Sherman Ferguson

Onaje Sherman Ferguson ( born October 31, 1944 in Philadelphia, † January 22, 2006 in La Crescenta, Los Angeles County ) was an American jazz musician ( drums, percussion, marimba ) and music educator.

Life and work

Ferguson began his career in the mid 1960s with Charles Earland and was the early 1970s, co-founder of the funk-soul - jazz group Katalyst, which, however, did not make too Odean Pope belonged and which earned four albums nationwide breakthrough. In addition, he worked with during this time when shooting by Pat Martino ( Desperado, 1970) and Kenny Burrell. After the dissolution of the band Ferguson moved to Los Angeles, where he played among others with Dizzy Gillespie, Horace Silver and Benny Carter. He co-founded a trio with bassist John Heard and pianist Tom Ranier, which in 1983 presented an album.

In the 1980s, Ferguson, who contributed a total of 74 shots, was also a session musician for Karrin Allyson, Bobby Bradford, Eddie Harris, Bud Shank / Bill Perkins (Serious Swingers, 1987), Tommy Tedesco, Mike Wofford and Holly Hofmann. In the 1990s he was a member of the Pharoah Sanders Quartet ( Crescent With Love, 1992). In addition, he taught jazz theory at Jackson State University, UCLA and the University of California, Irvine. He regularly wrote for LA Jazz Scene, also several liner notes. In 2002, Ferguson his own label Jazz -a -nance, on his solo album Welcome to My Vision appeared. He died in early 2006 from complications of diabetes disease.