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Bernard Purdie: Letting The Drums Speak
I’ve got some good people working with me. You’ve got to get folks that you trust. That’s been the biggest thing. That’s been the biggest part of this whole career.
—Bernard Purdie
Steely Dan
band / ensemble / orchestrab.1972
Aretha Franklin
vocals1942 - 2018
James Brown
vocals1933 - 2006
Bernard Purdie
drumsb.1939
George Freeman
pianob.1980
All About Jazz: People are familiar with your legendary body of studio recordings, however I'd like to discuss your work with the
George Freeman
pianob.1980
Bernard Purdie
drumsb.1939
Bernard Purdie: That's what it was last night, but 3 months ago it was the opposite—it was
George Freeman
pianob.1980
AAJ: The shows you did at the Green Mill and the Tonic Room, are these the only times that you've performed with this line up?
BP: The only time I performed with those four guys, yes, but I had done things with George several times over the years. I hadn't seen him or worked together in a few years. We just picked up where we left off. That's what it felt like to us.
AAJ: Saxophonist
Von Freeman
saxophone, tenor1922 - 2012
BP: Yeah—I'm going back quite a few years. Yes! I sat in with him a couple of times.
AAJ: That leads to my next question—what do you feel when you play with George? Can you describe that connection?
BP: George has his own style. He's always had it, and if you REALLY want to play with him you've got to join him. He's a very forceful player and he wants what he wants and that's what he does. There's not a thing wrong with that. And people understand. He'll go along with the feel of the people. That's part of the job. He's been a front man for a long time and it's always good. He hasn't forgotten that.
AAJ: Do you have any plans to go into the studio with this group?
BP: That's what I'm discussing with
Mike Allemana
guitarb.1969
AAJ: That's very interesting. Do you have any more gigs lined up for this group in Chicago or elsewhere?
BP: ...just the recording and we have to find a time. And the time for me is not going to be before the fall or winter. I'm basically concentrating on the release of the book right now. Basically I'm booked for the next three or four months, every weekend. So, it's kind of hard just to step out of things. The last two or three months I have been focused on finishing the book, and I'm very happy.
AAJ: Can you talk about the book?
BP: Sure. The book is about me, my upbringing in Maryland and how I've focused on the things that I needed to do and all the people that helped me along the way. I'm just super pleased because this was a big job. The nicest part is that a third of the book is about my childhood, my upbringing. It lets people know where I'm coming from and why I wanted to focus on this instead of all the different artists that I've worked with. I've worked with twenty two hundred different artists. I know this, it was part of my research. So, yes, this was a major task, but the beauty of it is that I go along with so many different folks and I got to speak to them before so many of them passed on. It was a good thing for me. Staying focused with it was the hard part, because I still had to do a lot of work. I was still working as a player. But, I had three straight years, two days a week putting stuff down for the book. It gave me the foundation of where everything is and where I'm going to go. And I'm very pleased.
AAJ: When is the official release date?
BP: The actual release date is October. I just saw the cover last week and I'm making some changes. We now have 18 pages of pictures in the book. Fine details. That was the hardest part. Fine, fine details.
AAJ: Can you talk about some of the details?
BP: We had to make decisions. See, this is really not one book, it's really two books. Besides a bio it's a discography as well. That's why it was so hard for me. I had to go back over so many records, I had to research. I had to do a lot of details, and it had to be right. That really was the hard part.
AAJ: Well, wonderful. I'm looking forward to reading this biography. Is there anything else you want to mention about working with George Freeman or your book?
BP: Like I said, we are definitely on the same page. We are going to do some more work together, and we very soon are going to make sure that we do a record.
AAJ: Wonderful.
BP: I am also working with some people that want to do a documentary, so I can talk about that once the book is out...Bam! Then I can move on to the next step, the next phase of where we're going, which will be the documentary.
AAJ: Kind of, uh, whet people's appetites? Keep them wanting more?
BP: That'll do it! I'm going to stay on this trend as long as I can. As long as the man keeps me healthy I'm just going to continue playing. I just want to play. I don't want to settle down and settle into business, I still want to play. I've got some good people working with me. You've got to get folks that you trust. That's been the biggest thing. That's been the biggest part of this whole career.
Sketch by Robert Elchert
Tags
Bernard Purdie
Catching Up With
Ben Scholz
United States
Illinois
Chicago
steely dan
Aretha Franklin
BB King
James Brown
George Freeman
George Freeman
Green Mill
Tonic Room
Von Freeman
Mike [Allemana]
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