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All Music Guide:
Grady Tate is renowned as a session drummer extraordinaire, an expert in the use of the rim shot for syncopating purposes; prized for his driving, pushing, or subtle coaxing of the beat. Yet he has also displayed a warm, flexible, rhythmically agile baritone voice, which, in a reversal of the usual commercial situation, is less well-known than his drumming. He began singing at age four, impressing local Durham, NC, church and school audiences, but quit temporarily when his voice broke at age 12. Self-taught as a drummer at first, he picked up the fundamentals of jazz drumming during his hitch in the Air Force (1951-1955), and arranger Bill Berry made some vocal charts for him there. Upon his discharge, he returned to Durham to study psychology, literature, and theater at North Carolina College, before moving to Washington, D.C., in 1959 to teach high school and take up a musical career with Wild Bill Davis. A move to New York City in 1963 led to a gig with the Quincy Jones big band, and soon he caught on as a recording session drummer. His most famous records as an accompanist were made under the aegis of producer Creed Taylor, for whom he became the house drummer of choice. Tate played on many of Wes Montgomery's and Jimmy Smith's most popular recordings, as well as some by Nat Adderley, Stan Getz, Tony Bennett, Kenny Burrell, Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Goodman, Roland Kirk, Count Basie, Oscar Peterson, Duke Ellington, J.J. Johnson, and Kai Winding, among countless other artists. Arranger Gary McFarland thought enough of Tate's singing voice to record a number of vocal albums for his short-lived Skye label; yet, despite further vocal sessions for Buddah, Janus, Impulse, and a host of Japanese labels, Tate's profile as a singer has not been as high as it could have been. He returned to the American recording scene with 1991's excellent, vocal-only album for Milestone, TNT, where drummer Dennis Mackrel uses many patterns that he learned from Tate. Body and Soul followed a year later, and, in 1999, he resurfaced with Feeling Free.
Wikipedia:
Grady Tate (born January 14, 1932) is a hard bop and soul-jazz drummer and singer. He has a baritone voice. In addition to his prolific work as sideman, Tate has released many albums as leader and vocalist.
Early life
Tate was born in Hayti, Durham, North Carolina. He moved to New York City in 1963.
Career
In New York City, Tate became the drummer in Quincy Jones's band.
Grady Tate's drumming helped to define a particular hard bop, soul jazz and organ trio sound during the mid-1960s and beyond. His slick, layered and intense sound is instantly recognizable for its understated style in which he integrates his trademark subtle nuances with sharp, crisp "on top of the beat" timing (in comparison to playing slightly before, or slightly after the beat). The Grady Tate sound can be heard prominently on the many classic Jimmy Smith and Wes Montgomery albums recorded on the Verve label in the 1960s.
Grady Tate was the drummer on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for six years. During the 1970s he was a member of the New York Jazz Quartet. In 1981 he played drums and percussion Simon and Garfunkel's Concert in Central Park.
Grady Tate's popularity as choice sideman of accomplished musicians is due to his versatility and his interpretation of many different genres of music. He has played with Lionel Hampton, Jimmy Smith, Grant Green, Lena Horne, Astrud Gilberto, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Blossom Dearie, Chris Connor, Sarah Vaughan, Ray Charles, Cal Tjader, Peggy Lee, Bill Evans, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Tom Rapp, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Stanley Turrentine, Charles Earland, Quincy Jones, Stan Getz, and Wes Montgomery. One album that demonstrates Mr. Tate's mastering of several musical styles may be heard on Jimmy Smith's Go For Whatcha Know (1986), which also features a vocal track by Tate. An example of his virtuosic drumming abilities may be heard on Stan Getz's Sweet Rain (1967).
Among his most widely heard vocal performances are the songs "I Got Six", "Naughty Number Nine", and "Fireworks" from Multiplication Rock and America Rock, both part of the Schoolhouse Rock series. For the 1973 motion picture Cops And Robbers, Tate sang the title song, written by Michel Legrand and Jacques Wilson.
He has been on the faculty of Howard University since 1989.
