Billy Ward (drummer)

Billy Ward (born August 24, 1952 in Cincinnati , Ohio ) is an American jazz drummer.

Ward began playing the drums at the age of nine and had lessons from the drummer Jack Volk . At the age of fifteen he gained his first experience as a band and studio musician; two years later he attended a course with Elvin Jones , to which he attributed a formative influence on his development.

After attending high school, Ward studied classical drums for two years at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music , after which he moved to North Texas State University . After graduating, he went to New York, where he soon worked with musicians such as Jim Beard , Bill Evans , Leni Stern , B. B. King , George Russell and his Living Time Orchestra , with Jimmy Webb , Carly Simon , Richard Marx and Ace Frehley and with Bill Champlin , Robbie Robertson , Yoko Ono and Chris Whitley performed and recorded. For a year and a half he toured with the singer Joan Osborne .

Ward also gave drum courses worldwide and wrote the "Concept" articles for Modern Drummer Magazine for five years . He was awarded the Eric A Bergquist Award for his teaching activities .

Ward has worked on more than sixty albums and as many film soundtracks. In 2005 he was the drummer on B. B. Kings Grammy Award winning album 80 . He released two instructional DVDs: Big Time (2005) and Voices In My Head . His first album as a band leader, Two Hands Clapping , was named Album of the Year by Modern Drummer Magazine. In 2007 he released Out the Door , an album with recordings by his own trio.

Web links

• Homepage of Billy Ward