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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 1-25 of 143 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor MS-06230 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) approximately late Jan. 1937 Love is good for anything that ails you Artie Shaw Orchestra ; Peg LaCentra Jazz/dance band and female vocal soloist instrumentalist, drums  
Victor MS-06231 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) approximately late Jan. 1937 Trust in me Artie Shaw Orchestra ; Peg LaCentra Jazz/dance band and female vocal soloist instrumentalist, drums  
Victor MS-06232 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) approximately late Jan. 1937 Sweet is the word for you Artie Shaw Orchestra ; Peg LaCentra Jazz/dance band and female vocal soloist instrumentalist, drums  
Victor MS-06233 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) approximately late Jan. 1937 Cream puff Artie Shaw Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, drums  
Victor MS-06234 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) approximately late Jan. 1937 When your lover has gone Artie Shaw Orchestra ; Peg LaCentra Jazz/dance band and female vocal soloist instrumentalist, drums  
Victor BS-06581 10-in. 3/31/1937 A jam session at Victor (Honeysuckle rose) Bunny Berigan ; Tommy Dorsey ; Dick McDonough ; Fats Waller ; George Wettling Jazz/dance quintet instrumentalist, drums  
Victor BS-06582 10-in. 3/31/1937 A jam session at Victor (Blues-fox trot) Bunny Berigan ; Tommy Dorsey ; Dick McDonough ; Fats Waller ; George Wettling Jazz/dance quintet instrumentalist, drums  
Victor BS-06590 10-in. 4/1/1937 You can't run away from love tonight Bunny Berigan Orchestra ; Carol Mackay Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, traps  
Victor BS-06591 10-in. 4/1/1937 'Cause my baby says it's so Bunny Berigan Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, traps  
Victor BS-06592 10-in. 4/1/1937 Carelessly Bunny Berigan Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, traps  
Victor BS-06593 10-in. 4/1/1937 All dark people are light on their feet Bunny Berigan Orchestra ; Ford Leary Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, traps  
Victor BS-010163 10-in. 5/13/1937 The first time I saw you Bunny Berigan Orchestra ; Ford Leary Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, traps  
Victor BS-010164 10-in. 5/13/1937 Love is a merry go round Bunny Berigan Orchestra ; Sue Mitchell Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, traps  
Victor BS-010165 10-in. 5/13/1937 The image of you Bunny Berigan Orchestra ; Sue Mitchell Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, traps  
Victor BS-010166 10-in. 5/13/1937 I'm happy, darling, dancing with you Bunny Berigan Orchestra ; Sue Mitchell Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, traps  
Victor BS-010167 10-in. 5/13/1937 Swanee River Bunny Berigan Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, traps  
Victor BS-011673 10-in. 8/7/1937 Let 'er go Bunny Berigan Orchestra ; Gail Reese Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, traps  
Victor BS-011674 10-in. 8/7/1937 Turn on that red hot heat (Burn your blues away) Bunny Berigan Orchestra ; Gail Reese Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, traps  
Victor CS-011675 12-in. 8/7/1937 I can't get started Bunny Berigan Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, traps  
Victor CS-011676 12-in. 8/7/1937 The prisoner's song Bunny Berigan Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, traps  
Victor BS-030731 10-in. 12/19/1938 A room with a view Artie Shaw Orchestra ; Helen Forrest Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, traps  
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  
(Results 1-25 of 143 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Wettling, George," accessed March 28, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105504.

Wettling, George. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 28, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105504.

"Wettling, George." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 28 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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