DONALD BAILEY

Donald “Duck” Bailey has helped define the pulse of jazz for more than five decades. Oddly, you're unlikely to find his name listed among fellow trap set innovators; but there is no doubt about Bailey's far-reaching and enduring influence, which dates back to his nine-year tenure with Hammond B3 legend Jimmy Smith from 1956-64. Bailey didn't just help cement the B3, guitar and drums as the definitive instrumentation of the organ combo; he created a trap set vocabulary that gave Smith plenty of room to lay down fat, pedal-generated bass lines while expertly driving the thrilling crescendos that made Smith such a dynamic performer. The generations of musicians who came up in Bailey's wake have all received potent and enduring musical wisdom from the drummer via his work with Jimmy Smith, and he's still got plenty to teach. Bailey's handpicked band for this set includes pianist George Burton, bassist Tyrone Brown, read more...