peterson.[2] In 1957, he joins Beverly Kelly and Pat Moran McCoy for a quartet and trio including Scott LaFaro. Two albums are recorded and issued in 1958 under the two leaders' names. From fall 1958 to Spring 1959, he is hired again by Oscar Peterson.[4] The trio, with Ray Brown on bass, records a jazz version of My Fair Lady on November, 20&21 1958. In St Louis in August 1961, he records 3 live dates with Webster Young, Shirley Horn,[5] and Johnny Hartman.[6]

A NY resident in the late sixties, he takes part of Roswell Rudd's Primordial group, with Enrico Rava (no official recording)[7]

In Nov, 2 1971, he was with Gary McFarland and writer, editor David Burnett at Club 55 in New York City, when they got served drinks filled with liquid methadone, which provoked seizure due to overdose. Gary McFarland was pronounced dead in the bar, David Burnett just a few days later. Gene Gammage survived after some time in the hospital.[8] He appears in This is McFarland, film by Kristian St Clair[9] released in 2006.

From the mid-seventies to the early eighties, his last known regular gig is with Bobby Short.[10]

His recordings mostly feature him with piano-led trio and show an accomplished accompanist, with a solid tempo and technicality, typical of the drumming style in the mid-fifties. In 1960 Leonard Feather mentioned his original influences as Max Roach, Kenny Clarke, Philly Joe Jones, Art Blakey, Elvin Jones[11]

Original album names

• The Jack Sheldon Quartet - Get Out Of Town (Jazz: West, 1954)
• Jack Sheldon - The Quartet & The Quintet (Jazz: West, 1956)
• Beverly Kelly - Sings with Pat Moran Trio (Audio Fidelity, 1958)
• Pat Moran Trio - This Is Pat Moran  (Audio Fidelity, 1958)
• Oscar Peterson - Plays My Fair Lady  (Verve Records, 1958)
• Shirley Horn - "Live" At The GasLight (Can-Am Records, 1961) (originally titled "Live" At The Village Vanguard)
• Webster Young - Plays And Sings The Miles Davis Songbook (Volume Three) (VGM Records, rec. in 1961)
• Johnny Hartman And The Andrew Hill Trio - Sittin' In With Johnny Hartman And The Andrew Hill Trio (VGM Records, rec. in 1961)
• Bobby Short - My Personal Property  (Atlantic, 1976)

Various reissues and compilations

• Oscar Peterson Trio - Night Train Vol. 2 (LP, Comp) (Verve Records, 1967)
• Oscar Peterson Trio - Oscar's Oscar Peterson Plays The Academy Awards (Verve Records, 1969)
• Oscar Peterson - Plays West Side Story & My Fair Lady (LP, Comp) (VSP, 1969)
• Oscar Peterson - Wouldn't It Be Loverly? Oscar Peterson Plays Broadway (Verve Records 1994)
• Oscar Peterson - Soft Sands (CD, Comp) (Phoenix Records, 2013)
• Pat Moran: Complete Trio Sessions (Fresh Sound Records, 2007) is a reissue of the two Audio Fidelity sessions from 1958.
• The Legendary Scott LaFaro (Japan, Teichiku, 1978) is a partial reissue of This Is Pat Moran

• Bobby Short At The Café Carlyle -The Great Saloon Singer Of Manhattan Bobby Short by Director Lou Tyrell - A LeaLou Production - 1979
• This is McFarland documentary by Kristian St Clair released in 2006.

Footnotes

General references

• Gene Gammage at AllMusic