I overheard two young drummers discuss the respective playing abilities of Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich. Each of them was passionate in the defense of his respective idol, and neither was born when Gene died and both were in grade school when Buddy checked out.

I had real fun knowing that the heritage of two giants was alive and kicking.

I've written about Buddy so much that I wanted to write some praise for Gene this time.

Krupa was the man of the hour. Besides being a great player, he had movie star looks and got connected with the hot band of the day. The result of his time with Benny Goodman gave us, among other things, double headed tom toms that can be tuned with a drum key.

As the drum set developed, American manufacturers sold non-tuned pigskin headed tom toms or (tam tams) known as Chinese toms. Those gave way to drums tuned with handles (like bass drums) on the batter side but with tacked pigskin for the bottom head. Then it was T handles on both sides before we got to key rods.

Krupa is given credit for the modern set configuration- a 28 or 26 inch bass drum, 9x13 mounted, two 16 inch floor toms and a 6 1/2x14 snare. Sure, sizes have changed, but for awhile those exact specifications were gospel.

Gene's likable personality and his flair for showmanship won him fans for decades. Almost single-handedly, he made the Slingerland Drum Company rise from a small manufacturer to the pre-eminent force.

I was asked recently if I thought Gene invented the Gene Krupa Radio King. I said no. I believe he was Slingerland's best Research and Development Department and they gave him the recognition he more than deserved. I bet H.H. Slingerland remembered Gene daily in his prayers. For if Yankee Stadium is the House that Ruth built, then Slingerland is the House that Krupa built.

Gene's been gone 25 years but thanks to movies, records and video clips, his art lives on.