Gene Krupa Gene Krupa Eugene Bertram Krupa (January 15, 1909 – October 16, 1973) was an American jazz drummer, band leader, actor, and composer known for his energetic style and showmanship. His drum solo on "Sing, Sing, Sing" (1937) elevated the role of the drummer as a frequently used solo voice in the band. He is also known for defining the standard drum kit used today in collaboration with brands Slingerland and Zildjian. Krupa is considered "the founding father of the modern drumset" by "Modern Drummer" magazine. The youngest of Anna (née Oslowski) and Bartłomiej Krupa's nine children, Gene Krupa was born
Liu Yuan (musician) Liu Yuan (musician) Liu Yuan (, pronounced ; January 1, 1960 in Beijing, China) is a Chinese musician, who plays tenor and baritone saxophone as well as the Chinese wind instrument called "suona". He is recognized as one of the two most prominent jazz musicians in China, the other being the saxophonist Du Yinjiao. His father was a player of the "suona", a traditional Chinese wind instrument, and this was also Liu's first instrument. At about the age of eight, he began his performing career, playing in a government-run children's musical group. He continued his "suona" studies at the Beijing