Good drumming is based on two principles that, by now, must be very familiar to the readers of this magazine: Good taste and good time. Jake Hanna’s reputation as one of the great jazz drummers stems from the unique way he’s applied these concepts with the Woody Herman band, Supersax, Bing Crosby and others. Those who know Jake, regularly count on his straight-ahead, no-nonsense drumming for their concert, club and record dates. Another part of Jake’s fame is his keen sense of humor that, at times, threatens to overshadow his impeccable drumming. For example, Jake came out with Volume Two of his book first, because he “knew Volume One wasn’t going to be a big seller.” To neglect Jake’s legendary wit, focusing only on his drumming, would be telling only half the story. Even so, sometimes it’s hard to tell when Jake is kidding and when he’s not. Jake’s involvement […]