# Irving Cottler > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Irving_Cottler > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Irving_Cottler.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irving_Cottler > Source revision: 1357178873 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{short description|American musician (1918–1989)}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Irving Cottler | image = | image_upright = | image_size = | landscape = | alt = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date|1918|2|13}} | birth_place = [Brooklyn, New York](/source/Brooklyn), U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|1989|8|8|1918|2|13}} | death_place = [Templeton, California](/source/Templeton%2C_California), U.S. | genre = [Big band](/source/Big_band) | occupation = Musician | instrument = [Drums](/source/Drum_kit) and [vibraphone](/source/vibraphone) | years_active = 1938–1989 | label = | associated_acts = [Frank Sinatra](/source/Frank_Sinatra) }} '''Irving Cottler''' (February 13, 1918 – August 8, 1989) was an American musician, and an early member of [The Wrecking Crew](/source/The_Wrecking_Crew_(music)). His credits include "[L-O-V-E](/source/L-O-V-E)", "Impossible", "[Stardust](/source/Stardust_(1927_song))", and "[Unforgettable](/source/Unforgettable_(Nat_King_Cole_song))", recorded with [Nat King Cole](/source/Nat_King_Cole). Cottler also recorded and performed live with [Frank Sinatra](/source/Frank_Sinatra), [Louis Armstrong](/source/Louis_Armstrong), [Bing Crosby](/source/Bing_Crosby), [Walt Disney](/source/Walt_Disney), [Peggy Lee](/source/Peggy_Lee), [Dinah Shore](/source/Dinah_Shore), [Ella Fitzgerald](/source/Ella_Fitzgerald), [Neal Hefti](/source/Neal_Hefti), [Nelson Riddle](/source/Nelson_Riddle), [Count Basie](/source/Count_Basie), and many others. He was best known as the drummer for Sinatra, with whom he worked for over 30 years beginning in 1955. ==Career== Cottler, born in Brooklyn in 1918, was a self-taught percussionist who began providing rhythm for the bands performing in the Catskills in New York when he was only 14. At an early age he began working with such big-band leaders as Red Norvo, Van Alexander, Larry Clinton, Alvino Ray, Claude Thornhill, Les Brown and Tommy Dorsey. In the early 1950s, Cottler was the drummer for the NBC live broadcasts from Hollywood, and for ''[The Dinah Shore Show](/source/The_Dinah_Shore_Show)''. [Frank Sinatra](/source/Frank_Sinatra) made an appearance on the show and loved Cottler's distinctive sound.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.moderndrummer.com/article/april-1981-show-studio-irv-cottler/ |title=Irv Cottler: Keeper of the Time |first=Tracy |last=Borst |magazine=[Modern Drummer](/source/Modern_Drummer) |date=April 1981 |issn=0194-4533}} Sinatra offered Cottler double what NBC was paying him. Cottler's first recording session with Sinatra was in October 1955 on "Love Is Here To Stay", and he played on many of the remaining ''Songs For Swingin' Lovers'' tracks, alternating with Alvin Stoller. From 1956 on, he was Sinatra's preferred drummer and played on a world tour with Sinatra in 1962, as well as on his many TV recordings. Cottler went on to perform as the drummer and percussionist on dozens of hit songs for multiple artists, including "[(Love