Vernel Fournier

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Vernel Fournier

Vernel Fournier Anthony (* the thirtieth July 1928 in New Orleans , † 4. November 2000 in Jackson (Mississippi) ) was an American jazz - drummer . He became known for playing in the trio of pianist Ahmad Jamal .

Live and act

In his hometown of New Orleans, he began playing in marching bands like the Young Swingsters when he was ten . During this time he received lessons from New Orleans jazz drummer Sidney Montague . 1945/46 he studied at Alabama State College , where he played in student bands; in New Orleans he worked with both traditional jazz and bebop musicians . In 1946 he moved to Chicago , where he first played in King Kolax's Rhythm and Blues Band .

There he played with many Chicago musicians such as Paul Bascomb and Teddy Wilson . From 1953 to 1955 he worked as a house drummer at the Bee Hive Club on Chicago's South Side , where he accompanied traveling soloists such as Lester Young , Ben Webster , Sonny Stitt , JJ Johnson and Stan Getz . In 1957 he became a member of Ahmad Jamals Trio, which also included bassist Israel Crosby ; he stayed in the group until 1962. The trio performed in the Pershing Lounge and recorded a number of successful albums for Argo / Chess Records ; like the 1958 album Live at the Pershing and Ahmad Jamal Trio Volume IV . In his often underrated style, his subtle play with the broom was particularly noticeable.

After his departure from Jamal, Fournier became a member of George Shearing's band for two years . In the early 1960s he also worked on recordings by Sam Jones and Kenny Burrell , in 1965/66 he played again with Ahmad Jamal, and he also accompanied the singer Nancy Wilson . From 1979 he led his own trio in Chicago. In 1975 he converted to Islam and took the Muslim name Amir Rushdan.

In 1980 he moved to New York and worked with saxophonist Clifford Jordan , occasionally accompanying singers Billy Eckstine and Joe Williams and pianists John Lewis and Barry Harris . In New York he had his own trio and worked as a teacher at Barry Harris' Jazz Cultural Theater , the New School and the Mannes College of Music . In 1990 he spent two months in Japan, where he appeared in a trio with Tardo Hammer and Victor Sproles .

In 1994 he suffered a stroke, which ended his musician career, but he continued his activities as a teacher. In 1998 he moved to the state of Mississippi, where he died of a brain aneurysm in 2000 .

literature

Web links

Remarks

  1. ↑ The spelling of his first name is inconsistent in jazz literature. While the English WIKI and its sources as well as the Bielefeld catalog in the 1988 edition refer to it as Vernel , Martin Kunzler names it Vernel Fournier in the Jazz Lexicon , the Bielefeld catalog from 2000 and The Penguin Guide to Jazz Vernell Fournier . The original LP "At the Alhambra" by Ahmad Jamal calls him Vernell.
  2. ↑ Entry Tardo Hammer (AllAboutJazz)
personal data
SURNAME Fournier, Vernel
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Fournier, Vernel Anthony; Fournier, Vernell
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American jazz drummer
DATE OF BIRTH July 30, 1928
PLACE OF BIRTH New Orleans
DATE OF DEATH November 4, 2000
Place of death Jackson (Mississippi)