Little Drummer Boy
"The song Little Drummer Boy has a deep meaning to me. As a young lad in the sixth grade the snare drum was my instrument of choice. After a year had passed, I realized that the snare drum wasn't for me. My brother Jerry, who is one year younger than me, decided to give the snare drum a go. He was a natural and still plays, in fact, that's him on this song. Growing up in church, we sang in the choir and Little Drummer Boy was one of the choir's favorites. Our grandfather Harold Patchett would sing the low parts, 'rup pump um pum pum,' I can't help but to laugh when Ithink of him singing those parts with a deep baritone voice.
Little Drummer Boy was written in 1941 by Katherine Kennicott Davis and was made popular in the late 1950's by the Trapp Family Singers. My version of the song signifies all drummers marching with the brigade during the American Revolution, The Civil War, and all the way to current times. Drums, the beat, and percussion instruments have become a part of our essence and lifestyle, and an important contribution to music.
I've been playing Little Drummer Boy every year using different instruments. I started playing it over twenty years ago on the harmonium. The drone of the harmonium almost acts as a choir of the ages. As the song developed it has become a driving force for me during every Christmas Holiday Season.”
-Jessie Allen Cooper
Credits
Arrangement by Jessie Allen Cooper
Vocal: Darryl F. Walker
Guitar: Jack Maidecki
Bass Guitar: Doug Ross
Drums: Jerry Cooper
Harmonium, Synthesizers, & Drum Loops: Jessie Allen Cooper
Drum Reconditioning: TSean Killeen
Cover & Layout: Cooper Anderson
Mastered by Ira Ingber at Muscletone Village Studio in West LA California
Special Thanks: Cooper Anderson at Catapult Recordings, TSean Killeen, Jerry Cooper, Jeff Parsons, and my supportive friends and fans.
"We spent many months making Jerry's classic Ludwig drum set just right for recording. I really wanted the set to be made perfect, replacing cymbal stands, changing the drum heads and adding symbols. Part of the set is from my DW kit, and to authenticate the marching sound we added a classic Ludwig marching snare drum. The last step was the overall drum set micing, which took days... JAC"
Old vintage marching snare drum from the Civil War.
