- Buddy Rich
Bernard "Buddy" Rich (September 30 1917 Brooklyn, New York - April 2 1987) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. Rich was billed as "the world's greatest drummer" and was known for his virtuoso technique, power, speed and ability to improvise. - Max Roach
Maxwell Lemuel Roach (born January 10, 1924) is a bebop/hard bop percussionist, drummer, and composer. He has worked with many of the greatest jazz musicians, including Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus and Sonny Rollins. He is widely considered to be one of the most important drummers in the history of jazz. - Gene Krupa
Gene Krupa (January 15, 1909 - October 16, 1973) was a famous and influential American jazz and big band drummer, known for his highly energetic and flamboyant style. - Cozy Cole
Cozy Cole (October 19, 1909 - January 31, 1981) was a well known jazz drummer who had a #1 hit with the song "Topsy Part 2". The song contained a lengthy drum solo, and one of the few drum solo recordings that ever made the popular Billboard top 100 (1958) charts. The single, issued on the tiny Brooklyn-based Love Records, was a sensation. He is cited as an influence by many contemporary rock drummers, including Cozy Powell, … - Tony Williams
Tony Williams (December 12, 1945 - February 23, 1997) was an American jazz drummer. - Chick Webb
William Henry Webb, usually known as Chick Webb (February 10, 1905 –June 16, 1939) was a jazz and swing music drummer as well as a band leader. - Lee Young
Lee Young (born 7 March, 1917) is an American jazz drummer and singer. Young was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. His older brother was famed saxophonist Lester Young. He played with such jazz and swing music notables as Mutt Carey, Fats Waller, Les Hite, Benny Goodman, and Lionel Hampton. In the 1950s he played with Nat "King" Cole's trio. From the 1960s on he worked as an artist & repertory man for such record labels as Vee-Jay Records and Motown Records. - Jimmy Cobb
Jimmy Cobb (born January 20 1929 in Washington D.C.) is an American hard bop drummer. He has worked extensively with a wide range of artists, including Geri Allen, Dinah Washington, Pearl Bailey, Clark Terry, Cannonball Adderly, Dizzy Gillespie, John Coltrane, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, Wynton Kelly, Stan Getz, Wes Montgomery, Gil Evans, Miles Davis, Paul Chambers, Kenny Burrell, J.J. Johnson, Sonny Stitt, Nat Adderley, Hank Jones, Ron Carter, George Coleman, … - Paul Motian
Paul Motian is an American jazz drummer who splits his time evenly and effectively between the postwar styles of bebop, post-bop, cool jazz and free jazz. Whether transfiguring the piano trio with Bill Evans , performing in Keith Jarrett 's "American Quartet," or leading his own groups, Motian's combination of traditional swing roots and clever unpredictability have made him one of the most consistently active and prolific drummers in modern jazz. - Jo Jones
Jo Jones (later known as Papa Jo Jones) was an American drummer, one of the most influential in the history of jazz. - Ray McKinley
Ray McKinley (June 18 1910-May 7 1995) was an American jazz drummer, singer, and bandleader. McKinley got his start working with local bands in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, before joining Smith Ballew in 1929, when he met Glenn Miller. The two formed a friendship which lasted from 1929 until Miller's death in 1944. McKinley and Miller joined the Dorsey Brothers in 1934. Miller left for Ray Noble in December 1934, while McKinley remained. - Shelly Manne
Shelly Manne (June 11 1920-September 26 1984), born Sheldon Manne in New York, New York, was an American jazz drummer. He was frequently associated with West Coast jazz, but his broad range of contributions to music, not only jazz, showed that he could not be readily pigeonholed. - Philly Joe Jones
Joseph Rudolph (Philly Joe) Jones was a Philadelphia-born United States jazz drummer. The name "Philly Joe" was used to avoid confusion with Jo Jones, the drummer from the Count Basie Orchestra, who became known as "Papa Jo Jones". In 1947 he became the house drummer at Café Society in New York City, where he played with the leading bebop players of the day. The most important influence on Jones among them was Tadd Dameron. - Alan Dawson
Alan Dawson died of leukemia on February 23, 1996. - Ed Thigpen
Edmund Leonard (Ed) Thigpen (born December 28, 1930) is an American jazz drummer born in Chicago, Illinois, perhaps best-known for his work with the Oscar Peterson trio from 1959-1965. Thigpen also performed with the Billy Taylor trio from 1956-1959. Ed's father, Ben, was a drummer who played with Andy Kirk for sixteen years during the 1930s and 1940s. Ed was raised in Los Angeles, California and attended "Thomas Jefferson High School", … - Dave Tough
Dave Tough (26 April, 1907 - 9 December, 1948, sometimes known as Davie or Davey Tough) was an American jazz drummer associated with both Dixieland and swing jazz in the 1930s and 1940s. He has been described as "the most important of the drummers of the Chicago circle". A son of affluent Oak Park, Illinois parents, Tough's interest for drumming was not fully supported by his family or community. - Bill Stewart
