Dave Tough

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Dave Tough(born April 26, 1907; died December 9, 1948) was a jazz drummer most associated with Dixieland jazz. He worked with such muscians as Bud Freeman, Woody Herman, Eddie Condon, Red Nichols,Benny Goodman... A son of affluent Oak Park, Illinois parents, Tough's interest for drumming was not fully supported by his family or community. Fortunately his suburban Chicago home allowed Tough to find his way to southside Chicago exposing him to an exciting and evolving jazz scene. Here Tough broke cultural and musical boundaries taking the scene's fresh sense back to a seemingly different suburban upper-middle class world. Due to Tough's rich cultural experiences his broad musical awareness provided an ability to transition well between many musical styles. Most notably Big Band to Bebop.

In the later 1920s Tough floated between Nice and Paris doing free-lance work.

Outside of the states Tough toured and recorded throughout early 1930s Europe, mostly on the Tri-Ergon label.

Although he had varied successes he also had noteworthy difficulties with Alcoholism and illness. He died of head injuries after falling down in a Newark street.

In 2000 he was inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame.

A young jazz drummer named Dave Tough is his great-nephew.