Bernard Purdie

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Bernard Purdie
Also known as Bernard "Pretty" Purdie
Mississippi Bigfoot
Born June 11, 1939 (1939-06-11) (age 70) Elkton, Maryland, USA
Origin American
Genres Soul, Funk, Rock
Occupations Musician
Instruments Drums
Years active 1958-present
Labels A&M, Atco, EMI, Capitol
Associated acts James Brown, Jeff Beck, Hummingbird, Steely Dan, Aretha Franklin, Gil Scott-Heron, King Curtis, The Rolling Stones, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Randy Brecker, Quincy Jones, Hall & Oates, Isaac Hayes, Cat Stevens, Hair, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (soundtrack)
Website Bernard Purdie.com

Bernard Lee "Pretty" Purdie (born June 11, 1939) is a much respected American session drummer and is considered an influential and innovative exponent of funk.[1] He is known for his strict musical time keeping[2] and "The Purdie Shuffle".[3]

Purdie is said to be the World's Most Recorded Drummer and has worked with many musicians including Charles Kynard, Grant Green, Aretha Franklin, Gil Scott-Heron, James Brown, Steely Dan, Miles Davis and Hummingbird.

Purdie also recorded as a leader; his debut, Soul Drums, was issued in 1968, and though he recorded a follow-up, Alexander's Ragtime Band, this album remained unreleased until Soul Drums was reissued on CD in 2009 with the Alexander's Ragtime Band sessions. Later solo albums include 1971's Purdie Good, 1972's Soul Is...Pretty Purdie and the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Lialeh (1973).

He was credited on sound track album for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and more recently he was the drummer for the 2009 Broadway revival of Hair and appeared on the associated Broadway cast recording.[4]

Contents

[edit] Drumming style

Purdie is known as a groove drummer with immaculate timing and makes use of precision HALF NOTES, backbeats and grooves.[2] Purdie's signature sixteenth note hi-hat lick pish-ship, pish-ship, pish-ship is distinct and hard to copy[5] and he is known for his versatility. He often employs a straight eight groove sometimes fusing several influences such as swing, blues and funk. Variations on this shuffle can be heard on songs such as Led Zeppelin's “Fool in the Rain” and “Rosanna” by Toto.[6] Purdie's shuffle can be heard on Steely Dan's "Babylon Sisters"[7] and "Home At Last".

[edit] Career

[edit] Early Days

At an early age Purdie began hitting cans with sticks and learnt the elements of drumming techniques from overhearing lessons being given by Leonard Heywood. He later took lessons from Heywood and played in Heywood's big band. Purdie's other influences at that time were Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa, Joe Marshall and Art Blakey.[5]

In 1961 he moved to New York and played session with Mickey and Sylvia and regularly visited the Turf Club on 50th and Broadway in New York, where musicians, agents and promoters met and touted for business. It was during this period that he played for the saxophonist Buddy Lucas, who nicknamed him Mississippi Bigfoot. Eventually Barney Richmond contracted him to play session work.[5]

[edit] The Beatles

In 1961 original Beatles drummer Pete Best and guitarist Tony Sheridan recorded tracks in Hamburg with the Beatles. Later Bernard Purdie added overdubs to tracks from these sessions,[8] including "Ain't She Sweet", "Take Out Some Insurance on Me Baby" and "Sweet Georgia Brown".[9] The main reason for this was to give them a punchier sound for the US market. These tracks were eventually released on January 31 1964 by Polydor.[10] Ringo Starr's physical approach to drumming was probably influenced by Purdie's Motown style.[11]

[edit] James Brown

Purdie was contracted by arranger Sammy Lowe to play a session with James Brown in 1965 and recording session records also show that Purdie played on "Ain't It a Groove"[12] at the same session.[5] This was one of several sessions he played with Brown and the track "Kansas City" from Brown's album Cold Sweat (1967), displays one of the most sophisticated and driving shuffles recorded for Brown's catalogue. Purdie is also credited on the albums Say It Loud-I'm Black and I'm Proud (1969)[13] and Get on the Good Foot (1972) on which "Ain't It a Groove" appeared.[14]

[edit] Aretha Franklin and King Curtis

Purdie started working with Aretha Franklin as musical director in 1970 and held that position for five years,[1] as well as drumming for Franklin and her opening act, King Curtis and The King Pins. In 1970 he performed with them at the Fillmore West, recorded as Aretha Live at The Fillmore West (1971) and King Curtis's Live at Fillmore West (1971).[15] His best known track with Franklin was "Rock Steady",[16] on which he played what he termed as "a funky and low down beat". Of his time with Franklin he once commented, "backing her was like floating in seventh heaven".[5]

[edit] Other associations

[edit] Rock, Soul, Funk and Pop

[edit] Jazz and crossover

[edit] Discography

[15]

