John Von Ohlen

b. 13 Might 1941, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. Taking on the drums in his teenagers, Von Ohlen’s first main work was with Billy Maxted’s Manhattan Jazz Music group which he became a member of in 1967. The next year he used Woody Herman and became a member of Stan Kenton. He was using the Kenton music group for just two years before settling in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he shaped a big music group to play in the Blue Wisp golf club. The music group included several extremely talented young music artists, such as for example pianist Steve Schmidt and trumpeters Al Kiger and Tim Hagans. Thoroughly documented by Helen Y. Morr from the Cincinnati-based MoPro Information, the Blue Wisp Big Music group is an remarkably fine exemplory case of an American rehearsal music group. Although Von Ohlen’s worldwide reputation rests mainly upon his previous association with Kenton, his using his personal big music group and with little groups assembled specifically for record classes or even to accompany such going to jazzmen as Cal Collins and Expenses Berry, displays him to be always a versatile drummer with the capacity of great level of sensitivity and unflagging golf swing.