Bernard "Pretty" Purdie

• Genre: Crossover Jazz
• Hometown: Elkton

About

Purdie's drums helped lay the funky foundation for Soul Jazz, Fusion, and modern R&B. He made a name for himself working with James Brown and others throughout the 1960s, and helped bridge the musical generation gap via his work with such Crossover Jazz pioneers as George Benson, Hank Crawford and Grover Washington, Jr. His own choice releases always invite good times, and the Acid Jazz kids are only just discovering Purdie and his dynamic, never bombastic style.

- Nick Dedina