Sam Woodyard Explained
| Sam Woodyard |
| Background: | non_vocal_instrumentalist |
| Birth Date: | 7 January 1925 |
| Birth Place: | Elizabeth, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Paris, France |
| Genre: | Jazz |
| Occupation: | Musician |
| Instrument: | Drums |
Sam Woodyard (January 7, 1925 – September 20, 1988)[1] was an American jazz drummer.
He was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States.[1] Woodyard was largely an autodidact on drums and played locally in the Newark, New Jersey, area in the 1940s.[1] He performed with Paul Gayten in an R&B group, then played in the early 1950s with Joe Holiday, Roy Eldridge, and Milt Buckner. In 1955, he joined Duke Ellington's orchestra and remained until 1966.[1]
After his time with Ellington, Woodyard worked with Ella Fitzgerald, then moved to Los Angeles.[1] In the 1970s, he played less due to health problems, but he recorded with Buddy Rich,[1] and toured with Claude Bolling. In 1983, he belonged to a band with Teddy Wilson, Buddy Tate, and Slam Stewart.[1] His last recording was on Steve Lacy's 1988 album, The Door.
He died of cancer in Paris at the age of 63.[2]
Discography
With Cat Anderson
- Plays at 4 a.m. (Columbia, 1958)
- Ellingtonia (Wynne, 1959)
- A Chat with Cat Anderson (Columbia, 1963)
With Duke Ellington
- At Newport (Columbia, 1956)
- Duke Ellington Presents... (Bethlehem, 1956)
- A Drum Is a Woman (Columbia, 1957)
- Ellington at Newport (Columbia, 1957)
- Such Sweet Thunder (Columbia, 1957)
- The Cosmic Scene (Columbia, 1958)
- Newport 1958 (Columbia, 1958)
- Ellington Indigos (Columbia, 1958)
- Black, Brown and Beige (Columbia, 1958)
- Ellington Jazz Party (Columbia, 1959)
- Festival Session (Columbia, 1959)
- Solitude (Philips, 1960)
- Piano in the Background (Columbia, 1960)
- Piano in the Foreground (Columbia, 1963)
- The Symphonic Ellington (Reprise, 1963)
- Afro-Bossa (Reprise, 1963)
- Duke Ellington Meets Coleman Hawkins (Impulse!, 1963)
- Duke Ellington & John Coltrane (Impulse!, 1963)
- Duke Ellington & Django Reinhardt (Amiga, 1963)
- Ellington '65 (Reprise, 1964)
- The Popular Duke Ellington (RCA Victor 1966)
- Duke Ellington at the Cote d'Azur (Verve, 1967)
- "...And His Mother Called Him Bill" (RCA, 1968)
- Second Sacred Concert (Fantasy, 1968)
- Francis A. & Edward K. (Reprise, 1968)
- First Time! The Count Meets the Duke (Columbia, 1971)
- The Great Paris Concert (Atlantic, 1973)
- Yale Concert (Fantasy, 1973)
- Jazz at the Plaza Vol. II (Columbia, 1973)
- The Pianist (Fantasy, 1974)
- The Duke Lives On (Midi, 1974)
- Duke Ellington's Jazz Violin Session (Atlantic, 1976)
- All Star Road Band (Doctor Jazz, 1983)
- All Star Road Band Volume 2 (Doctor Jazz, 1985)
- Hot Summer Dance (Red Baron, 1991)
With Johnny Hodges
With others
- Alice Babs, Serenade to Sweden (Telestar, 1966)
- Harry Carney, Rock Me Gently (Metronome, 1961)
- Rosemary Clooney, Blue Rose (Columbia, 1956)
- Paul Gonsalves, Cookin' (Argo, 1958)
- Jimmy Hamilton, Clarinet in High Fi (Urania, 1955)
- Jimmy Hamilton, Swing Low, Sweet Clarinet (World Record Club, 1963)
- Lionel Hampton, Ring Dem Vibes (Blue Star, 1976)
- Quincy Jones, The Birth of a Band! (Mercury, 1959)
- Brooks Kerr & Paul Quinichette, Prevue (Famous Door, 1974)
- Buddy Rich, The Roar of '74 (Groove Merchant, 1974)
- Joya Sherrill, Joya Sherrill Sings Duke (20th Century Fox, 1965)
- Billy Strayhorn, Live! (Roulette, 1969)
- Clark Terry, Duke with a Difference (Riverside, 1957)
- Clark Terry, Out on a Limb with Clark Terry (Argo, 1957)
- Clark Terry, Cruising (Milestone, 1975)
- Norris Turney, I Let a Song... (Black and Blue, 1978)
- Jimmy Woode, The Colorful Strings of Jimmy Woode (Argo, 1958)
References
- Citations
- General references
- [{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p139685/biography|pure_url=yes}} Sam Woodyard] at AllMusic
Notes and References
- Book: The Guinness Who's Who of Jazz. Colin Larkin. Guinness Publishing. 1992. First. 0-85112-580-8. 438/9.
- Web site: Sam Woodyard Dies; Jazz Drummer Was 63. 23 September 1988. August 3, 2021. Nytimes.com.
