Jack Sperling

The definitive American Big Band and studio drummer. He was a recording artist, versatile jazz combo and dynamic Dixieland musician. In 1941 he played with trumpeter Bunny Berigan. Following the end of World War II Jack, along with a young pianist Henry Mancini, joined Tex Beneke when he took the popular Glenn Miller big band on the road (1946-1949), following Miller's death.

Sperling first gained distinction with the Beneke recording of “St. Louis Blues” (1948), becoming know for his pioneering, propelling double bass drum solos, his trade mark throughout his career. When he played a solo, the melody line remained part of his drum work. His styling understated and restrained with tight snare drum rolls and tasty ride cymbals behind the big band sounds set Sperling apart, the ultimate driving powerhouse.

Jack soon became a main stay with Les Brown and His Band of Renown, then regulars on the Bob Hope NBC radio program in 1949, which they followed with the recording Over the Rainbow (1951). Dave Pell, the tenor sax soloist with Brown's band formed his own octet in 1953 with musicians from Brown's big band and the combo was often featured during Les Brown concerts before it broke away on its own in 1955. The Dave Pell Octet in its prime included Don Fagerquist on trumpet; Ray Sims, Zoot's brother, on trombone; Dave Pell on tenor; Ronnie Lang was on baritone, Geoffrey Clarkson on piano; Tony Rizzi on guitar; Rollie Bundock on bass, and Jack Sperling on drums, who's day gig then was playing with Bob Crosby's Bobcats (1954-57) appearing on his regular television series.

The Bobcats at that time consisted of Ray Sherman, Eddie Miller, Jack Sperling, Morty Corb, Charlie Teagarden, Elmer Schneider and Al Hendrickson. Jack would go on to perform with Benny Goodman, Charlie Barnet, Page Cavanaugh Septet and Jack recorded with Dave Pell Octet, “Plays Irving Berlin” (1953), and on “The Original Reunion of the Glenn Miller Orchestra” (1954).

Perhaps becoming most known to a new generation of jazz fans for his styling rhythms behind clarinetist Pete Fountain Quartett. “Anytime we got that gang together with Pete, you know, we all laughed and scratched and had fun. We never knew how long it would go or where it would end up, but everybody seemed to like it. It was a ball. And Pete? Everybody loves Pete!” That's super-drummer Jack Sperling, speaking of ad-lib, off-the-top concert in the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium on March 16, 1961. The gang, besides Pete and Jack, included Stan Wrightsman, piano, Godfrey Hirsh, vibes and Morty Corb, bass. During the two years Pete worked for Lawrence Welk, they played together all over the Los Angeles area. No arrangement, no sketched- out routines, just, “What'll we play next” and the sheer joy of musicians so closely attune that every riff, phrase or twist fed the next one. You'll never hear a happier session than this one: nor a more inovative approach to old chestnuts.

In 1958, Mancini became friends with producer Blake Edwards, who had an idea for a television show that eventually became the “Peter Gunn” series. Mancini wrote all the music for the show which became an immediate best seller. The session musicians were John Williams on piano, Rolly Bundock on bass, Jack Sperling on drums, and Bob Bain on guitar. The same lineup was featured on the “Mr. Lucky” TV series.

Sperling recorded with Henry Mancini on film soundtracks “Peter Gunn” (1959), “Charade” (1963) and “Days of Wine and Roses” (1962). He was featured along with seven percussionist on John Wayne's “Hatari!” (1962) which included some of the best West Coast Jazz drumers, Shelly Manne, Milt Holland, Larry Bunker, seven in all playing exoctic African instruments.

The opening main main chase sequence across the Sarengetti plains featured these fine jazz percussionist, Mancini's composition “Sounds of Hitari!” running 6 and half minutes, you can almost here the Lions roar. A second track running under 3 minutes has much the same feel featuring the percussion and is set apart by the bridge, the smooth, sexy and extremely romatic trombone solo by Dick Nash on the films title track, “Theme from Hatari!”.

Sperling can be heard on the pilot title tracks of the television series “Bewitched” and on “Hogan's Heroes”, Jack was the featured solo percussionist. In 1962 Sperling left Peter Gunn series and joined the “Tonight Show Band” and was under contract from 1959-1972 with the NBC Orchestra playing variety shows as “Bob Hope”, “Dean Martin”, “Andy Williams” as well as “Rowan and Martin's Laugh- In”. Recording with Ella Fitzgerald on “Get Happy!” (1957), Lena Horne, Peggy Lee, Bobby Darin, The Four Freshmen, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Rosemary Clooney, Doris Day and Mel Torme.