SKF NOTE: From the transcript of my interview with John Von Ohlen, published in the March 1985 Modern Drummer. John’s relatively late start on drums were preceded by more than a decade of studying accordion, piano, and trombone. And also, have a father and uncle who introduced John to great big band jazz records when John was about six years old. And the final stroke was the 1955 sound of Mel Lewis‘s ride cymbal driving Stan Kenton’s Orchestra.