Selected materials from two scrapbooks compiled by Todd Strait, a jazz drummer from Topeka, Kansas. Strait grew up in northeast Shawnee County, Kansas, and attended Seaman High School where he started playing the drums and became interested in jazz music. He entered the Slingerland-Bellson National Drum Contest at age 17 and completed the final round in Las Vegas, Nevada, in second place. After graduating from Seaman High School, he moved to Bridgeport, Connecticut, where he studied at the University of Bridgeport with Ed Soph as part of a scholarship awarded through the contest. Todd joined Marian McPartland's Trio from 1982-1989, also was a member of Tal Farlow's trio and Barney Kessel's trio throughout the '80s as well as free lancing throughout New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. Todd enjoyed a short 3 month stint with Woody Herman's Thundering Herd in 1986. Returning to Kansas City in late 1989, he spent the 90's performing, recording, and traveling nationally and internationally with Kevin Mahogany (1995-2000), Eldar (1999-2010), and Karrin Allyson (1991-2014). He frequently returns to KC to play and record with Bob Bowman, Danny Embrey, Rod Fleeman, Paul Smith, etc.
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