Chris Parker
GenresJazz, Rock, Blues
Occupation(s)Musician
Instrument(s)Drums
Years active1970s–present

Chris Parker is an American drummer.

Biography

Early life

During his childhood, Parker's father, artist Robert Andrew Parker, attached wooden blocks to the hi-hat and bass drum pedals, so that Parker's feet could reach the pedals to play the drums along with records. His father, who was also a jazz drummer, introduced young Parker to the music of Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Leadbelly, Ray Charles, Woody Herman, Count Basie, Lionel Hampton, Bix Beiderbecke, Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington. When he became a teenager he began practicing with friends and finding out the nostalgia of rock and roll by listening to such jazz drummers as Roger Hawkins, D. J. Fontana, and New Orleans icons such as Earl Palmer, Smokey Johnson and James Black. His enthusiasm grew as he went to New York City's School of Visual Arts to study painting, where he saw an ad for a drummer. He became a member of a band called Holy Moses when he moved to Woodstock, New York. That band was short lived during which Parker recorded one album, but decided to stay in Woodstock where he also worked in the local scene with music icons such as Paul Butterfield's Better Days, Bonnie Raitt, Tim Hardin, Rick Danko, Mike Bloomfield and Merl Saunders.[1]

Musical career

Four years later he played in a band called Encyclopedia of Soul which later on became known as Stuff which was made out of bassist Gordon Edwards, two guitarists named Cornell Dupree and Eric Gale and keyboardist Richard Tee. Later on, in the same band, he shared his drum with another rising star, Steve Gadd. In the same time, he cofounded Brecker Brothers, a band which was made out of Michael and Randy Brecker, Buzzy Feiten, David Sanborn, Don Grolnick, Steve Khan, and Will Lee. Throughout three decades (from 1970s to 1990s), he recorded three albums and still performs to this day with such stars and music groups as James Brown, Miles Davis, Aretha Franklin, Ashford & Simpson, Patti Austin, Cher, Michael Bolton, Quincy Jones, Freddie Hubbard and Salt n' Pepa.[1]

In 1986, Parker was invited to be a part of Saturday Night Live and served there six years. In 1988, he became a member of Bob Dylan's touring band, which included G.E. Smith, later SNL's music director.[2] Parker played on Donald Fagen's Kamakiriad album, which was nominated for (but did not win) the 1993 Grammy Award for Album of the Year.

Discography

With Joe Beck

With Stephen Bishop

With Bonnie Raitt

With Sinéad O'Connor

With Cher

With Candi Staton

  • Chance (Warner Bros. Records, 1979)

With Aretha Franklin

With Melanie

  • Phonogenic – Not Just Another Pretty Face (Midsong International, 1978)

With Michael Bolton

With Bruce Cockburn

  • Dart to the Heart (True North Records, 1994)

With Robert Palmer

With Judy Collins

With Melba Moore

With Natalie Cole

With Phoebe Snow

With Loudon Wainwright III

With Chaka Khan

  • CK (Warner Bros. Records, 1988)

With Irene Cara

With Teddy Pendergrass

  • TP (Philadelphia International, 1980)

With Art Garfunkel

With Elvis Costello

With Barry Manilow

With Donald Fagen

With Michael Franks

With Patricia Kaas

With Laura Nyro

  • Smile (Columbia Records, 1976)

With Maria Muldaur

With Jackie Lomax

  • Livin' For Lovin' (Capitol Records, 1976)

With Don McLean

With Taeko Ohnuki

References

  1. 1 2 "Chris Parker". Drummerworld. Retrieved July 23, 2013.
  2. ↑ Smith, G.E. (October 23, 2017). "On touring with Bob Dylan while still working at Saturday Night Live; on working with and getting to know Bob Dylan". American Academy of Television. emmytvlegends.org. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
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