It’s 1941 and drummer Gene Krupa steps between his bandmate, trumpeter Roy Eldridge, and the nightclub doorman who refuses to let him enter. Krupa points to the poster beside him, with he and Eldridge listed as headliners. The doorman doesn’t move. Furious, Krupa confronts the club owner. Fire that doorman or the band walks out – right here, right now. The doorman is fired. 
Krupa saw the effect that Eldridge had on listeners. “Even Joe Public knew this was artistry,” he said. “It was like someone switched on a light.” But it didn’t matter that Eldridge, a trumpet virtuoso, stunned audiences every time he played. He was Black and the rest of the band was white. Just getting to the bandstand was a nightly struggle.
Ironically, said bandmate Artie Shaw, “Droves of people would ask him for his autograph, but he couldn’t get off the bus to buy a hamburger.” Krupa more than once did jail time for punching a restaurant manager who refused Eldridge a menu, or for threatening a hotel clerk when the band’s reservations suddenly disappeared from the books.
As one writer noted in retrospect, Krupa was one of the most forward-thinking men in jazz. He knew that he couldn’t change the ugly face of bigotry by punching it in the nose. It wouldn’t open people’s minds. But Roy Eldridge’s playing, along with that of many other great Black musicians, would, at least, open people’s ears. And that, believed Krupa, was a good place to start.
“Soundtrack to the Struggle” is hosted by Hollis Monroe. Produced by Ron Adkins. Executive Producer is Dennis Green.
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