Henry Adler
| Henry Adler | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Henry Adler |
| Born | June 28, 1915 |
| Origin | New York City |
| Died | September 30, 2008 (aged 93) |
| Genres | Jazz, Big band |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | drums and percussion |
| Years active | 1930–2008 |
Henry Adler (June 28, 1915 – September 30, 2008) was an American drummer, percussionist, music teacher, author, publisher, instrument manufacturer, wholesaler, retailer and authority on drum-technique. He is best known for having taught Buddy Rich, who is regarded by many as "The World's Greatest Drummer," to read music - Buddy taught himself everything else - and for co-authoring, with Rich, the classic instructional book Buddy Rich's Modern Interpretation of Snare Drum Rudiments. First published in 1942, the book is widely regarded as one of the most important snare-drum rudimental books ever written.
Aside from Rich, Adler's former students include renowned drummers and professionals such as Louie Bellson, Roy Burns, Dave Tough, Sonny Igoe, Alvin Stoller, Sandy Feldstein, Phil Kraus, Miles Hampton, Daniel Perez and Ted MacKenzie.
Born in New York and raised during the Depression, Adler purchased his first snare drum at 13 and learned to play it without formal instruction. Two years later, he landed his first professional gig with a hotel orchestra in Belmar, New Jersey. At 15, Adler began taking formal drum lessons with a professional pit drummer from the Palace Theater, and studied timpani in his high school orchestra. He actively sought the best drum set teachers to develop proper technique.
In a 1985 interview with Modern Drummer magazine, Adler described his own early educational experiences:
"I began to observe the professionals, and I think that was my greatest teacher. I'd go to the Edison Hotel where there were 15 affairs going on at the same time, with 15 bands. I'd watch all the drummers, good and bad, and I began to see similarities and discovered why different drummers who studied with the same teacher played differently from one another. When most drummers see someone who plays great, they feel unhappy and think they'll never be that good. Fortunately, for me, I reveled in it," Adler said.
One of Adler's former students introduced Adler to Rich: "The kid told me Buddy played better than [Gene] Krupa. Buddy was only in his teens at the time and his friend was my first pupil. Buddy played and I watched his hands. Well, he knocked me right out. He did everything I wanted to do, and he did it with such ease. When I met his folks, I asked them who his teacher was. 'He never studied,' they told me. That made me feel very good. I realized that it was something physical, not only mental, that you had to have."
In the same 1985 interview, Adler clarified the extent of his teacher-student relationship to Rich and their collaboration on the classic instructional book:
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