Is) The Tender Trap](/source/(Love_Is)_The_Tender_Trap)", "[South of the Border](/source/South_of_the_Border_(1939_song))", "[I've Got You Under My Skin](/source/I've_Got_You_Under_My_Skin)", and "[Nice 'n' Easy](/source/Nice_'n'_Easy)" with Sinatra. In the early 1960s, Cottler was the drummer and percussionist on many Disney films, including ''[Herbie](/source/Herbie_(franchise))'', ''[The Jungle Book](/source/The_Jungle_Book_(1967_film))'', and ''[Mary Poppins](/source/Mary_Poppins_(film))''. ==Death== Cottler died of a heart attack in Templeton, California, at the age of 71.{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-08-10-mn-22-story.html |title=Drummer Irv Cottler, 71; Called 'Best in the Business' by Sinatra |newspaper=[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times) |date=August 10, 1989}} ==Discography== {{div col}} {{expand section|date=May 2015}} '''With [The Andrews Sisters](/source/The_Andrews_Sisters)''' * ''Fresh and Fancy Free'' (Capitol, 1957) '''With [Count Basie](/source/Count_Basie)''' *''[Basie's in the Bag](/source/Basie's_in_the_Bag)'' (Brunswick, 1967) '''With [Pat Boone](/source/Pat_Boone)''' * ''[Pat Boone Sings Guess Who?](/source/Pat_Boone_Sings_Guess_Who%3F)'' (London, 1963) '''With [Hoagy Carmichael](/source/Hoagy_Carmichael)''' *''[Hoagy Sings Carmichael](/source/Hoagy_Sings_Carmichael)'' (Pacific Jazz, 1956) '''With [Ray Charles](/source/Ray_Charles)''' * ''[Dedicated to You](/source/Dedicated_to_You_(Ray_Charles_album))'' (ABC, 1961) '''With [Rosemary Clooney](/source/Rosemary_Clooney)''' * ''[Love](/source/Love_(Rosemary_Clooney_album))'' (Reprise, 1963) '''With [Nat King Cole](/source/Nat_King_Cole)''' * ''[Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer](/source/Those_Lazy-Hazy-Crazy_Days_of_Summer)'' (Capitol, 1963) * ''[L-O-V-E](/source/L-O-V-E_(album))'' (Capitol, 1965) '''With [Sammy Davis Jr.](/source/Sammy_Davis_Jr.)''' *''[It's All Over but the Swingin'](/source/It's_All_Over_but_the_Swingin')'' (Decca, 1957) '''With [Billy Eckstine](/source/Billy_Eckstine)''' *''[Once More With Feeling](/source/Once_More_with_Feeling_(Billy_Eckstine_album))'' (Roulette, 1960) '''With [Stan Kenton](/source/Stan_Kenton)''' *''[Kenton / Wagner](/source/Kenton_%2F_Wagner)'' (Capitol, 1964) '''With [Barney Kessel](/source/Barney_Kessel)''' *''[To Swing or Not to Swing](/source/To_Swing_or_Not_to_Swing)'' (Contemporary, 1955) '''With Skip Martin and His Orchestra''' *''[Perspectives in Percussion](/source/Perspectives_in_Percussion)'' (Somerset, 1960) '''With [Dean Martin](/source/Dean_Martin)''' *''[This Time I'm Swingin'!](/source/This_Time_I'm_Swingin'!)'' (Capitol, 1960) *''[Dream with Dean](/source/Dream_with_Dean)'' (Reprise, 1964) '''With [André Previn](/source/Andr%C3%A9_Previn)''' * ''Let's Get Away From It All'' ([Decca](/source/Decca_Records), 1955) '''With [Carly Simon](/source/Carly_Simon)''' * ''[Playing Possum](/source/Playing_Possum)'' (Elektra Records, 1975) '''With [Frank Sinatra](/source/Frank_Sinatra)''' * ''[Songs for Swingin' Lovers!](/source/Songs_for_Swingin'_Lovers!)'' (Capitol, 1956) * ''[Close to You](/source/Close_to_You_(Frank_Sinatra_album))'' (Capitol, 1957) * ''[A Swingin' Affair!](/source/A_Swingin'_Affair!)'' (Capitol, 1957) * ''[Come Dance with Me!](/source/Come_Dance_with_Me!