Things go better with Skokiaan

From 1968, here's the boys in the band with their rendition of the instrumental piece known to music lovers everywhere as just one word.

Skokiaan.

Your featured musicians are Frank Scott at the Vox, Neil Levang on guitar, Richard Maloof on bass guitar, Bob Davis and Dave Edwards on clarinet, Johnny Klein on drums and Jack Imel at the marimba.

Things go better with Skokiaan

Those Champagne Jazz Sessions of the 1960s

You know you want to jazz it up with the quartet of Neil Levang, Buddy Clark, Johnny Klein and Frank Scott!

 

Those Champagne Jazz Sessions of the 1960s

I do know that Johnny Klein and Keith Moon have something in common....

....and they both know how to drum up support

And the beat goes on....

I do know that Johnny Klein and Keith Moon have something in common....

When The Saints Go Marching In

Here's a brilliant Dixieland number from the boys in the band....

Featuring Johnny Klein on the drums....

Dick Cathcart on trumpet....

....and Bob Havens on trombone

 

When The Saints Go Marching In

Go Johnny Go

Johnny Klein swinging those hot sticks at the drums

Teaming up with Jack Imel....

....and with Peanuts Hucko

Go Johnny Go!

Go Johnny Go

Johnny Klein

Here's the master of the sticks that makes the rhythm section go, it's drummer and the Maestro's cousin Johnny Klein!

Playing the drums for the Welk orchestra from 1951 to 1976, Johnny also drove the bus whenever the band and the musical family went out on their concert tours.

Here's a nice series of articles of him from the NDSU Libraries online

Johnny Klein

Bang The Drum Slowly.....

For any band, like the Lawrence Welk orchestra, it's needs a good drummer to give it that extra rhythm sound we all like. The Music Makers throughout their history, have been blessed with two terrfic and talented drummers, Johnny Klein and Paul Humphrey.

Johnny, of course, was also known as the maestro's second cousin. He played the sticks from 1951 to 1976, and later served as the band's music librarian. He was also quite a scholar, graduating with university degrees from both the University of Missouri and Southern California. Klein continued to play the drums as well, at the Welk Resort in Escondido and at night clubs until his passing in 1997.

Paul took over at the sticks in '76 and remained until the maestro retired the band and it's show in 1982. He has quite a bit of a msuical background, played with the band Kool-Aid Chemists which scored a R&B Top 30 hit, "Kool Aid" and is a popular as both a studio musician and jazz artist.

And when it comes to that awesome champagne rhythm; both guys have the beat!

Bang The Drum Slowly.....