Byron Landham

Within the ’90s, Byron “Wookie” Landham had become recognized as among the top jazz drummers in Philadelphia, where he continues to be utilized by well-known hard bop and soul-jazz improvisers like organist/trumpeter Joey DeFrancesco as well as the later organist/pianist Shirley Scott. And Landham also offers a fine popularity beyond Philly; the non-Philadelphians who’ve used him being a sideman range between guitarists Lee Ritenour and Randy Johnston to tenor saxophonist Houston Person. Landham in addition has been utilized by the past due vocalist Betty Carter, although that association isn’t regular of his réamounté — the ambitious, risk-taking Carter acquired a popularity to be avant-garde, whereas Landham provides focused mainly on hard bop and soul-jazz. Philly is certainly Landham’s city; he was created and raised within the Pa town where he started playing the drums at age seven. Landham was still students at Olney SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL (within the city’s Olney section) when, at 17, he was employed to try out some live gigs with Shirley Scott. By enough time he was previous more than enough to vote, the drummer acquired played a number of club gigs around Philly. Landham regarded Scott a coach, and he sensed the way same manner around three Philly-based drummers who inspired his playing: Mickey Roker, Bobby Durham, and Butch Ballard. That’s not to say that each drummer who inspired Landham resided in Philly; various other drummers who acquired a direct effect on his playing included Artwork Blakey, Potential Roach, and Kenny Clarke (amongst others). Within the ’90s, Landham became a fixture in Philly jazz locations (specifically a club known as Ortlieb’s Jazzhaus) and frequently played alongside individuals who were respectable in that town — including trumpeter John Swana, pianists Orrin Evans and Sid Simmons, organist Papa John DeFrancesco (Joey DeFrancesco’s dad), and veteran tenor saxophonist Bootsie Barnes (who instructions a devoted pursuing in Philly but isn’t well-known beyond your town). Another musician Landham provides played with thoroughly is certainly Joey DeFrancesco, who utilized the drummer on many of his albums within the ’90s and early 2000s. It had been also through the ’90s that Landham’s popularity spread method beyond Philly, leading to performances on albums by Houston Person, tenor saxman Ron Holloway, guitarist Russell Malone, among others. In 1998, Landham and his sibling Robert Landham (an alto saxophonist) documented an album because the Landham Brothers: FINALLY was released in the Right Road label. Landham was still located in Philly in the first 2000s, but by that time, his playing was therefore in-demand that he was spending typically four to five weeks on the highway every year.