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Irving Cottler (February 13, 1918 – August 8, 1989), a Hollywood, Los Angeles–based musician, and was a first-call drummer/percussionist. Cottler's credits include "L-O-V-E", "Impossible", "Stardust", and "Unforgettable" recorded with Nat King Cole. Cottler also recorded and performed live with Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby, Walt Disney, Peggy Lee, Dinah Shore, Ella Fitzgerald, Neal Hefti, Nelson Riddle, Count Basie, and many others.

In the early 1950s, Cottler was the drummer for the NBC live broadcasts from Hollywood, and for The Dinah Shore Show. Frank Sinatra made an appearance on the show and loved Cottler's distinctive sound. Sinatra offered Cottler double what NBC was paying him. Beginning in 1955, Cottler went on to perform as the drummer and percussionist on dozens of hit songs for multiple artists, including “(Love Is) The Tender Trap”, “South of the Border”, ”Love Is Here to Stay", "I've Got You Under My Skin", and "Nice 'n' Easy" with Sinatra. In the early 1960s, Cottler was the drummer and percussionist on many Disney films, including Herbie, The Jungle Book, and Mary Poppins.

Cottler died of a heart attack in Templeton, California, at the age of 71.

Discography

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With Count Basie

• Basie's in the Bag (Brunswick, 1967)

With Pat Boone

• Pat Boone Sings Guess Who? (London, 1963)

With Hoagy Carmichael

• Hoagy Sings Carmichael (Pacific Jazz, 1956)

With Ray Charles

• Dedicated to You (ABC, 1961)

With Nat King Cole

• Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer (Capitol, 1963)
• L-O-V-E (Capitol, 1965)

With Sammy Davis Jr.

• It's All Over but the Swingin' (Decca, 1957)

With Stan Kenton

• Kenton / Wagner (Capitol, 1964)

With Barney Kessel

• To Swing or Not to Swing (Contemporary, 1955)

With Skip Martin and His Orchestra

• Perspectives in Percussion (Somerset, 1960)

With André Previn

• Let's Get Away From It All (Decca, 1955)

With Carly Simon

• Playing Possum (Elektra Records, 1975)

With Frank Sinatra

• Songs for Swingin' Lovers! (Capitol, 1956)
• Close to You (Capitol, 1957)
• A Swingin' Affair! (Capitol, 1957)
• Come Dance with Me! (Capitol, 1959)
• Sinatra's Swingin' Session!!! (Capitol, 1961)
• Ring-a-Ding-Ding! (Capitol, 1961)
• Come Swing with Me! (Capitol, 1961)
• Swing Along With Me (Reprise, 1961)
• Point of No Return (Capitol, 1962)
• September of My Years (Reprise, 1965)
• Strangers in the Night (Reprise, 1965)
• Francis Albert Sinatra & Antônio Carlos Jobim (Reprise, 1967)
• The World We Knew (Reprise, 1967)
• Cycles (Reprise, 1968)
• My Way (Reprise, 1969)
• A Man Alone (Reprise, 1969)
• Sinatra & Company (Reprise, 1971)
• Trilogy: Past Present Future (Reprise, 1980)
• She Shot Me Down (Reprise, 1981)
• L.A. Is My Lady (Qwest, 1984)

With Keely Smith

• The Intimate Keely Smith (Reprise, 1964)

Bibliography

• Cottler, Irv (2000). I've Got You Under My Skins. Alfred Music. ISBN 978-0739017074.

References

1. Borst, Tracy (April 1981). "Irv Cottler: Keeper of the Time". Modern Drummer. ISSN 0194-4533.
2. "Drummer Irv Cottler, 71; Called 'Best in the Business' by Sinatra". Los Angeles Times. August 10, 1989.

External links

• Irving Cottler at AllMusic
• Irving Cottler discography at Discogs
• Irving Cottler at IMDb
• Irving Cottler interview at the National Jazz Archive

• American jazz drummers
• 1918 births
• 1989 deaths
• 20th-century American drummers
• American male drummers
• American male jazz musicians
• 20th-century American male musicians