Raise A Glass

Freddie Gruber passed away in Los Angeles on 11th October at the too young age of 84. Oh, who is my sorry arse kidding? That man lived. You know the drill, played with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, room-mate and long-time friend of Buddy Rich, and guru to everyone from Vinnie Colaiuta to Steve Smith, Neil Peart, Dave Weckl, Jim Keltner, Anton Fig, Rod Morgenstein, Peter Erskine and Kenny Aronoff. Peart, equally eloquent with a pen as he is sticks, wrote an obituary on the Hudson Music website, and said, “He will be missed, but he is not gone.” It all happens in the air.