If you scroll down in the pics,he is playing a WMP Rogers kit,with what looks like a 4 by 14 wood Dyna!

Wow!COOL pic of him playing a Gretsch kit! NEVER seen that one before!

From what I understand, there were occasions at jazz fesivals or jam sessions or unplanned "sitting in" where Gene played what was on the stage. If he was photographed playing a Ludwig or Gretsch or Rogers set, people from those companies would wet themselves to get those pictures. The same thing held true for pictures of any company's featured artists playing the brand of another company.

Hey Gilnar, (Because you're a Gene fan...) Here's something I have had hanging in my office for awhile. I thought you'd get a kick out of seeing it. It is a piece of the wrap from Gene's bass drum (gifted to me by the owner of the drum,) along with a little piece of mirrored tiles from the wall of the Metropole in New York City.

I spent many hours as a young man standing out in front of the Metropole (it was a bar that served liquor and I was well under 18,) listening to Gene and his band, or, Woody Herman and his group, the time I spent there was glorious. The front doors were always wide open and you were never more than 30/40 feet away from the stage and the players.

Photo 1 - My Gene Krupa/Metropole memento.

The letter reads:

Hi John,

Enclosed is the little section of 4 mirror squares from the original Metropole Cafe'. I've also included a small piece of WMP wrap that came from Gene Krupa's 1940's bass drum, the one I recently sold. A large portion of the original inlays were missing and I removed the small sections that had broken off at the staple points, in order to install replacements correctly. This piece is from one of those small sections. Enjoy! (end of letter.)

Photo 2 - close-up of the bit of wrap from Gene's bass drum and the mirror tiles from the Metropole Cafe'.

Enjoy,

John