* En anglais uniquement
A fine big band drummer,
Sonny Igoe was inspired by
Gene Krupa,
Kenny Clarke and
Max Roach. He was originally self-taught and at age 16 won a
Gene Krupa drumming contest.
Igoe was in the Army during 1942-46 and then played with Tommy Reed (1946-47), Les Elagart (1947) and Ina Ray Hutton (1948). His most significant musical associations were with
Benny Goodman (the bebop band of 1948-49), Woody Herman's Third Herd (1950-52) and
Charlie Ventura (1953-55). Since then
Igoe has spent most of his career as a studio musician and as a teacher. However he has remained active and, starting in the 1980's, he frequently co-led a big band with Dick Meldonian which recorded several albums for Progressive. ~ Scott Yanow