Traps, The Drum Wonder: The Life of Buddy Rich.

The Swing Era was unique in jazz history in that it joined the creative force of the jazz artist with the commerical success of popular entertainment. The era produced a large number of truly innovative artists who became popular heroes. Such figures as Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Duke Ellington, and Count Basie made original musical contributions that gave them an identity of their own. They also achieved the status of entertainment personalities that led to varying degrees of popular success through record sales, personal appearances, and the dissemination of their art on the radio. With the additional exception of Louis Armstrong and the current example of Wynton …