A brief historical overview The Commandments of R&B Drumming: A Comprehensive Guide to Soul, Funk and Hip Hop "Going Back to Miami"Miami had a scene of its own that flourished for a while with Criteria Studios at the center of it all. Criteria became Atlantic Records headquarters south. It became the hot spot to cut records and had a serious vibe happening. Aretha Franklin cut most of the tracks for her classic Young, Gifted & Black album (1971, Atlantic), Brooke Benton cut "Rainy Night in Georgia," and The Bee Gees recorded their portion of the Saturday Night Fever (1977, RSO) soundtrack there with Welsh drummer Dennis Byron. Prompted by Atlantic's Jerry Wexler, keyboardist Jim Dickinson put together a group of smokin' studio musicians called The Dixie Flyers. The lineup included Sammy "Beaver" Creason on drums, Tommy McClure on bass, Charlie Freeman and sometimes Duane Allman on guitars and Mike Utley as well as Jim Dickinson himself on keyboards. They collaborated as a rhythm section and brought their swamp southern funk thang to Aretha Franklin's Spirit In The Dark album (1970, Atlantic) and many of the hits that the studio pumped out. Artists ranging from Dr. John to The Allman Brothers created some of their best work in Miami.
Known as "the grandfathers of groove," the early studio legends of the 1950s and 60s were the forefathers of modern time keeping in rhythm & blues. To hear them at their best is nothing short of a "born again" religious experience. Collectively the following gentlemen set the laws of groovity in motion for all future generations. Among the many outstanding drummers were Chicago blues pioneers like Fred Below, Odie Payne Jr., Al Duncan, S.P. Leary, and Clifton James. The majority of their innovative drumming can be heard on the groundbreaking work of Chicago's Chess Records. Chess was one of the most important labels of the 1950s and was responsible for the world popularity of blues and early rock n' roll. The timeless tracks these drummers played bridged the gap between acoustic and electric blues and helped to give birth to rock n' roll. Collectively they worked with such blues and rock inventors as Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Willie Dixon, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, Sonny Boy Williamson, John Lee Hooker, Elmore James, Otis Rush, Lightnin' Hopkins, Buddy Guy, Jimmy Rodgers, and Little Walter. Other prominent drummers for Chess and the era included; Elgie Edmonds, Earl Phillips, Francis Clay, Baby Face Foster, Sammy Lewis, Junior Blackman, and Sam Lay. You can hear all of these drummers and several others on the various classic 1950s and 60s recordings from the Chess Records catalog. There are three phenomenal separate box sets that are a great place to start your drumming history lessons: Chess Blues, Chess Rhythm & Roll, and Chess Soul.
Charli Persip added his jazz touch with Louis Jordan and Ray Charles. Fifties session king David "Panama" Francis was a studio legend in his own time through his varied work with such artists as James Brown, Solomon Burke, Ray Charles, Chuck Willis, LaVern Baker, Big Joe Turner, Little Willie John and just about everyone else in early rhythm and blues, he was the most recorded drummer of the 1950s. Another studio monster from the same era was Connie Kay who worked with such R&B dignitaries as The Clovers, La Vern Baker, Ruth Brown, Ray Charles, Clyde McPhatter, Big Joe Turner and a host of others. He was also a member of The Modern Jazz Quartet. Gene Chrisman, though most known for his work with country artists made his mark on several great R&B recordings with King Curtis, Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett and even Elvis Presley. Gary Chester did countless recordings in the late 50s and 60s and played on many R&B standards by The Drifters, Ben E. King, LaVern Baker, Solomon Burke, The Isley Brothers, Barbara Lewis and The Coasters. Ted Sommer did his thing with Solomon Burke and Ray Charles. Quinton Joseph hit several grand slams with Joe Tex, Curtis Mayfield, Tyrone Davis, Jackie Wilson, Little Richard, Natalie Cole, The Staple Singers and Aretha Franklin. Howard Grimes made some excellent recordings with Carla Thomas, Al Green and William Bell. Ray Lucas made an indelible mark through his sensitive work with Roberta Flack, King Curtis, Aretha Franklin and Donny Hathaway. An astonishing amount of innovative drumming talent came out of the often neglected and overlooked early rhythm and blues and soul era of music. Together these truly gifted masters of time changed drumming forever. These are just a few of the drumming wonders of the world who are seldom mentioned or acknowledged for their incredible contributions. Given their relevance to the advancement of modern drumming, their lack of notoriety and respect should be considered a capital offense. Along with previously mentioned giants of soul drumming, each of these drummers played a part in soul musicÕs rich history. We are fortunate enough to partake of the glorious treasures they left behind anytime we want to sit in awe and listen. For a journey through the legacy of music they left behind, pick up the six-disc box set entitled "The R&B Box: 30 Years of Rhythm and Blues" (1994, Rhino Records). Each song helps to tell the story of R&B's golden era from 1947-1977. This is truly an aural experience that even the most prolific journalist could never quite describe. It's awesome!!! This was a brilliant chapter in American music history, a time of genuine and heartfelt emotion, where men and women performed with pride and passion. |
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Sammy
Creason also played drums with Sam & Dave, Wilson Pickett,
Lulu and countless others while in Miami and was a big part of
the Memphis 60s scene. There he often subbed for the great Al
Jackson Jr. on numerous sessions for Stax, Hi and American Records.
In the 1970s Miami was home to the highly successful danceable
soul label T.K. Records, owned by legendary R&B entrepreneur
Henry Stone. Some of his hit makers included K.C. & the Sunshine
Band, Foxy, Peter Brown, Little Beaver, George McCrae, Anita Ward
and Betty Wright, most of whom were extremely popular on the dance
floor during that time. The late Robert Johnson had a great dance
groove if there ever was one; during his heyday he was the studio
king of the Miami funk scene. He was a member of K.C. & the
Sunshine Band and played drums on all their hit material as well
as many of the the other hits by the other T.K. Recording artists. 
For a less
expensive way to investigate this music check out the Chess
50th anniversary individual CD compilations on Muddy Waters,
Bo Diddley, Willie Dixon, and Chuck Berry or Blues Masters:
The Essential Collection series by Rhino Records. Each of these
men played a pivotal role in the development and advancement
of early blues and rock n' roll drumming. And as we previously
discussed, one of soul music's biggest influences was the blues.
It's imperative to study these drummers and the music they played
to get a full understanding of the impact and connection to
all styles of music that followed. 
