Roger Humphries
Roger Humphries ( born January 30, 1944 in Pittsburgh) is an American jazz drummer and music educator.
Life and work
Childhood and youth
Roger Humphries was already informed, the youngest of ten children in a family with a musical environment due to its special talent very early in the drumming. He joined four years with professional musicians, the Mary J. Coley band and in amateur events and won many prizes. With four and a half years, he played with a big band of Tab Smith, in his uncle Frank Humphries starred.
After his further education he began playing professionally at age fourteen. At sixteen, he led his own band for a concert at Carnegie Hall.
In August 1962, Roger Humphries began his first major tour, and played with Shirley Scott and Stanley Turrentine in the trio, which he praised highly for its dynamics and its interaction. Critics praised much he played in the other with many famous musicians, including James Moody.
Achievements
In 1964 he joined Horace Silver's band in New York, toured with them twice through Europe and also played at the Monterey Jazz Festival. He has this group a large soft sound on the big drums and toms, which is cut with sharp- sounding cymbals and cymbals speak in rhythmically strong driving aggressive pieces.
He then worked with Ray Charles. This was the first opportunity for him to play as a trained drummer with a big band. He was with him on tour in Europe and the United States - including in the Coconut Groove Club in Los Angeles and at the Newport Jazz Festival. Then came Humphries in New York City with various groups at Carnegie Hall, the Village Gate and the Apollo Theater, but also played in the clubs of other cities such as Seattle, Philadelphia and London, and at the Jazz Workshop in Boston. Here, Humphries was able to work with many talented musicians, such as Lee Morgan, Grant Green, Billy Taylor, Bill Doggett, Benny Green, Lionel Hampton, Coleman Hawkins, Clark Terry, JJ Johnson, Billy Preston, Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Dizzy Gillespie, Jack McDuff, Gene Harris, George Harris, George Benson, Jon Faddis, Slide Hampton, Johnny Griffin, Herbie Mann, Randy Brecker, Joe Williams, Milt Jackson and Jimmy Witherspoon. In Pittsburgh, he performed except with many locally important musicians with Nathan Davis, Frank Cunimondo, Pete Henderson and Dwayne Dolphin.
In 1972 he formed his own band, RH Factor and sought in 1996 a big band together with which it occurs early 2008, live in Pittsburgh. Educationally he taught kids in Pittsburgh in the local High School for the Creative and Performing Arts and the University. He participated in a number of practical training opportunities for example in the Slippery Rock University Summer Jazz workshop and the Mellon Jazz Masters Class and Concerts. Finally, he influenced through his example many jazz drummer.
1980 Roger Humphries toured again through Europe with organist Richard " Groove" Holmes and the tenor saxophonist Willis Jackson. On this " exciting " tour of France, Spain and Holland they also recorded an album.
Discography (selection)
- Horace Silver - Song for My Father ( Blue Note Records, 1964), however, playing on some pieces Roy Brooks eg Calcutta Cutie.
- Horace Silver - The Cape Verdean Blues ( Blue Note, 1964)
- Carmell Jones - Jay Hawk Talk ( Prestige Records, 1965)
- Nathan Davis - Makatuka, ( Segue 1972)
- Roger Humphries and RH Factor - This' N That ( Corona 1991)
- Dwayne Dolphin - Portrait of Adrian, ( Minor Music 1995)
- Roger Humphries - Do not Give Up