Jimmy Crawford (drummer)
American jazz musician
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jimmy "Craw" Crawford (January 14, 1910 – January 28, 1980)[1] was an American jazz drummer in the swing era.
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Photography by William P. Gottlieb.
Biography
Jimmy Crawford was born in Memphis, Tennessee, United States.[1] He was the drummer of the Jimmie Lunceford big band for nearly 14 years from 1928 to 1942.[1] According to Modern Drummer, Crawford "played with a strong, solid pulsation — a classic trademark of the Lunceford sound — and was a key factor in establishing the unique Lunceford beat."[2] Later, in the 1950s, Crawford worked as a pit drummer on Broadway in such productions as Jamaica (1957-8) and Donnybrook! (1961). He recorded with numerous notable artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, Sy Oliver, Bing Crosby, Benny Goodman, and Frank Sinatra.[2]
He died on January 28, 1980, in New York City.[1]
Influences
Paul Motian mentioned Crawford as one of his favorite drummers.[3]
Discography
- With Buster Bailey
- All About Memphis (Felsted, 1958)
With Count Basie
- Memories Ad-Lib (Roulette, 1958) - with Joe Williams
- String Along with Basie (Roulette, 1960)
With Kenny Burrell
- Bluesin' Around (Columbia, 1961 [1983])
With Buck Clarke
- The Buck Clarke Sound (Argo, 1963)
With Dizzy Gillespie
- Dizzy and Strings (Norgran, 1954)
- With Coleman Hawkins
- The Hawk Talks (Decca, 1952-53 [1955])
With Eddie Heywood
- Eddie Heywood (EmArcy, 1955)
With Quincy Jones
- The Birth of a Band! (Mercury, 1959)
- Quincy Plays for Pussycats (Mercury, 1959-65 [1965])