Song of the Day: Cozy Cole “Topsy Part II”

This absolutely titanic drum feature tune that released in 1958 on Love Records and peaked at Number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. My father introduced me to “Topsy Part II” when I was a kid as the standard for what incredible drumming was supposed to be. To this day, I can’t get away from the groove, the feel and the dynamic story telling that Cozy Cole‘s masterful drumming embodied in this track. Thanks Dad!

Born in East Orange, New Jersey in 1909, William Randolph Cole began his career as a professional drummer while still a teenager, with the great clarinetist/band leader Wilbur Sweatman. He went on to play with the best of the best, including Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong, Lionel Hampton, Cab Calloway and many more. Cole influenced legions of drummers, from Gene Krupa to Max Roach and beyond. He is truly one of the greatest and most influential drummers to ever play the instrument.