Hey double bass drummers. Here’s a little history. If you love double bass drumming, it all started with Louie Bellson. In 1944 Bellson unveiled his Gretsch double-bass drum kit to the public for the first time in Ted Fiorito’s big band and continued to play it with Tommy Dorsey (1947-1949), Harry James (1950) and Duke Ellington (1951). Bellson’s “Skin Deep,” which features a dynamic, extended drum solo with double-bass drums in full effect, would become a permanent part of Ellington’s repertoire.