Freddie Gruber (May 27, 1927 – October 11, 2011) was an American jazz drummer and

teacher A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. w ...

to a number of professional drummers.Milkowski, Bill
"Freddie Gruber: None of a Kind"
, ''

JazzTimes ''JazzTimes'' was an American print magazine devoted to jazz. Published 10 times a year, it was founded in Washington, D.C., in 1970 by Ira Sabin as the newsletter ''Radio Free Jazz'' to complement his record store. Coverage After a decade ...

'', November 2004. (accessed 13 December 2014) Gruber grew up in the nascent

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

bebop Bebop or bop is a style of jazz developed in the early to mid-1940s in the United States. The style features compositions characterized by a fast tempo (usually exceeding 200 bpm), complex chord progressions with rapid chord changes and numerou ...

scene. Although he started his performance career as a

tap dance Tap dance (or tap) is a form of dance that uses the sounds of tap shoes striking the floor as a form of percussion; it is often accompanied by music. Tap dancing can also be performed with no musical accompaniment; the sound of the taps is its ow ...

r, by the mid-1940s while still in his teens he had toured as a drummer with

Rudy Vallée Hubert Prior Vallée (July 28, 1901 – July 3, 1986), known professionally as Rudy Vallée, was an American singer, saxophonist, bandleader, actor, and entertainer. He was the first male singer to rise from local radio broadcasts in New York Ci ...

and played with Harry Gibson. In 1949 Gruber began playing with

Charlie Parker Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz Saxophone, saxophonist, bandleader, and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of beb ...

among many others. After fighting his own

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addiction, Gruber left New York City shortly after Parker's death in 1955. He settled in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

in 1957 after a stint in

Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

, where he continued working as a professional jazz drummer. Gruber began teaching drums in the mid-1960s at a Los Angeles music store owned by vibraphonist Terry Gibbs. Gruber's student list includes

Vinnie Colaiuta Vincent Peter Colaiuta (born February 5, 1956) is an American drummer known for his technical mastery who has worked as a session musician in many genres. He was inducted into the ''Modern Drummer'' Hall of Fame in 1996 and the ''Classic Drumme ...

, Eddie Rubin,

Neil Peart Neil Ellwood Peart ( ; September 12, 1952 – January 7, 2020) was a Canadian and American musician, known as the drummer, percussionist, and primary lyricist of the rock band Rush (band), Rush. He was known to fans by the nickname "the Profe ...

, Steve Smith, Dave Weckl, Bruce Becker, Joey Waronker, Ross Garfield, and his last student before he died, Paul Goldberg. Gruber was an instructor and mentor at the Drum Channel Studio. On January 15, 2011, Gruber was honored at the

NAMM Show The NAMM Show is an annual trade show in the United States organized by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM), which describes it as "the industry’s largest stage, uniting the global music, sound and entertainment technology commun ...

Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Greater Los Angeles area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orang ...

, with a lifetime achievement award for educational excellence throughout his career. The large framed award featured a classic photo of legendary jazz drummers: Buddy Rich, Jo Jones (known as Papa Jo Jones in his later years), and Gruber himself. Under the photo was a plaque and a cymbal that was signed by Armand Zildjian's children.DeChristopher, John
"Zildjian family remembers Freddie Gruber"
, ''Zildjian'' Later in October 2011 Gruber died from illness. Gruber's former drum student, Neil Peart of Rush, lauded Gruber in his literary and tutorial work. Peart authored a biographical obituary tribute which was posted to the Hudson Music website and to Gruber's own web site.

References

Sources

* Jazz Improv Magazine Tribute to Buddy Rich: "Way Beyond Drums, Buddy Rich, A Portrait of the Man." (Spring 2006) * The Commandments of Early Rhythm and Blues Drumming - by Zoro and Daniel Glass (2008) * Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road - by Neil Peart (2002) * Travelling Music: Traveling Music : The Soundtrack to My Life and Times - by Neil Peart (2003) * Rhythm and Light - by Carrie Nuttall (2005) * Rush: Chemistry : The Definitive Biography - by Jon Collins (2005) * Roadshow : Landscape With Drums: A Concert Tour by Motorcycle - by Neil Peart (2006) * Far and Away: A Prize Every Time - by Neil Peart (2011) * Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage (2010) * A Work in Progress {{DEFAULTSORT:Gruber, Freddie American jazz drummers American music educators Drummers from New York City 1927 births 2011 deaths Jazz musicians from New York (state) Educators from New York City American male drummers