William Harris "Bill" Stewart (born October 18 1966, Des Moines, Iowa) is an American jazz drummer. Stewart is a versatile player who has performed with a broad array of musicians, from Maceo Parker to Jim Hall. He is also an active composer, whose distinctive tunes, which might be categorized as "postmodern" jazz tunes, appear on his, and others', records. - Peter Erskine
Peter Erskine (born June 5, 1954) is an American jazz drummer. He was born in Somers Point, New Jersey, USA. He began playing the drums at the age of four. He graduated from the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, then studied percussion at Indiana University. His professional career started in 1972 when he joined the Stan Kenton Orchestra. After three years with Kenton he joined Maynard Ferguson for two years. - Bobby Previte
Robert "Bobby" Previte (born July 16, 1959, Niagara Falls, New York) is a drummer, composer and bandleader. Previte earned a B.A. in music at the University at Buffalo, where he also studied percussion. He moved to New York City in 1979, and became active in the city's thriving jazz and experimental music scenes. He began professional relationships with John Zorn, Wayne Horvitz, Elliott Sharp and others that have continued, intermittently, to the present - Paul Goldberg
Paul Goldberg (born 25 April 1959) is an American jazz/rock drummer. Goldberg was born in Bethesda, MD. At age seven, relocated to Atlantic City, New Jersey. He studied music at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, graduating with a Bachelor of Music degree in drums and percussion. He went on to perform in casino shows in Atlantic City, Las Vegas, and Lake Tahoe, before moving to Los Angeles, California. - Dennis Chambers
Dennis Chambers is an American drummer who has recorded and performed with John Scofield, Carl filipiak, Steely Dan, Santana, Parliament/Funkadelic, John McLaughlin, Niacin, Mike Stern, and many others. Despite a complete lack of formal training, Chambers has become well-known among drummers for his impressive technique and speed. - Rashied Ali
Rashied Ali (born Robert Patterson on 1 July 1935 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American free jazz and avant-garde jazz drummer best known for playing with John Coltrane in the last years of Coltrane's life. His brother, Muhammad Ali, is also a drummer, who played with Albert Ayler, among others. More recently, Ali has played with Sonny Fortune. Ali has also recorded or performed with Pharoah Sanders, Alice Coltrane, … - Sonny Greer
Sonny Greer (13 December 1895-23 March 1982) was an American jazz drummer, best known for his work with Duke Ellington. Greer was born in Long Branch, New Jersey, and played with Elmer Snowden's band and the Howard Theatre's orchestra in Washington, D.C. before joining Ellington, who he met in 1919. He was Ellington's first drummer, playing with his quintet, the Washingtonians, and moving with Ellington into the Cotton Club. - Jason Marsalis
Jason Marsalis (March 4, 1977, New Orleans, Louisiana) is an American jazz drummer and member of the famous New Orleans Marsalis jazz musical family. He is the youngest son of Delores Ferdinand Marsalis and Ellis Marsalis, Jr.. His brothers are Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, Ellis Marsalis III (1964), Delfeayo Marsalis, and Mboya Kinyatta (1971). Branford, Wynton, and Delfeayo are also jazz musicians. - Ed Blackwell
Ed Blackwell (October 10, 1929 - October 7, 1992) was an American free jazz drummer born in New Orleans, Louisiana. While album credits typically listed him as "Ed Blackwell," he preferred to be called Edward. Most of his close associates, including his wife, simply called him "Blackwell" most of the time. Blackwell's early career began in New Orleans in the 1950's. He played in a bebop quintet that included pianist Ellis Marsalis and clarinetist Alvin Batiste. - Chico Hamilton
Chico Hamilton (Foreststorn Hamilton) (September 21 1921, Los Angeles) is a jazz drummer. He was born in Los Angeles in 1921 and was raised locally as the Central Avenue jazz scene was beginning to coalesce. In the 1940s, he performed with Lionel Hampton, Duke Ellington and Count Basie. He appears in the "March Milastaire" number in the film "You'll Never Get Rich" (1941) as part of the backing group supporting Fred Astaire. - Sid Catlett
Sidney Catlett (born January 17, 1910 in Evansville, Indiana and died March 25, 1951 Chicago, Illinois) was a swinging jazz drummer often referred to as "Big Sid Catlett" because of his large frame. He started at piano, but switched to drums and entered formal study when his family moved to Chicago. His career began in Chicago in 1928 with Darnell Howard. In adulthood he moved to New York City and worked with Benny Carter, Fletcher Henderson, Elmer Snowden, and others. - Paul Barbarin
Adolphe Paul Barbarin (May 5, 1899 – Feb 17, 1969) was a New Orleans jazz drummer, usually regarded (along with Baby Dodds) as one of the very best of the pre-Big Band era jazz drummers. Paul Barbarin's year of birth is often given as 1901, but his brother Louis Barbarin (born 1902) said he was quite sure that Paul was several years older than him, and Paul Barbarin simply refused to answer the year of his birth in an interview at Tulane's Jazz Archives. - Billy Hart
