Grady Tate

Grady Tate (born January 14, 1932) is a hard bop and soul-jazz drummer and singer. He has a baritone voice. In addition to his prolific work as sideman, Tate has released many albums as leader and vocalist.

Biography
Tate was born in Hayti, Durham, North Carolina. He moved to New York City in 1963. In New York City, Tate became the drummer in Quincy Jones's band.

Grady Tate's drumming helped to define a particular hard bop, soul jazz and organ trio sound during the mid-1960s and beyond. His slick, layered and intense sound is instantly recognizable for its understated style in which he integrates his trademark subtle nuances with sharp, crisp "on top of the beat" timing (in comparison to playing slightly before, or slightly after the beat). The Grady Tate sound can be heard prominently on the many classic Jimmy Smith and Wes Montgomery albums recorded on the Verve label in the 1960s.

Grady Tate was the drummer on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for six years. During the 1970s he was a member of the New York Jazz Quartet. In 1981 he played drums and percussion Simon and Garfunkel's Concert in Central Park.

Grady Tate's popularity as choice sideman of accomplished musicians is due to his versatility and his interpretation of many different genres of music. He has played with Lionel Hampton, Jimmy Smith, Grant Green, Lena Horne, Astrud Gilberto, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Blossom Dearie, Chris Connor, Sarah Vaughan, Ray Charles, Cal Tjader, Peggy Lee, Bill Evans, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Tom Rapp, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Stanley Turrentine, Charles Earland, Quincy Jones, Stan Getz, and Wes Montgomery. One album that demonstrates Mr. Tate's mastering of several musical styles may be heard on Jimmy Smith's Go For Whatcha Know (1986), which also features a vocal track by Tate. An example of his virtuosic drumming abilities may be heard on Stan Getz's Sweet Rain (1967).

Among his most widely heard vocal performances are the songs "I Got Six", "Naughty Number Nine", and "Fireworks" from Multiplication Rock and America Rock, both part of the Schoolhouse Rock series. For the 1973 motion picture Cops And Robbers, Tate sang the title song, written by Michel Legrand and Jacques Wilson.

He has been on the faculty of Howard University since 1989.

As leader

 * 1968: Windmills of My Mind (Skye Records)
 * 1970: After The Long Drive Home (Skye Records)
 * 1971: Feeling Life (Skye Records)
 * 1972: She Is My Lady (Janus Records)
 * 1975: By Special Request (Buddah Records)
 * 1977: Master Grady Tate (Impulse! Records)
 * 1991: TNT (Milestone Records)
 * 1992: Body & Soul (Milestone Records)

