December 15, 1931 – March 15, 1988

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Drummer Dannie Richmond was born December 15, 1931 in New York City.

Originally a tenor-saxophonist who in 1955 when he was 13 played with Paul Williams’ r&b band, Richmond was taught drums by Charles Mingus during 1956-57 when the bassist realized that he needed a more flexible drummer who could handle fast tempos and sudden changes in the music.

Richmond was perfect for Mingus, appearing on most of his recordings from 1957 on, becoming an indispensable part of his band.

Dannie Richmond also recorded with Herbie Nichols, Chet Baker, Zoot Sims, Booker Ervin, and Duke Jordan, and led a few sessions of his own, becoming a member of the Don Pullen-George Adams Quartet and Mingus Dynasty after Mingus’ passing.

This exciting version of “Meditations On Integration” from 1964 features Dannie Richmond as a member of one of Charles Mingus’ greatest bands, his sextet with Eric Dolphy (featuring on bass clarinet and flute), tenor-saxophonist Clifford Jordan, trumpeter Johnny Coles and pianist Jaki Byard.

-Scott Yanow

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