Bobby Durham, Jazz Drummer Who Played With Oscar Peterson, Ella Fitzgerald, Dies at 71
JULY 7, 2008 TAGS:
Bobby Durham, a jazz drummer who emerged from the Philadelphia community of jazz musicians to play alongside greats like Oscar Peterson and Ella Fitzgerald, died on July 6, 2008. He was 71. Durham was a member of a few of Oscar Peterson’s famous trios during the 1950s and 1960s, a virtuosic and eclectic group led by Peterson’s furious yet sensitive piano playing. Durham was equally adept at keeping speedy high-hat and snare patterns as well as emoting in ballads with surprising and rich fills. Durham was also one of Ella Fitzgerald’s favorite accompaniers, playing with her for more than a decade.
Here's Durham in a 1969 incarnation of the Oscar Peterson Trio playing the very fast standard, "Noreen's Nocturne."
Here's Durham in a 1969 incarnation of the Oscar Peterson Trio playing the very fast standard, "Noreen's Nocturne."