As sideman

 * 1962: Charles Mingus - The Complete Town Hall Concert (Blue Note)
 * 1964: Ben Webster - See You at the Fair
 * 1964: Lalo Schifrin - New Fantasy (Verve)
 * 1964: Jimmy Smith - The Cat (Verve)
 * 1964: Nat Adderley - Autobiography
 * 1964: Oliver Nelson - More Blues and the Abstract Truth (Impulse!)
 * 1964: Lou Donaldson - Rough House Blues
 * 1965: Milt Jackson - Ray Brown / Milt Jackson with Ray Brown (Verve)
 * 1965: Dorothy Ashby - The Fantastic Jazz Harp of Dorothy Ashby (Atlantic)
 * 1965: Illinois Jacquet - Spectrum (Argo)
 * 1965: Roland Kirk & Al Hibbler - A Meeting of the Times (atlantic)
 * 1965: Jimmy Smith - Organ Grinder Swing
 * 1965: Lalo Schifrin - Once a Thief and Other Themes (Verve)
 * 1965: Gary McFarland and Clark Terry - Tijuana Jazz
 * 1966: Shirley Scott - Roll 'Em: Shirley Scott Plays the Big Bands (Impulse!)
 * 1966: Eric Kloss - Love and All That Jazz (Prestige)
 * 1966: Gábor Szabó - Gypsy '66 (Impulse!)
 * 1966: Oliver Nelson - Oliver Nelson Plays Michelle (Impulse!)
 * 1966: Oliver Nelson - Sound Pieces (Impulse!)
 * 1966: Oliver Nelson - Happenings with Hank Jones (Impulse!)
 * 1967: Kenny Burrell - A Generation Ago Today (Verve)
 * 1967: Oliver Nelson - The Spirit of '67 with Pee Wee Russell (Impulse!)
 * 1967: Oliver Nelson - The Kennedy Dream (Impulse!)
 * 1967: Stan Getz - Sweet Rain (Verve)
 * 1967: Herbie Mann - Glory of Love (A&M/CTI)
 * 1968: Kenny Burrell - Blues - The Common Ground (Verve)
 * 1968: Hubert Laws - Laws' Cause (Atlantic)
 * 1968: Eddie Harris - Plug Me In (Atlantic)
 * 1968: Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis - Love Calls (RCA Victor)
 * 1968: Johnny "Hammond" Smith - Nasty! (Prestige)
 * 1968: J. J. Johnson and Kai Winding - Israel (A&M/CTI)
 * 1968: Nat Adderley - You, Baby (A&M/CTI)
 * 1968: Milt Jackson - Milt Jackson and the Hip String Quartet (Verve)
 * 1968: Jimmy McGriff - The Worm
 * 1969: Freddie Hubbard - A Soul Experiment (Atlantic)
 * 1969: J. J. Johnson and Kai Winding - Stonebone (A&M/CTI (Japan))
 * 1969: Hubert Laws - Crying Song (CTI)
 * 1969: Lena Horne and Gábor Szabó - Lena & Gabor (Skye)
 * 1969: Pearls Before Swine - These Things Too
 * 1971: Dizzy Gillespie, Bobby Hackett and Mary Lou Williams - Giants (Perception)
 * 1971: Pearls Before Swine - Beautiful Lies You Could Live In
 * 1972: Grant Green - The Final Comedown (CTI)
 * 1972: Eric Kaz - "If You're Lonely" (Atlantic)
 * 1972: Ivan "Boogaloo Joe" Jones - Snake Rhythm Rock (Prestige)
 * 1972: Houston Person - Broken Windows, Empty Hallways, Sweet Buns & Barbeque (Prestige)
 * 1973: Roberta Flack - Killing Me Softly'' (Atlantic)
 * 1973: Lou Donaldson - Sophisticated Lou
 * 1973: Marlena Shaw - From the Depths of My Soul
 * 1973: Bette Midler - Bette Midler
 * 1973: Shirley Scott - Superstition (Cadet)
 * 1973: Paul Simon - There Goes Rhymin' Simon
 * 1974: Gato Barbieri - Chapter Three: Viva Emiliano Zapata (Impulse!)
 * 1974: Jack McDuff - The Fourth Dimension (Cadet)
 * 1975: Zoot Sims - Zoot Sims and the Gershwin Brothers (Pablo)
 * 1975: Jack McDuff - Magnetic Feel (Cadet)
 * 1976: Phoebe Snow - Second Childhood
 * 1977: Kate and Anna McGarrigle - Dancer with Bruised Knees
 * 1977: Billy Taylor - Live at Storyville (West 54 Records)
 * 1981: Grover Washington Jr - Be Mine (Tonight)-vocals
 * 1981: Grover Washington Jr - Little Black Samba - vocals
 * 1982: Simon and Garfunkel - The Concert in Central Park
 * 1989: Maureen McGovern - Naughty Baby
 * 1990: Dizzy Gillespie - The Winter in Lisbon (Milan)
 * 1990: Bette Midler - Some People's Lives
 * 1991: Bob Thiele Collective - Louis Satchmo
 * 1992: Lalo Schifrin - Jazz Meets the Symphony (Atlantic)
 * 1993: Lalo Schifrin - More Jazz Meets the Symphony (Atlantic)
 * 1994: Oscar Peterson and Itzhak Perlman - Side by Side
 * 1995: Lalo Schifrin - Firebird: Jazz Meets the Symphony No. 3 (Four Winds)