Sir John Godfrey

Names could be deceiving, especially types with ‘Sir” in leading. This artist’s name could make him appear to be a member from the United kingdom royalty, however in reality, Sir John Godfrey can be an obscure drummer who exercised of Harlem in the ’40s and ’50s. Just like the jazz genre itself, concurrently too much rather than enough is well known about the person. It’s possible, for example, to learn what road he resided on as a man — Western world 128th, that’s — however, not what element of America he originated from, or why people loved to make reference to him being a royal persona. He didn’t drum on that lots of recordings, evidently, but he’s the type of personality who arises in personal accounts from the Harlem picture. The regal drummer’s initial commercial release appears to have been a 1947 work under the music group name of Bop Jackson’s Dukes of Tempo. Godfrey was 20-years-old at that time; he was among the two songwriters acknowledged with ditties within a jiving, novelty design, “What’ll You Possess” and “Broom and Dust Skillet.” The various other composing partner was Gildo Mahones, a pianist who at this time was still an adolescent. This was not really the most outstanding R&B record available, but it offers helped place Godfrey in a number of different collecting cults of great importance to mankind. Crimson vinyl freaks, for instance, are over this record, originally a custom made pressing. Enthusiasts of drug tracks and outtakes converge on the third song documented from the group however, not issued at that time “Let’s Obtain High Jack port.” Godfrey continuing playing drums in both R&B and jazz designs, finding a good backbeat to become quite an edge when the hard bop picture started blossoming in the ’50s. At that time he had many years of touring with clothes like the Joe Morris music group under his belt; this is an R&B combo that gigged in towns such as for example Atlanta and got no regards to the avant-garde guitarist from Connecticut. The classes that led to good pianist Freddie Redd’s third recording for Blue Notice featured Godfrey inside a tempo section with bassist Paul Chambers — it has been reissued on Compact disc, meaning a lot more than simply the address of the drummer is at reach.