Roy McCurdy (born November 28, 1936) is a jazz drummer.
12-505: Milt Jackson Quartet (also released as Soul Pioneers ) is an album by American jazz vibraphonist Milt Jackson featuring performances recorded in 1955 and released on the Prestige label. AllMusic writer Scott Yanow stated: "The music itself makes for an enjoyable straight-ahead set". All compositions by Milt Jackson, except where noted. Milt Jackson Milton Jackson (January 1, 1923 – October 9, 1999), nicknamed " Bags ",
24-599: A pioneer of the ride cymbal timekeeping that became the signature for bop and most jazz to follow) while the brass and reeds took breaks. When they decided to become a working group in their own right, around 1950, the foursome was known at first as the Milt Jackson Quartet, becoming the Modern Jazz Quartet (MJQ) in 1952. By that time Percy Heath had replaced Ray Brown. Known at first for featuring Jackson's blues-heavy improvisations almost exclusively, in time
36-577: Is a jazz standard ("Bags" was a nickname given to him by a bass player in Detroit. "Bags" referred to the bags under his eyes). He was featured on the NPR radio program Jazz Profiles . Some of his other signature compositions include "The Late, Late Blues" (for his album with Coltrane, Bags & Trane ), "Bluesology" (an MJQ staple), and "Bags & Trane". Jackson died of liver cancer in Manhattan, New York, at
48-777: The Eastman School of Music from sixteen to eighteen, during which time he also played professionally with Roy Eldridge and with Eddie Vinson at seventeen. In 1960 he joined the Art Farmer – Benny Golson Jazztet and remained for two years. Among the influences he cites Louie Bellson , Shelly Manne , Sam Woodyard , Buddy Rich , Papa Jo Jones , Philly Joe Jones and the bands of Duke Ellington , Jimmie Lunceford and Lionel Hampton . He has also played and/or recorded with Count Basie , Wes Montgomery , Ella Fitzgerald , Sarah Vaughan , Carmen McRae , Joe Williams , Herbie Hancock , Oscar Peterson , Bud Powell , Art Pepper , and
60-522: The Air Force before returning to Rochester to begin his career. Before joining Cannonball Adderley 's Quintet in 1965 and staying with the band until Adderley's death in 1975, he had played with Chuck and Gap Mangione in the Jazz Brothers (1960–1961), as well as with Bobby Timmons , Betty Carter and Sonny Rollins (1963–1964), appearing on the classic 1963 album Sonny Meets Hawk! He attended
72-415: The age of 76. He was married to Sandra Whittington from 1959 until his death; the couple had a daughter. Compilations With Miles Davis With Dizzy Gillespie With Oscar Peterson With others Roy McCurdy McCurdy began playing drums around the age of 10 in his hometown of Rochester and took lessons from Eastman percussionist Bill Street as a teenager. He spent three years in
84-674: The group came to split the difference between these and Lewis's more ambitious musical ideas. Lewis had become the group's musical director by 1955, the year Clarke departed in favour of Connie Kay , boiling the quartet down to a chamber jazz style, that highlighted the lyrical tension between Lewis's mannered, but roomy, compositions, and Jackson's unapologetic swing. The MJQ had a long independent career of some two decades until disbanding in 1974, when Jackson split with Lewis. The group reformed in 1981, however, and continued until 1993, after which Jackson toured alone, performing in various small combos, although agreeing to periodic MJQ reunions. From
96-494: The mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, Jackson recorded for Norman Granz 's Pablo Records , including Jackson, Johnson, Brown & Company (1983), featuring Jackson with J. J. Johnson on trombone, Ray Brown on bass, backed by Tom Ranier on piano, guitarist John Collins , and drummer Roy McCurdy . In 1989, Jackson was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music from the Berklee College of Music . His composition " Bags' Groove "
108-556: The most important figures in jazz of the era, including Woody Herman , Howard McGhee , Thelonious Monk , and Charlie Parker . In the Gillespie big band, Jackson fell into a pattern that led to the founding of the Modern Jazz Quartet: Gillespie maintained a former swing tradition of a small group within a big band, and his included Jackson, pianist John Lewis , bassist Ray Brown , and drummer Kenny Clarke (considered
120-477: Was an American jazz vibraphonist . He is especially remembered for his cool swinging solos as a member of the Modern Jazz Quartet and his penchant for collaborating with hard bop and post-bop players. A very expressive player, Jackson differentiated himself from other vibraphonists in his attention to variations on harmonics and rhythm. He was particularly fond of the twelve-bar blues at slow tempos. On occasion, Jackson also sang and played piano. Jackson
132-579: Was born on January 1, 1923, in Detroit, Michigan , United States, the son of Manley Jackson and Lillie Beaty Jackson. Like many of his contemporaries, he was surrounded by music from an early age, particularly that of religious meetings: "Everyone wants to know where I got that funky style. Well, it came from church. The music I heard was open, relaxed, impromptu soul music" (quoted in Nat Hentoff 's liner notes to Plenty, Plenty Soul ). He started on guitar when he
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#1732858283987144-633: Was seven, and then on piano at 11. While attending Miller High School, he played drums in addition to timpani and violin and also sang in the choir. At 16, he sang professionally in a local touring gospel quartet called the Evangelist Singers. He took up the vibraphone at 16 after hearing Lionel Hampton play the instrument in Benny Goodman 's band. Jackson was discovered by Dizzy Gillespie , who hired him for his sextet in 1945, then his larger ensembles. Jackson quickly acquired experience working with
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