Mickey Roker

b. 3 Sept 1932, Miami, Florida, USA. Elevated in Philadelphia, Pa, Roker performed drums with R&B rings but was drawn to jazz. He worked well briefly with such going to and regional jazzmen as Jimmy Heath, Lee Morgan and McCoy Tyner and it had been not before end from the 50s that he visited NYC. During the following couple of years he performed in rings led by Gigi Gryce, Ray Bryant, Duke Pearson, Artwork Farmer, Sonny Rollins, Milt Jackson, Clifford Jordan and Morgan. He was for some time inside your home music group at Blue Notice Records and performed on many times. In 1971 he started an extended association with Dizzy Gillespie that lasted through all of those other decade. Freelancing within the 80s has taken him into organizations led by Oscar Peterson, Ray Bryant, Zoot Sims, Jackson and Ray Dark brown. A forceful, powerful drummer, Roker’s design can be rooted in golf swing but gets the immediate attack of the greatest from the beboppers.