[edit] As leader

  • Soul Drums Direction (1968)
  • Stand By Me Mega (1971 )
  • Purdie Good Prestige ( 1971)
  • Soul Is ... Pretty Purdie Flying Dutchman (1972)
  • Lialeh - Bryan (1973)
  • Shaft - Prestige (1974)
  • Delights of the Garden Celluloid (1975 )
  • Purdie As a Picture - Kilarnock (1993)
  • Tokyo Jazz Groove Sessions - Lexington (1993 )
  • Coolin' 'n' Groovin' - Lexington/West 47th 1993 (1993)
  • After Hours with The 3B's - 3B's (1993)
  • The Hudson River Rats - 3B's (1994 )
  • Kick N Jazz Drum Beat Blocks (1996)
  • Soul to Jazz I Act(1997)
  • In the Pocket P Vine (1997)
  • Soul to Jazz II Act (1998 )
  • Get It While You Can 3B's (1999 )
  • Purdie Good Cookin' Own Label (2003)

[edit] Other credits

[15]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b Feather, Leonard and Gitler, Ira. The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz. Oxford University Press US. p. 541. 
  2. ^ a b Wynn, Ron. "Bernard Purdie". allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:j9fyxqtgldhe~T1. Retrieved 2009-05-16. 
  3. ^ Hyatt, Greg and Mitchell, Stan. Get Locked. Alfred Publishing. p. 95. 
  4. ^ BWW News desk. "Tracks_Hits_Stores_623_20090511 Hair Broadway Cast Recording With Never Before Released Tracks Hits Stores". broadwayworld.com. http://broadwayworld.com/article/HAIR_Broadway_Cast_Recording_With_Never_Before_Released_ Tracks_Hits_Stores_623_20090511. Retrieved 2009-05-16. 
  5. ^ a b c d e f Payne, Jim and Weinger, Harry. The Great Drummers of R&B Funk & Soul. Oxford University Press US. p. 143. 
  6. ^ Segal, David (2009-03-30). "A Signature Shuffle Enjoys a New Life". nytimes.com. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/31/theater/31purd.html. 
  7. ^ Mason, Stuart. "Babylon Sisters". allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=33:knfrxvlgldfe. Retrieved 2009-05-16. 
  8. ^ Everett, Walter. The Beatles as musicians. Oxford University Press US/Google Notes to page 202-212. 
  9. ^ Gottfridsson, Hans Olof, Sheridon, Tony and Beatles. The Beatles from Cavern to Star-Club: The Illustrated Chronicle, Discography & Price Guide 1957-1962. Premium Publishing (1997). pp. 222, 310, 313, 333, 341. 
  10. ^ Miles, Barry and Badman, Keith. The Beatles Diary: The Beatles years. Omnibus Press (2001). pp. 129. 
  11. ^ Riley, Tim. Tell Me why: A Beatles Commentary. Da Capo Press (2002). pp. 198. 
  12. ^ "James Brown credits". allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:wifuxqw5ldde~T31. Retrieved 2009-05-16. 
  13. ^ Unterberger, Richie. "Say It Loud-I'm Black and I'm Proud". allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:hifexqq5ldde. Retrieved 2009-05-19. 
  14. ^ Elias, Jason. "Get On The Good Foot". allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:azftxql5ldse. Retrieved 2009-05-19. 
  15. ^ a b c "Bernard "Pretty" Purdie credits". allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:j9fyxqtgldhe~T2. Retrieved 2009-05-15. 
  16. ^ "Rock Steady". allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=33:djfqxmwjldse. Retrieved 2009-05-15. 
  17. ^ York, William. Who's Who in Rock Music. Atomic press. p. 117. 
  18. ^ Neal, Mark Anthony. What the Music Said: Black Popular Music and Black Public Culture. p. 107. 

[edit] References and further reading

  • Everett, Walter. The Beatles as musicians: the Quarry Men through Rubber Soul. Oxford University Press US (2001). ISBN 9780195141054
  • Gottfridsson, Hans Olof; Sheridan, Tony and Beatles. The Beatles from Cavern to Star-Club: The Illustrated Chronicle, Discography & Price Guide 1957-1962. Premium Publishing (1997). ISBN 9789197189477
  • Kernfeld, Barry Dean. The new Grove dictionary of jazz second edition. Grove's Dictionaries Inc. (2002). Digitized 21 Dec (2006). ISBN 9781561592845
  • Miles, Barry and Badman, Keith. The Beatles Diary: The Beatles years. Omnibus Press (2001) ISBN 9780711983083
  • Payne, Jim and Weinger, Harry. The Great Drummers of R&B Funk & Soul. Mel Bay Publications (2007). ISBN 9780786673032
  • Rabb, Johnny; Brych, Ray and Lohman, Gregg. Jungle/Drum 'n' Bass for the Acoustic Drum Set: A Guide to Applying Today's Electronic Music to the Drum Set. Alfred Publishing (2001). ISBN 0757990258
  • Weinberg, Max. The Big Beat: Conversations with Rock's Greatest Drummers. Hal Leonard Corporation (2004). ISBN 9780634082757
  • York, William. Who's Who in Rock Music. Atomic Press (1978). Digitized 30 Aug 2007.

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Purdie"