_(album))'' (Capitol, 1959) * ''[Sinatra's Swingin' Session!!!](/source/Sinatra's_Swingin'_Session!!!)'' (Capitol, 1961) * ''[Ring-a-Ding-Ding!](/source/Ring-a-Ding-Ding!)'' (Capitol, 1961) * ''[Come Swing with Me!](/source/Come_Swing_with_Me!)'' (Capitol, 1961) * ''[Swing Along With Me](/source/Sinatra_Swings)'' (Reprise, 1961) * ''[Point of No Return](/source/Point_of_No_Return_(Frank_Sinatra_album))'' (Capitol, 1962) * ''[Sinatra's Sinatra](/source/Sinatra's_Sinatra)'' (Reprise, 1963) * ''[America, I Hear You Singing](/source/America%2C_I_Hear_You_Singing)'' (Reprise, 1964) * ''[Sinatra Sings Days of Wine and Roses, Moon River, and Other Academy Award Winners](/source/Sinatra_Sings_Days_of_Wine_and_Roses%2C_Moon_River%2C_and_Other_Academy_Award_Winners)'' (Reprise, 1964) *''[12 Songs of Christmas](/source/12_Songs_of_Christmas_(Frank_Sinatra%2C_Bing_Crosby%2C_and_Fred_Waring_album))'' (Reprise, 1964) * ''[Softly, as I Leave You](/source/Softly%2C_as_I_Leave_You_(album))'' (Reprise, 1964) * ''[My Kind of Broadway](/source/My_Kind_of_Broadway)'' (Reprise, 1965) * ''[September of My Years](/source/September_of_My_Years)'' (Reprise, 1965) * ''[Moonlight Sinatra](/source/Moonlight_Sinatra)'' (Reprise, 1966) * ''[Strangers in the Night](/source/Strangers_in_the_Night_(Frank_Sinatra_album))'' (Reprise, 1966) * ''[Francis Albert Sinatra & Antônio Carlos Jobim](/source/Francis_Albert_Sinatra_%26_Ant%C3%B4nio_Carlos_Jobim)'' (Reprise, 1967) * ''[The World We Knew](/source/The_World_We_Knew)'' (Reprise, 1967) * ''[Cycles](/source/Cycles_(Frank_Sinatra_album))'' (Reprise, 1968) * ''[My Way](/source/My_Way_(Frank_Sinatra_album))'' (Reprise, 1969) * ''[A Man Alone](/source/A_Man_Alone_(album))'' (Reprise, 1969) * ''[Sinatra & Company](/source/Sinatra_%26_Company)'' (Reprise, 1971) * ''[Some Nice Things I've Missed](/source/Some_Nice_Things_I've_Missed)'' (Reprise, 1974) * ''[Trilogy: Past Present Future](/source/Trilogy%3A_Past_Present_Future)'' (Reprise, 1980) * ''[She Shot Me Down](/source/She_Shot_Me_Down)'' (Reprise, 1981) * ''[L.A. Is My Lady](/source/L.A._Is_My_Lady)'' (Qwest, 1984) '''With [Keely Smith](/source/Keely_Smith)''' * ''[The Intimate Keely Smith](/source/The_Intimate_Keely_Smith)'' (Reprise, 1964) {{div col end}} ==Bibliography== *{{cite book |title=I've Got You Under My Skins |first=Irv |last=Cottler |publisher=[Alfred Music](/source/Alfred_Music) |year=2000 |isbn=978-0739017074}} ==References== {{Reflist}} == External links == *{{AllMusic |class=artist |id=irving-cottler-mn0000100819}} *{{Discogs artist|812453-Irv-Cottler}} *{{IMDb name|2054584}} *[https://www.nationaljazzarchive.co.uk/stories?id=108 Irving Cottler] interview at the [National Jazz Archive](/source/National_Jazz_Archive) {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Cottler, Irving}} Category:American jazz drummers Category:1918 births Category:1989 deaths Category:20th-century American drummers Category:American male drummers Category:American male jazz musicians Category:20th-century American male musicians Category:Drummers from New York City --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Irving Cottler](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irving_Cottler) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irving_Cottler?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.