William "Billy" Hart is a jazz drummer and educator who has performed with some of the most important jazz musicians in history. Early on he performed in Washington, D.C. with soul artists such as Otis Redding and Sam and Dave, and then later with Buck Hill and Shirley Horn, and was a sideman with the Montgomery Brothers (1961), Jimmy Smith (1964-1966), and Wes Montgomery (1966-1968). Following Montgomery’s death in 1968, Hart moved to New York, … - Ben Riley
Ben Riley (b. 17 July 1933) is an American hard bop drummer who has worked with Thelonious Monk, Alice Coltrane, Stan Getz, Woody Herman, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Ahmad Jamal, and Kenny Barron, and was a member with Barron of Sphere. - Papa Jack Laine
George Vital Laine aka "Papa Jack" (September 21, 1873 - June 1, 1966) was the most busy and perhaps the most important band leader in New Orleans in the years from the Spanish-American War to World War I. Many of the New Orleans musicians who first spread jazz around the USA in the 1910s and 1920s got their start in the Laine bands. Laine was a drummer, but was more noted for his skills at arranging and booking bands. - Cindy Blackman
Cindy Blackman (born October 18, 1959 in Ohio) is an American jazz and rock drummer. Blackman is most well-known for recording and touring with Lenny Kravitz. Blackman has recorded several straight-ahead jazz albums under her own name, and has performed with acclaimed jazz and rock artists, including Pharoah Sanders, Ron Carter, Sam Rivers, Cassandra Wilson, Angela Bofill, Buckethead, Bill Laswell and Joe Henderson. Tony Williams is her main drumming influence. - Dink Johnson
Ollie "Dink" Johnson (October 28, 1892 - November 29, 1954) was a dixieland jazz pianist, clarinetist, and drummer. Dink Johson was born in Biloxi, Mississippi, younger brother of bass player/bandleader Bill Johnson. He worked around Mississippi and New Orleans before moving to the western United States in the early 1910s. He played around Nevada and California, often with his brother Bill. Most prominently he played with the Original Creole Orchestra (mostly on drums). - Bernard Purdie
Bernard "Pretty" Purdie (born June 11, 1939) is an American drummer and session musician from Elkton, Maryland. He moved to New York in 1960 and began to record with various well-known soul, rock, pop, and jazz musicians. He has toured with saxophonist King Curtis, seminal bop trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, and saxophonist Hank Crawford and was Aretha Franklin's musical director for five years in the 1970's. He has also performed in concert with seminal bop drummer Max Roach. - Hamid Drake
Hamid Drake (b. Monroe, Louisiana, August 3, 1955) is an American jazz drummer and percussionist. He lives in Chicago, although he spends much of his time traveling around the world for concerts and studio dates. He first became known for his work with Chicago tenor saxophonist Fred Anderson. His other frequent collaborators include New York bassist William Parker, saxophonist David Murray, composer and percussionist Adam Rudolph, … - Joe Chambers
Joe Chambers (born June 25, 1942) is an American jazz drummer, pianist and composer most notable for his work with Wayne Shorter on the album "Adam's Apple". He attended the Philadelphia Conservatory for one year. In the 1960s Chambers gigged with several high-profile artists such as Eric Dolphy, Lou Donaldson, Freddie Hubbard, Jimmy Giuffre, Freddie Hubbard and Bobby Hutcherson. Other artists Joe Chambers has worked with in his career include Archie Shepp, … - Stan Levey
Stan Levey (April 5, 1926 - April 19, 2005) was an American jazz drummer. Stan Levey first began playing with Dizzy Gillespie at the age of 16. Levey is considered one of the earliest bebop drummers. - Jim Black
Jim Black is a jazz drummer who has performed with Tim Berne and Dave Douglas, among others. He attended Berklee College of Music. His own group, AlasNoAxis, includes Hilmar Jensson on electric guitar, Chris Speed on tenor saxophone and clarinet, and Skúli Sverrisson on electric bass. The music is in some ways closer to post-rock than jazz, concentrating on rhythmic shifts and ensemble texture rather than featured solos. - Louis Hayes
Louis Hayes (born May 31, 1937, in Detroit, MI) was a jazz drummer. Hayes was a superior hard bop drummer who led many of his own groups. Hayes led a band in Detroit as a teenager and worked with Yusef Lateef from 1955-1956. His three most notable associations are Horace Silver's Quintet (1956-1959), The Cannonball Adderley Quintet (1959-1965), and The Oscar Peterson Trio (1965-1967). Hayes often teamed up with Sam Jones, both with Adderley and Peterson, … - Ben Pollack
Ben Pollack was a drummer and bandleader from the mid 1920s through the swing era. His eye for talent led him to either discover or employ, at one time or another, musicians such as Benny Goodman, Jack Teagarden, Glenn Miller, Jimmy McPartland and Harry James. This ability earned him the nickname "Father of Swing". Born in Chicago, Illinois to a well-to-do family, Pollack was largely self taught as a drummer, …
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