Chris Parker (musician)

Last updated

Chris Parker
Birth nameChristopher Parker
Born1950 (age 7374)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Genres Jazz fusion, smooth jazz, crossover jazz, jazz
Occupation(s)Musician
Instrument(s)Drums
Years active1970s–present

Christopher Parker (born 1950) [1] [2] is an American jazz/jazz fusion drummer.

Contents

Biography

Early life

Born in Chicago and raised in New York City, Parker is the oldest of five sons born to Dorothy Daniels and artist Robert Andrew Parker, all but one of whom went on to play drums professionally. [1] [2]

During his childhood, his father, himself an amateur jazz drummer, attached wooden blocks to the hi-hat and bass drum pedals, so that Parker's feet could reach the pedals to play the drums along with records. His father introduced him to the music of Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Leadbelly, Ray Charles, Woody Herman, Count Basie, Lionel Hampton, Bix Beiderbecke, Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington. As a teenager, however, Parker began seeing the appeal of rock and roll and R&B, as he practiced with friends and listened to drummers like Roger Hawkins, D. J. Fontana and Al Jackson, Jr., as well as New Orleans icons such as Earl Palmer, Smokey Johnson and James Black. [3]

Simultaneously pursuing his interest in art, Parker attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture and subsequently received a scholarship to New York City's School of Visual Arts. [1] It was while there that Parker's decisive pivot to music occurred, in the form of a "Drummer wanted" ad in Rolling Stone Magazine , which, in turn, led him to Woodstock, New York, where he joined a band called Holy Moses. Although the band survived scarcely long enough to record one album, Parker opted to remain in Woodstock, working at local venues with music icons such as Paul Butterfield's Better Days, Bonnie Raitt, Tim Hardin, Rick Danko, Mike Bloomfield and Merl Saunders. [3]

Musical career

Four years later he played in a band called Encyclopedia of Soul, which later on became known as Stuff, with bassist Gordon Edwards, guitarists Cornell Dupree and Eric Gale, and keyboardist Richard Tee. Later on, in the same band, he shared his drum with another rising star, Steve Gadd. It was during this period that Parker co-founded the Brecker Brothers, led by Michael and Randy Brecker and featuring Buzzy Feiten, David Sanborn, Don Grolnick, Steve Khan, and Will Lee. Parker toured and recorded three albums with the group, and over the years has performed and recorded with artists such as James Brown, Miles Davis, Aretha Franklin, Ashford & Simpson, Patti Austin, Cher, Michael Bolton, Quincy Jones, Freddie Hubbard and Salt n' Pepa. [3]

In 1986, Parker was invited to be a part of Saturday Night Live and served there six years. In 1988, he became a member of Bob Dylan's touring band, which included G.E. Smith, later SNL's music director. [4] Parker played on Donald Fagen's Kamakiriad album, which was nominated for (but did not win) the 1993 Grammy Award for Album of the Year.

Discography

With Joe Beck

With Stephen Bishop

With Bonnie Raitt

With Sinéad O'Connor

With Cher

With Candi Staton

With Aretha Franklin

With Melanie

With Michael Bolton

With Bruce Cockburn

With Robert Palmer

With Judy Collins

With Melba Moore

With Natalie Cole

With Phoebe Snow

With Loudon Wainwright III

With Chaka Khan

With Irene Cara

With Teddy Pendergrass

With Art Garfunkel

With Elvis Costello

With Barry Manilow

With Donald Fagen

With Michael Franks

With Patricia Kaas

With Laura Nyro

With Maria Muldaur

With Mark Murphy

With Jackie Lomax

With Don McLean

With Taeko Ohnuki

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Babbitt</span> American bassist (1937–2012)

Robert Andrew Kreinar, known as Bob Babbitt, was an American bassist, most famous for his work as a member of Motown Records' studio band, the Funk Brothers, from 1966 to 1972, as well as his tenure as part of MFSB for Philadelphia International Records afterwards. Also in 1968, with Mike Campbell, Ray Monette and Andrew Smith, he formed the band Scorpion, which lasted until 1970. He is ranked number 59 on Bass Player magazine's list of "The 100 Greatest Bass Players of All Time".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donald Fagen</span> American musician

Donald Jay Fagen is an American musician who was the co-founder, lead singer, co-songwriter, and keyboardist of the band Steely Dan, formed in the early 1970s with musical partner Walter Becker. In addition to his work with Steely Dan, Fagen has released four solo albums, beginning with The Nightfly in 1982, which was nominated for seven Grammys.

