Irv Kluger

Irv Kluger (July 9, 1921^[1] – February 28, 2006)^[2] was an American jazz drummer.

Career

He was born in New York, United States.^[1] Kluger played violin early in life before settling on drums; his first professional gigs came at age 15. He played with Georgie Auld in 1942-43, then with Bob Chester, Freddie Slack, Dizzy Gillespie (1945), Boyd Raeburn (1945–47), Bobby Byrne and Herbie Fields (1947).^[1] Following this he played with Stan Kenton (1947–48), Artie Shaw (1949–50), then for a short time in 1950 with Tex Beneke.^[1]

He played less jazz after 1950, working in the pit orchestras of Broadway shows such as Guys and Dolls (1950–53). He returned to play with Artie Shaw again in 1953–54 as a member of the Gramercy Five. In the middle of the 1950s he moved to California and played at the Moulin Rouge in Hollywood as the house drummer.^[1] He played with Dave Pell in 1956, and with Benny Goodman and Woody Herman later in life, doing much freelance work through the 1960s and 1970s.^[1] As a studio musician he played with Johnny Cash. Kluger never led his own recording session.

Discography

As sideman

• Georgie Auld, Handicap (Musicraft, 1990)
• Milt Bernhart, Modern Brass (RCA Victor, 1955)
• Stan Kenton, The Kenton Era (Capitol, 1955)
• Dave Pell, Love Story (Atlantic, 1956)
• Dave Pell, Campus Hop Jazz Goes Dancing (RCA Victor, 1958)
• Boyd Raeburn, On the Air Vol. 2 (Hep, 1974)
• Boyd Raeburn, Boyd Meets Stravinski (Savoy, 1955)
• Artie Shaw, 1949 Previously Unreleased (MusicMasters, 1990)
• Pete Rugolo, The Music from Richard Diamond (EmArcy, 1959)
• Lennie Tristano & Buddy DeFranco, Crosscurrents (Capitol, 1972)

References

Footnotes

General references

• Scott Yanow, Irv Kluger at AllMusic

This page was last edited on 21 February 2022, at 01:45