Chris Parker (musician)

Chris Parker
Birth name	Chris Parker
Genres	Jazz, Rock, Blues
Occupation	Musician
Instrument	drums
Years active	1970s–present

Chris Parker is an American drummer.

During his childhood Parker's father, artist Robert Andrew Parker, attached wooden blocks to the hi-hat and bass drum pedals, so that Parker's feet could reach the pedals to play the drums along with records. His father, who was also a jazz drummer, introduced young Parker to the music of Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Leadbelly, Ray Charles, Woody Herman, Count Basie, Lionel Hampton, Bix Beiderbecke, Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington. When he became a teenager he began practicing with friends and finding out the nostalgia of rock and roll by listening to such jazz drummers as Roger Hawkins, D. J. Fontana, and New Orleans icons such as Earl Palmer, Smokey Johnson and James Black. His enthusiasm grew as he went to New York City's School of Visual Arts to study painting, where he saw an ad for a drummer. He became a member of a band called Holy Moses when he moved to Woodstock, New York. That band was short lived during which Parker recorded one album, but decided to stay in Woodstock where he also worked in the local scene with music icons such as Paul Butterfield's Better Days, Bonnie Raitt, Tim Hardin, Rick Danko, Mike Bloomfield and Merl Saunders.

Four years later he played in a band called Encyclopedia of Soul which later on became known as Stuff which was made out of bassist Gordon Edwards, two guitarists named Cornell Dupree and Eric Gale and keyboardist Richard Tee. Later on, in the same band he shared his drum with another rising star, Steve Gadd. In the same time, he cofounded Brecker Brothers, a band which was made out of Michael and Randy Brecker, Buzzy Feiten, David Sanborn, Don Grolnick, Steve Khan, and Will Lee. Throughout three decades (from 1970s to 1990s), he recorded three albums and still performs to this day with such stars and music groups as James Brown, Miles Davis, Aretha Franklin, Ashford & Simpson, Patti Austin, Cher, Michael Bolton, Quincy Jones, Freddie Hubbard and Salt n' Pepa.

In 1986, Parker was invited to be a part of Saturday Night Live and served there six years. In 1988, he became a member of Bob Dylan's touring band, which included G.E. Smith, later SNL's music director. Parker played on Donald Fagen's Kamakiriad album, which was nominated for (but did not win) the 1993 Grammy Award for Album of the Year.

Discography

With Joe Beck

• Beck (Kudu, 1975)

With Stephen Bishop

• Red Cab to Manhattan (Warner Bros. Records, 1980)

With Bonnie Raitt

• Give It Up (Warner Bros. Records, 1972)

With Sinéad O'Connor

• Am I Not Your Girl? (Chrysalis Records, 1992)

With Cher

• Cher (Geffen, 1987)

With Candi Staton

• Chance (Warner Bros. Records, 1979)

With Aretha Franklin

• La Diva (Atlantic Records, 1979)

With Melanie

• Phonogenic – Not Just Another Pretty Face (Midsong International, 1978)

With Michael Bolton

• The Hunger (Columbia Records, 1987)
• Soul Provider (Columbia Records, 1989)

With Bruce Cockburn

• Dart to the Heart (True North Records, 1994)

With Robert Palmer

• Double Fun (Island Records, 1978)

With Judy Collins

• Home Again (Elektra Records, 1984)

With Melba Moore

• Melba '76 (Buddah Records, 1976)

With Natalie Cole

• Stardust (Elektra Records, 1996)

With Phoebe Snow

• Never Letting Go (Sony, 1977)

With Loudon Wainwright III

• History (Charisma Records, 1992)

With Chaka Khan

• CK (Warner Bros. Records, 1988)

With Irene Cara

• Anyone Can See (Network Records, 1982)

With Teddy Pendergrass

• TP (Philadelphia International, 1980)

With Art Garfunkel

• Songs from a Parent to a Child (Columbia Records, 1997)

With Elvis Costello

• Painted from Memory (Mercury Records, 1998)

With Barry Manilow

• Barry Manilow II (Arista Records, 1974)

With Donald Fagen

• Kamakiriad (Reprise Records, 1993)

With Michael Franks

• Passionfruit (Warner Bros. Records, 1983)
• Skin Dive (Warner Bros. Records, 1985)
• The Camera Never Lies (Warner Bros. Records, 1987)
• Abandoned Garden (Warner Bros. Records, 1995)

With Patricia Kaas

• Dans ma chair (Columbia Records, 1997)

With Laura Nyro

• Smile (Columbia Records, 1976)

With Maria Muldaur

• Maria Muldaur (Reprise Records, 1973)

With Jackie Lomax

• Livin' For Lovin' (Capitol Records, 1976)

With Don McLean

• Don McLean (United Artists Records, 1972)

With Taeko Ohnuki

• Sunshower (PANAM, 1977)