<i>Kamakiriad</i> 1993 studio album by Donald Fagen

Kamakiriad is the second solo album by Steely Dan artist Donald Fagen, released in 1993. It was his first collaboration with Steely Dan partner Walter Becker since 1986, on Rosie Vela's album Zazu. Becker played guitar and bass and produced the album. The album is a futuristic, optimistic eight-song cycle about the journey of the narrator in his high-tech car, the Kamakiri. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Album of the Year 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larry Grenadier</span> American jazz double bassist

Larry Grenadier is an American jazz double bassist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Payne</span> American pianist (born 1949)

William H. Payne is an American pianist who, with Lowell George, co-founded the American rock band Little Feat. He is considered by many other rock pianists, including Elton John, to be one of the finest American piano rock and blues musicians. In addition to his trademark barrelhouse blues piano, he is noted for his work on the Hammond B3 organ. Payne is an accomplished songwriter whose credits include "Oh, Atlanta". Following the death of Little Feat drummer Richie Hayward on August 12, 2010, Payne is the only member of the group from the original four-piece line-up currently playing in the band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Lindley (musician)</span> American musician (1944–2023)

David Perry Lindley was an American musician who founded the rock band El Rayo-X and worked with many other performers including Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, Ry Cooder, Bonnie Raitt, Warren Zevon, Curtis Mayfield and Dolly Parton. He mastered such a wide variety of instruments that Acoustic Guitar magazine referred to him not as a multi-instrumentalist but instead as a "maxi-instrumentalist." On stage, Lindley was known for wearing garishly colored polyester shirts with clashing pants, gaining the nickname the Prince of Polyester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pete Thomas (drummer)</span> British musician

Peter Michael Thomas is an English rock drummer best known for his collaboration with singer Elvis Costello, both as a member of his band the Attractions and with Costello as a solo artist. Besides his lengthy career as a studio musician and touring drummer, he has been a member of the band Squeeze during the 1990s and a member of the supergroup Works Progress Administration during the early 2000s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victor Feldman</span> English jazz musician (1934–1987)

Victor Stanley Feldman was an English jazz musician who played mainly piano, vibraphone, and percussion. He began performing professionally during childhood, eventually earning acclaim in the UK jazz scene as an adult. Feldman emigrated to the United States in the mid-1950s, where he continued working in jazz and also as a session musician with a variety of pop and rock performers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anton Fig</span> South African drummer

Anton Fig, also known as "The Thunder from Down Under", is a South African session drummer, perhaps best known as the drummer and second-in-command for Paul Shaffer and the World's Most Dangerous Band. David Letterman, for whom the band served as house band on his late-night talk shows, often referred to Fig as "Anton Zip" or "Buddy Rich Jr." Fig is also well known for his work with Kiss, Ace Frehley and Joe Bonamassa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mickey Curry</span> American drummer

Michael Timothy Curry is an American drummer. He has collaborated with singer-songwriter Bryan Adams since the early 1980s, but has also worked with Hall & Oates, Cher, Tina Turner, Alice Cooper, David Bowie, Elvis Costello, Sam Phillips, Tom Waits, Survivor, The Cult and Steve Jones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Jordan (drummer)</span> American producer, musical director and musician

Steve Jordan is an American musical director, producer, songwriter, and musician. Currently, he is the drummer for The Rolling Stones. During the 1970s and 1980s, he was a member of the bands for the television shows Saturday Night Live and Late Night with David Letterman.

