Asked to choose Duke Ellington’s most valuable sidemen, most folks would likely start with Johnny Hodges, followed by any number of the additional cavalcade of stars. Popular picks would include Harry Carney, Billy Strayhorn, Bubber Miley, Ben Webster, Cootie Williams, and others. But you know whose names probably wouldn’t appear on most lists?
The drummers.
The two longest-tenured drummers with Ellington, Sonny Greer (1924-51) and Sam Woodyard (1955-66), were defining voices of the maestro’s sound world. Innumerable masterpieces, from “Black and Tan Fantasy,” “Caravan,” and “Harlem Air Shaft” to , , and, simply would not sound the same without their profound contributions. Yet neither enjoys a reputation today commensurate with their role in shaping the sound of the band. Nor do they appear as widely celebrated as others within the brethren of big-band drummers, including Chick Webb, Jo Jones, Gene Krupa, Dave Tough, Buddy Rich, Sonny Payne, and Mel Lewis.
