Bernard Purdie facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bernard Purdie
|
|
|---|---|
Purdie in 2020
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Bernard Lee Purdie |
| Also known as |
|
| Born | June 11, 1939 Elkton, Maryland, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Drums |
| Years active | 1958–present |
| Labels | |
Bernard Lee "Pretty" Purdie (born June 11, 1939) is an American drummer. He is a very important musician in R&B, soul, funk, and jazz music. Purdie is famous for his super accurate timing and his special drum beat called the "Purdie shuffle." This unique beat uses triplets against a half-time backbeat. In 2013, he was honored by being added to the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame.
Purdie recorded his own album, Soul Drums, in 1968. He also recorded Alexander's Ragtime Band, but it was not released until later. Other albums where he was the main artist include Purdie Good! (1971) and Soul Is... Pretty Purdie (1972). He also created the music for the movie Lialeh (1973). In the mid-1990s, he played with a group called the 3B's.
Contents
Bernard Purdie's Early Life and Career
Bernard Purdie was born on June 11, 1939, in Elkton, Maryland. He was the 11th of 15 children in his family. From a young age, he loved hitting cans with sticks. He learned how to play drums by listening to lessons given by Leonard Heywood. Later, he took lessons from Heywood and played in his big band. Other drummers who inspired Purdie included Papa Jo Jones and Buddy Rich.
In 1961, Purdie moved to New York City. There, he started playing music sessions with different artists. He also visited the Turf Club, a place where musicians and agents met to find work. During this time, he played for saxophonist Buddy Lucas. Lucas gave him the nickname 'Mississippi Bigfoot'. Soon after, he was hired to play drums for many recording sessions.
Working with Music Legends
Bernard Purdie played with many famous musicians throughout his career. In 1965, he played a session with James Brown. He is credited on James Brown's albums like Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud (1969).
Purdie became the musical director for Aretha Franklin in 1970. He worked with her for five years. He also played drums for Franklin's opening act, saxophonist King Curtis and the King Pins. In 1971, he performed with both bands at the Fillmore West. These live performances were released as albums. His most famous song with Aretha Franklin was "Rock Steady". He described the beat he played on that song as "funky and low down." He said playing with Franklin felt like "floating in seventh heaven."
Purdie also played drums for the 2009 Broadway show Hair. He appeared on the album recorded for the show. In 2016, he received an honorary doctorate in music from Five Towns College. In September 2024, Purdie received the first "Lifetime Achievement Award" at the UK Drum Show in Liverpool.
Encounter Records: Purdie's Own Label
Bernard Purdie started his own record label called Encounter Records in 1973. Through this label, he released several albums. These albums featured other talented musicians and helped share their music with the world.
Bernard Purdie's Drumming Style
Bernard Purdie is known as a "groove drummer." This means he creates rhythms that make you want to move. He has amazing timing and uses precise backbeats. His special hi-hat sound, "pish-ship, pish-ship," is very unique.
He often mixes different music styles like swing, blues, and funk. Purdie created a very famous drum beat called the "Purdie Half-Time Shuffle." This is a blues shuffle with extra quiet notes on the snare drum. You can hear similar shuffle beats in songs like Led Zeppelin's "Fool in the Rain" and Toto's "Rosanna" (also known as the "Rosanna shuffle"). Purdie himself played this shuffle on Steely Dan's songs "Babylon Sisters" and "Home At Last."
Bernard Purdie's Albums
As the Main Artist
- Soul Drums (1967)
- Purdie Good! (1971)
- Stand by Me (Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get) (1972)
- Soul Is... Pretty Purdie (1972)
- Shaft (1973)
- Lialeh (Original Movie Soundtrack) (1974)
- Delights of the Garden (1975)
- Purdie as a Picture (1993)
- Bernard Purdie's Jazz Groove Sessions in Tokyo (1993)
- Coolin' 'N Groovin' (A Night At 'On-Air') (1993)
- After Hours with the 3B's (1993)
- Soothin' 'N Groovin' With the 3B's (1994)
- The Hudson River Rats (1995)
- Fatback! The Jazz Funk Masters Featuring Bernard Purdie (1995)
- Kick 'N Jazz (1996)
- Soul to Jazz I (1996)
- Soul to Jazz II (1997)
- In the Pocket (1997)
- Get It While You Can (1999)
- The Masters of Groove Meet Dr. No (2001)
- King of the Beat (2001)
- Purdie Good Cookin' (2003)
- The Godfathers of Groove (2007)
- The Godfathers of Groove 3 (2009)
- Jersey Blue (2009)
- Selling It Like It Is (2013)
- Cool Down (2018)
See also
In Spanish: Bernard Purdie para niños