Howard "Buzz" Feiten II is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, session musician, and luthier. He is best known as a lead and rhythm guitarist and for having patented a tuning system for guitars and similar instruments. Feiten also manufactures and markets solid-body electric guitars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abraham Laboriel</span> Mexican-American bassist (born 1947)

Abraham Laboriel López is a Mexican-American bassist who has played on over 4,000 recordings and soundtracks. Guitar Player magazine called him "the most widely used session bassist of our time". Laboriel is the father of drummer Abe Laboriel Jr. and of producer, songwriter, and film composer Mateo Laboriel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Will Lee (bassist)</span> American bassist (born - September 8th 1952)

Will Lee is an American bassist known for his work on the Late Show with David Letterman as part of the CBS Orchestra and before that "The World's Most Dangerous Band" when Letterman hosted the NBC "Late Night" show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ralph MacDonald</span> American musician (1944–2011)

Ralph Anthony MacDonald was an American percussionist, steelpan virtuoso, songwriter, musical arranger, and record producer.

Don Grolnick was an American jazz pianist, composer, and record producer. He was a member of the groups Steps Ahead and Dreams, both with Michael Brecker, and played often with the Brecker Brothers. As a session musician, he recorded with John Scofield, Billy Cobham, Roberta Flack, Harry Chapin, Dave Holland, Bette Midler, Marcus Miller, Bob Mintzer, Linda Ronstadt, David Sanborn, Carly Simon, J. D. Souther, Steely Dan, and James Taylor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Berrios</span> American jazz musician

Steve Berrios was an American jazz drummer and percussionist born in New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barry Beckett</span> American keyboardist, session musician, record producer, and studio founder

Barry Edward Beckett was an American keyboardist, session musician, record producer, and studio founder. He is best known for his work with David Hood, Jimmy Johnson, and Roger Hawkins, his bandmates in the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, which performed with numerous notable artists on their studio albums and helped define the "Muscle Shoals sound".

Lawrence Benjamin Bunker was an American jazz drummer, vibraphonist, and percussionist. A member of the Bill Evans Trio in the mid-1960s, he also played timpani with the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra.

Paul Griffin was an American pianist and session musician who recorded with hundreds of musicians from the 1950s to the 1990s.

References

  1. 1 2 3 About Chris: Chris Parker, Artist and Musician. Art Lampoon. Retrieved March 10, 2024. "Born in Chicago in 1950, Chris Parker is the son of painter Robert Andrew Parker and Dorothy Parker. The oldest of five boys, Chris grew up painting alongside his father. At age 12, Chris competed in the Silvermine Artists’ Guild’s show and won the Laura M. Gross Prize for his watercolor of “The Charge of the Light Brigade,” presented to him by Thomas Messer, the longtime curator and director of the Guggenheim. At 14, Chris was invited to the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, studying with the pre-eminent artists in residency there, and became intrigued with plein air painting in oil and watercolor. Chris was invited back to Skowhegan for a junior residency at 16 and at the end of that residency was awarded a prize for greatest growth and development. Awarded a full scholarship to the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York City at the age of 17, Chris studied there under such artistic luminaries as Eva Hesse, Malcolm Morley and Brice Marden while pursuing a degree in Fine Arts."
  2. 1 2 Sandomir, Richard (January 12, 2024). "Robert Andrew Parker, 96, Artist and Illustrator for 70 Years, Dies at 96". The New York Times. p. B6. ProQuest   2925324377. After serving in the Army Air Corps as an airplane and engine mechanic, he enrolled at the Art Institute of Chicago and graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1952. He then moved to New York City, where one of his prints was included in an exhibition of young artists at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He taught art for a few years at the New York School for the Deaf, studied for a summer at the Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture and built his printmaking skills at the Atelier 17 studio. [...] He is survived by his sons, Christopher, Anthony, Eric and Nicholas, all of whom play drums professionally, and Geoffrey, an artist, and by six grandchildren. His first marriage, to Dorothy Daniels, ended in divorce.
  3. 1 2 3 "Chris Parker". Drummerworld . Retrieved July 23, 2013.
  4. Smith, G.E. (October 23, 2017). "On touring with Bob Dylan while still working at Saturday Night Live; on working with and getting to know Bob Dylan". American Academy of Television. emmytvlegends.org. Retrieved July 17, 2018.