Bill Douglass

Jazz drummer Bill Douglass should not be mistaken for the bassist and bamboo flute player of the same name who came along in a somewhat later era. The drummer Douglass was a solid swinger, not a hint of new age, who was a first choice of many top swing stars when a Los Angeles show was in the offing. Douglass worked with the touchy Benny Goodman, the comfy Ben Webster, the clever Benny Carter, and the busy Art Tatum; he was also considered a superb drummer for singers, again working with some of the very best: Kay Starr, June Christy, and Lena Horne, for example. The drummer...