Paul Humphrey
Encyclopedia
Paul Nelson Humphrey is an American jazz
and funk/R+B drummer.
He worked as a session drummer in the 1960s for jazz artists such as Wes Montgomery
, Les McCann
, Kai Winding
, Charles Mingus
, Lee Konitz
, Blue Mitchell
and Gene Ammons
.
As a bandleader, he recorded under the name Paul Humphrey and the Cool Aid Chemists, with Clarence MacDonald, David T. Walker, and Bill Upchurch. In 1971, this ensemble had two hits, "Cool Aid" (US #29, US Black Singles #14) and "Funky L.A." (US Black Singles #45). He also recorded an album as head of the Paul Humphrey Sextet in 1981.
Mr. Humphrey was the drummer on Marvin Gaye's album "Let's Get It On".
He also recorded with a divergent list of artists such as Steely Dan, Frank Zappa, Jerry Garcia, Jimmy Smith, The Four Tops, Al Kooper, Jackie DeShannon, Natalie Cole, Albert King, Quincy Jones, Dusty Springfield, Jean-Luc Ponty, Michael Franks, Maria Muldaur, and so on.
Humphrey also was the featured drummer for both the Lawrence Welk
orchestra and television show
from 1976 to 1982. He and his wife Joan are the parents of two children, Pier and Damien, who appeared with their father on the Welk show's annual Christmas episode.
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and funk/R+B drummer.
He worked as a session drummer in the 1960s for jazz artists such as Wes Montgomery
Wes Montgomery
John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery was an American jazz guitarist. He is widely considered one of the major jazz guitarists, emerging after such seminal figures as Django Reinhardt and Charlie Christian and influencing countless others, including Pat Martino, George Benson, Russell Malone, Emily...
, Les McCann
Les McCann
Les McCann is an American soul jazz piano player and vocalist whose biggest successes came as a crossover artist into R&B and soul.-Biography:...
, Kai Winding
Kai Winding
Kai Chresten Winding was a popular Danish-born American trombonist and jazz composer. He is well known for a successful collaboration with fellow trombonist J. J. Johnson.-Biography:...
, Charles Mingus
Charles Mingus
Charles Mingus Jr. was an American jazz musician, composer, bandleader, and civil rights activist.Mingus's compositions retained the hot and soulful feel of hard bop and drew heavily from black gospel music while sometimes drawing on elements of Third stream, free jazz, and classical music...
, Lee Konitz
Lee Konitz
Lee Konitz is an American jazz composer and alto saxophonist born in Chicago, Illinois.Generally considered one of the driving forces of Cool Jazz, Konitz has also performed successfully in bebop and avant-garde settings...
, Blue Mitchell
Blue Mitchell
Richard Allen Mitchell was an American jazz, rhythm and blues, soul, rock, and funk trumpeter, known for many albums recorded as leader and sideman for Riverside, Blue Note and then Mainstream Records.-Biography:...
and Gene Ammons
Gene Ammons
Eugene "Jug" Ammons also known as "The Boss," was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, and the son of boogie-woogie pianist Albert Ammons.-Biography:...
.
As a bandleader, he recorded under the name Paul Humphrey and the Cool Aid Chemists, with Clarence MacDonald, David T. Walker, and Bill Upchurch. In 1971, this ensemble had two hits, "Cool Aid" (US #29, US Black Singles #14) and "Funky L.A." (US Black Singles #45). He also recorded an album as head of the Paul Humphrey Sextet in 1981.
Mr. Humphrey was the drummer on Marvin Gaye's album "Let's Get It On".
He also recorded with a divergent list of artists such as Steely Dan, Frank Zappa, Jerry Garcia, Jimmy Smith, The Four Tops, Al Kooper, Jackie DeShannon, Natalie Cole, Albert King, Quincy Jones, Dusty Springfield, Jean-Luc Ponty, Michael Franks, Maria Muldaur, and so on.
Humphrey also was the featured drummer for both the Lawrence Welk
Lawrence Welk
Lawrence Welk was an American musician, accordionist, bandleader, and television impresario, who hosted The Lawrence Welk Show from 1955 to 1982...
orchestra and television show
The Lawrence Welk Show
The Lawrence Welk Show is an American televised musical variety show hosted by big band leader Lawrence Welk. The series aired locally in Los Angeles for four years , then nationally for another 27 years via the ABC network and first-run syndication .In the years since first-run syndication...
from 1976 to 1982. He and his wife Joan are the parents of two children, Pier and Damien, who appeared with their father on the Welk show's annual Christmas episode.
As leader
- Paul Humphrey and the Cool Aid Chemists (Lizard Records, 1969) US #170, US Black Albums #31
- Detroit b/w Cool Aid (Lizard Records, 1969) 45 rpm, 2:31
- America, Wake Up (Blue Thumb RecordsBlue Thumb RecordsBlue Thumb Records was an American record label founded in 1968 by Bob Krasnow, along with former A&M Records executives Tommy LiPuma and Don Graham. Krasnow had been in the record business for a number of years, working as a promotion man for King Records and also working for Buddah/Kama Sutra...
, 1973) - Paul Humphrey Sextet (Discovery RecordsDiscovery RecordsDiscovery Records was a United States-based record label known for its recordings of jazz music.Discovery was founded in 1948 by jazz fan and promoter Albert Marx...
, 1981)
As sideman
With Mel BrownMel Brown
Mel Brown was an American-born blues guitarist.Brown was nominated for a Juno Award in both 2001 and 2002.Brown, a long-time smoker, died aged 69, on March 20, 2009, in Kitchener, Ontario, of complications from emphysema....
- Chicken FatChicken Fat (album)Chicken Fat is the debut album by American blues guitarist Mel Brown recorded in 1967 for the Impulse! label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Sean Westergaard awarded the album 4 stars stating "Guitarist Mel Brown is hailed as "An Impulse! Discovery" on Chicken Fat, his debut for the label, and...
(Impulse!, 1967)