The Gene Krupa Story “syncopated versions” of Ave Maria when he should be listening to hymns in a quiet, penitent reverie; even after a year there, he cannot shake his dreams of becoming a musician. The priest who is his advisor suspects Krupa's interest is waning and reminds him that the priesthood is "a fulfillment, not a penance". He advises Gene to take summer vacation at home to consider if this life-choice is "meant to be". At home, his old pals are playing in a local speakeasy. Krupa gently rubs the drum set's crash cymbal between his thumb and forefinger; his friend Eddie asks
Gene Krupa the orchestra and returned to Goodman's band for a year. As the 1940s ended, Count Basie closed his band and Woody Herman reduced his to an octet. Krupa gradually cut down the size of his band in the late 1940s, and from 1951 on he led a trio or quartet, often with Eddie Shu on tenor sax, clarinet, and harmonica. He appeared regularly in the Jazz at the Philharmonic concerts. He made a cameo appearance in the 1946 film "The Best Years of Our Lives". His athletic drumming style, timing methods, and cymbal technique evolved during this decade to adapt