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George Wettling

George Godfrey Wettling (November 28, 1907 – June 6, 1968) was an American jazz drummer.

He was born in Topeka, Kansas, United States, and from his early teens was living in Chicago, Illinois. He was one of the young Chicagoans who fell in love with jazz as a result of hearing King Oliver's band (with Louis Armstrong on second cornet) at Lincoln Gardens in the early 1920s. Oliver's drummer, Baby Dodds, made a particular and lasting impression on Wettling.

Wettling went on to work with the big bands of Artie Shaw, Bunny Berigan, Red Norvo, Paul Whiteman, and Chico Marx, but he was at his best with bands led by Eddie Condon, Muggsy Spanier, and himself. In these small bands, Wettling demonstrated the arts of dynamics and responding to a particular soloist that he had learned from Baby Dodds.

Wettling was a member of some of Condon's bands, which included Wild Bill Davison, Billy Butterfield, Edmond Hall, Peanuts Hucko, Pee Wee Russell, Cutty Cutshall, Gene Schroeder, Ralph Sutton, and Walter Page. In 1957, he toured England with a Condon band that included Davison, Cutshall, and Schroeder.

Toward the end of his life, Wettling, like his friend clarinetist Pee Wee Russell, took up painting and was influenced by the American cubist Stuart Davis. He has been said to have believed that "jazz drumming and abstract painting seemed different for him only from the point of view of craftsmanship: in both fields he felt rhythm to be decisive".

Birth and Death Data: Born November 28, 1907 (Topeka), Died June 6, 1968 (New York City)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1936 - 1956

Roles Represented in DAHR: drums, traps

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 26-50 of 148 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Atlantic 440 10-in. 6/13/1950 June night Dorothy Ann "Dottie" Dillard ; Will Bradley Orchestra instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 64791 10-in. 12/8/1938 Never felt better, never had less Paul Whiteman and his Swing Wing instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 64792 10-in. 12/8/1938 Mutiny in the nursery Paul Whiteman and his Swing Wing instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 64793 10-in. 12/8/1938 Jeepers creepers Paul Whiteman and his Swing Wing instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 64794 10-in. 12/8/1938 I go for that Paul Whiteman and his Swing Wing instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 65358 10-in. 4/6/1939 Heat wave Paul Whiteman's Bouncing Brass instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 65359 10-in. 4/6/1939 Home again blues Paul Whiteman's Bouncing Brass instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 65360 10-in. 4/6/1939 I've found a new baby Paul Whiteman's Bouncing Brass instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 65361 10-in. 4/6/1939 Rose room Paul Whiteman's Bouncing Brass instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 65362 10-in. 4/7/1939 Blue skies Paul Whiteman's Sax Octette instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 65363 10-in. 4/7/1939 What'll I do ? Paul Whiteman's Sax Octette instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 65364 10-in. 4/7/1939 I kiss your hand, Madame-1 Paul Whiteman's Sax Octette instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 65365 10-in. 4/7/1939 After you've gone Paul Whiteman's Sax Octette instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 65366 10-in. 4/8/1939 Three little fishies Paul Whiteman and his Swing Wing instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 65367 10-in. 4/8/1939 Hooray for spinach Paul Whiteman and his Swing Wing instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 65368 10-in. 4/8/1939 Step up and shake my hand Paul Whiteman and his Swing Wing instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 65369 10-in. 4/8/1939 Now and then Paul Whiteman and his Swing Wing instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 65370 10-in. 4/8/1939 Mandy Paul Whiteman and his Swing Wing instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 65429 12-in. 4/18/1939 Concerto in F (Gershwin): 1st mvt. , part 1 Paul Whiteman Concert Orchestra instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 65430 12-in. 4/18/1939 Concerto in F (Gershwin): 1st mvt., part 2 Paul Whiteman Concert Orchestra instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 65431 12-in. 4/18/1939 Concerto in F (Gershwin): 2nd mvt. Paul Whiteman Concert Orchestra instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 65432 12-in. 4/18/1939 Concerto in F (Gershwin): 3rd mvt. Paul Whiteman Concert Orchestra instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 65581 10-in. 5/16/1939 Lazy Paul Whiteman and his Swing Wing instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 65781 10-in. 6/13/1939 Say it with music Paul Whiteman Orchestra instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 65782 10-in. 6/13/1939 Lady of the evening Paul Whiteman Orchestra instrumentalist, drums  
(Results 26-50 of 148 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Wettling, George," accessed November 9, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/105504.

Wettling, George. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 9, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/105504.

"Wettling, George." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 9 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/105504

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