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JAMES BLACK

Biography

James Black was born on February 1, 1940, in New Orleans, Louisiana, and became one of the most influential drummers in the history of jazz and funk music.[1][4] Absorbing the "second line" rhythms of New Orleans from a young age, Black was deeply inspired by the street percussions of the Mardi Gras Indians and developed his distinctive "street beat" by following second line parades.[1][4] He studied music at Southern University in Baton Rouge, where he majored in brass and played in their marching band, before returning to New Orleans to pursue his musical career.[2]

Black's professional career began in 1958 at age 18, and by the early 1960s he was already performing session work for legendary artists like Fats Domino.[1] He played in a group at the Playboy Club alongside young Ellis Marsalis on piano and Nat Perrilliat on saxophone, establishing himself as a versatile musician capable of navigating both jazz and R&B contexts.[1] Throughout the 1960s and beyond, he worked as a sideman for an impressive array of artists including Cannonball and Nat Adderley, Horace Silver, Yusef Lateef, Freddie Hubbard, and Lionel Hampton.[1][2] His most celebrated work came through his collaborations with Eddie Bo on the SCRAM label in the late 1960s, particularly on the funk classic "Hook and Sling," which stands alongside James Brown's "Funky Drummer" as one of the greatest moments in funk drumming history.[2]

Despite his considerable accomplishments and his role as a mentor to a new generation of drummers including Herlin Riley, Harry Connick Jr., and others, James Black never released an album as a bandleader during his lifetime.[2] He continued to perform and record sporadically through the 1970s and 1980s, working with Ellis Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, Cassandra Wilson, and other New Orleans musicians.[2] Black passed away on August 30, 1988, in New Orleans from an overdose.[2] His legacy as one of the greatest funk drummers of all time and a foundational figure in the New Orleans drumming continuum remains profound, having laid the foundations for countless funk and jazz drummers that followed.[1][2]

Fun Facts

  • James Black was compared to James Booker (the legendary New Orleans pianist) in terms of his musical personality—described as having "a restless and explosive musical personality, little patience for sub-par musicianship, and the ability to play everything from ferocious funk to beautiful ballads."[2]
  • Despite his monumental contributions to funk music, Black's most famous performance—his drumming on Eddie Bo's "Hook and Sling" and its B-side "Hook and Sling Part Two"—was apparently approached as a side job, with his primary artistic focus being modern jazz composition and arrangement.[2]
  • Black's drumming on Eddie Bo's "Check Your Bucket" showcased his distinctive "street beat" style, which he developed by following New Orleans second line parades and was inspired by Mardi Gras Indian street percussion traditions.[2]
  • Despite a lifetime of accomplishments as both a jazz and funk musician, James Black never released an album as a bandleader, making his contributions primarily known through his work as a sideman and session musician.[2]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

  • Mardi Gras Indians street musicians - Inspired Black's distinctive "street beat" and second line drumming style through street percussion traditions (Foundational influence on all of Black's drumming approach) [Early childhood/1940s-1950s]

Key Collaborators

  • Ellis Marsalis - Pianist and frequent collaborator; Black played with Marsalis at the Playboy Club and later as part of the ELM Music Company (Ellis Marsalis' 1963 modern jazz album (seminal recording), ELM Music Company residency at Lu & Charlies) [Early 1960s-1980s]
  • Eddie Bo - Primary R&B/funk collaborator; Black served as house drummer on the SCRAM label ("Hook and Sling" (Parts 1 & 2), "Check Your Bucket") [Late 1960s-1970s]
  • Cannonball Adderley and Nat Adderley - Jazz collaborators; Black performed as sideman (Various jazz recordings) [1960s]
  • Horace Silver - Jazz pianist and collaborator (Jazz recordings) [1960s]
  • Yusef Lateef - Jazz multi-instrumentalist; Black performed as sideman (1965 recording) [1960s]
  • Lionel Hampton - Jazz vibraphone legend; Black toured with Hampton (Tour performances) [1960s]
  • Fats Domino - R&B/rock and roll pioneer; Black performed session work (Session recordings) [1960s-1970s]
  • Allen Toussaint - New Orleans pianist and producer; Black drummed on his arrangements (Lee Dorsey's "Riverboat") [1960s-1970s]
  • Wynton Marsalis - Jazz trumpeter; Black performed as sideman (Various recordings) [1970s-1980s]
  • Cassandra Wilson - Jazz vocalist; Black performed as sideman (1981 album "Tropical Breeze") [1970s-1980s]
  • Harry Connick Jr. - Jazz pianist and vocalist; Black performed as sideman early in Connick's career (Various recordings) [1970s-1980s]

Artists Influenced

  • Herlin Riley - Drummer mentored by Black; Riley became a prominent New Orleans jazz drummer (Riley's subsequent jazz career) [1970s-1980s mentorship]
  • New Orleans funk and jazz drummers - Black laid the foundations for subsequent generations of New Orleans drummers through his innovative approach to funk and jazz drumming (Influence on the New Orleans drumming continuum) [1960s onward]

Connection Network

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Discography

Albums

Title Release Date Type
UTOPIA 2023-07-26 Album
Assume Form 2019-01-18 Album

Top Tracks

  1. TIL FURTHER NOTICE (feat. James Blake & 21 Savage) (UTOPIA)
  2. King's Dead (with Kendrick Lamar, Future & James Blake)
  3. Hummingbird (Metro Boomin & James Blake) (METRO BOOMIN PRESENTS SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE (SOUNDTRACK FROM AND INSPIRED BY THE MOTION PICTURE))
  4. Mile High (feat. Travis Scott & Metro Boomin) (Assume Form)
  5. Retrograde
  6. Both Sides Of A Smile (feat. James Blake) (We're All Alone In This Together)
  7. King's Dead (with Kendrick Lamar, Future & James Blake) (Black Panther The Album Music From And Inspired By)
  8. Nonviolent Communication (Metro Boomin & James Blake, A$AP Rocky, 21 Savage) (METRO BOOMIN PRESENTS SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE (SOUNDTRACK FROM AND INSPIRED BY THE MOTION PICTURE))
  9. Coming Back (feat. SZA)
  10. I Need A Forest Fire
  • Spotify
  • [Wikipedia](Not found in search results)

Heard on WWOZ

JAMES BLACK has been played 6 times on WWOZ 90.7 FM, New Orleans' jazz and heritage station.

DateTimeTitleShowSpotify
Jan 8, 202623:57JasmineKitchen Sinkw/ Jennifer Brady
Dec 30, 202513:21LONELY LONELY ROADNew Orleans Music Showw/ Cole Williams
Dec 9, 202513:22Betcha by Golly WowNew Orleans Music Showw/ Cole Williams
Dec 9, 202513:22Betcha by Golly WowNew Orleans Music Showw/ Cole Williams
Dec 2, 202513:24(I NEED) ALTITUDENew Orleans Music Showw/ Cole Williams
Nov 3, 202500:47Sugar & Firefrom Existential CrisisThe Dean's Listw/ Dean Ellis