Freddie Waits

Freddie Waits (Frederick Douglas Waits; * April 27, 1943 in Jackson, Mississippi, † November 18, 1989 in New York City ) was an American jazz drummer.

Life and work

Waits played flute as a child at first, but soon moved to drums. He had to accompany already as a college student opportunity blues singer Ivory Joe Hunter and Percy Mayfield and performed with blues musicians such as Memphis Slim and John Lee Hooker. In 1962 he worked with Jimmy Wilkins Orchestra in Detroit, where he participated also at Stevie Wonder's finger tips, from 1963 to 1965 he was member of Paul Winter band. He then worked in Los Angeles with Gerald Wilson's band.

Mid-1960s, he came to New York. Here were his main partner Sonny Rollins (1966 ), Andrew Hill ( Brassroots 1968 Lift Every Voice 1969 Strange Serenade 1980), McCoy Tyner ( Time for Tyner, Expansions, Cosmos 1968-1970 ), Max Roach, with whom he group M'Boom founded, Bill Dixon and Cecil Taylor last. In addition, he accompanied Ella Fitzgerald on a big European tour. Waits also taught at Rutgers University. In addition, Waits was at this time also to recordings by Donald Byrd ( Mustang ), Gene Harris, Pharoah Sanders ( karma), James Moody, Mercer Ellington, Bennie Maupin (The Jewel in the Lotus 1974) and the last recording sessions of Lee Morgan 1971 / 72 involved before his death. In the 1980s, he was still playing in the band of Roland Hanna.

His son Nasheet Waits is active as a jazz drummer.

• Jazz drummer
• American musician
• Born in 1943
• Died in 1989
• Man