Butch Ballard
Butch Ballard (* as George Edward Ballard on December 26, 1918 in Camden , New Jersey , † October 1, 2011 in Philadelphia ) was an American drummer of swing and mainstream jazz . He played in Count Basie and the Duke Ellington Orchestra .
Live and act
George Edward "Butch" Ballard grew up in Frankford near Philadelphia ; the parades of the American Legion that passed his parents' house induced him to become a drummer. He started teaching when he was ten. At the age of 16 he was a member of Herb Thornton's band at the Boys Club in Philadelphia. They let him play along; in 1938 Ballard worked briefly in Louis Armstrong's band The Dukes . In 1941 he played in Cootie Williams ' orchestra, and he also appeared with Ella Fitzgerald , Sarah Vaughan , Dinah Washington and Pearl Bailey .
During World War II, Ballard served in the Navy and played in a military band. After the war he first returned to Philadelphia, then he went to New York and worked with saxophonist Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis , Eddie Vinson , Arnett Cobb and Clark Terry . He met drummer Shadow Wilson , who played in Count Basie's orchestra. In the late 1940s, Wilson left Basie's orchestra and proposed Ballard as his successor. In 1950 Duke Ellington invited him to play in his band on his European tour to replace the drummer Sonny Greer , who threatened to drop out because of his alcoholism. After the tour, Ellington asked him if he wanted to play permanently in the band, but Ballard declined because he did not want to change his drum style. Ellington wanted a drummer who used two bass drums and hired Louis Bellson instead . Ballard played again with the Ellington Orchestra in 1952/53 and was also involved in recordings such as Satin Doll .
In the 1960s, Ballard led its own formation in Philadelphia. In his career he also played with John Coltrane , Fats Waller , Freddie Green , Sweets Edison , Clark Terry , Emmett Berry , Willie Cook , Cat Anderson , Arnett Cobb , Lucky Millinder , Bootsie Barnes , Bob Dorsey , Eddy Vincent and Mercer Ellington .
In the mid-1980s, Ballard worked as a music teacher; In 2006 Ballard received the Mellon Jazz Community Award for his life's work and his contribution to the promotion of young talent. He died in 2011 at the Cheltenham-York Road Nursing Center in Philadelphia.
Web links
literature
- Richard Cook , Brian Morton : The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD . 6th edition. Penguin, London 2002, ISBN 0-14-051521-6 .
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Ballard, Butch |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Ballard, George Edward (maiden name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American jazz drummer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 26, 1918 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Camden , New Jersey |
| DATE OF DEATH | October 1, 2011 |
| Place of death | Philadelphia |