| Sam Woodyard... |
Born Jan 7, 1925 in Elizabeth, NJ
Died Sep 20, 1988 in Paris, France
Although he played with a many first-rate leaders over the course of his career, Woodyard is most closely associated with Duke Ellington. And rightfully so; one has only to listen to the Ellington Orchestra's legendary performance of "Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue" from the 1956 Ellington at Newport album to appreciate how important Woodyard became to the legendary composer's later work.
Woodyard wasn't a flashy player, but few swung harder; he drove the Ellington band like no other drummer in the band's storied history.
Musically, Woodyard was largely self-taught. In the '40s, he played with local groups in and around his hometown of Newark. He played in Paul Gayten's R&B group around 1950. In the early '50s, prior to joining Ellington, Woodyard played with tenor saxophonist Joe Holiday, trumpeter Roy Eldridge, and pianist Milt Buckner. His tenure with Ellington began in 1955; it lasted (with a few interruptions) until 1966.
He then joined Ella Fitzgerald's band and moved to Los Angeles. His health failed during the '70s and his playing activities declined, although he did perform, most notably on congas with the Buddy Rich Big Band on such albums as Roar of '74 and Ease on Down the Road. In the late '70s, Woodyard toured with pianist Claude Bolling. In 1983, he recorded with an all-star band that included pianist Teddy Wilson, tenor saxophonist Buddy Tate, and bassist Slam Stewart. In July 1988, then living in Paris, Woodyard played on Steve Lacy's album The Door. He died just over a month later.
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Source:AMG
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Duke Ellington and Sam Woodyard presenting the award
"Danish Jazz Musician of the Year" to Alex Riel
photo: Jan Persson
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| performed with:
Duke Ellington
Roy Eldridge
Milt Buckner
Ella Fitzgerald
Buddy Rich
Bill Berry
Guy Lafitte
C-Jam All Stars
Rosemary Clooney
John Coltrane
Jimmy Hamilton
Johnny Hodges
Dizzy Gillespie
Raymond Fol
Joe Holiday
Sonny Rollins
Sonny Stitt
Mahalia Jackson
Teddy Wilson
Buddy Tate
Quincy Jones
Marcel Zanini
Clark Terry
Ben Webster
Joya Sherrill
Slam Steward
Jimmy Woode
...and many more
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