Dannie Richmond

Dannie Richmond (December 15, 1931 – March 15, 1988) was an American drummer who was best known among jazz fans for his work with Charles Mingus, and among pop fans for his work with Joe Cocker, Elton John and Mark-Almond.

Richmond was born in New York City, New York, and started playing tenor saxophone at the age of thirteen; he went on to play R&B with the Paul Williams band in 1955.

His career took off when he took up the drums, though, through the formation of what was to be a 21-year association with Charles Mingus.


 * "Dannie became Mingus's equivalent to Harry Carney in the Ellington band, an indispensable ingredient of 'the Mingus sound' and a close friend as well".

That association continued after Mingus' death when Richmond became the first musical director of the group Mingus Dynasty in 1980.

As leader

 * 1965: "In" Jazz for the Culture Set (Impulse! Records)
 * 1979: Ode to Mingus (Soul Note)
 * 1980: Dannie Richmond Plays Charles Mingus (Timeless Records) with Ricky Ford, Jack Walrath, Bob Neloms, Cameron Brown
 * 1980: Hand to Hand with George Adams (Soul Note)
 * 1980: The Last Mingus Band A.D. (Landmark Records) aka Dannie Richmond Quintet (Gatemouth Records) with Ricky Ford, Jack Walrath, Bob Neloms, Cameron Brown
 * 1981: Three or Four Shade (Tutu)
 * 1983: Gentleman’s Agreement with George Adams (Soul Note)
 * 1983: Dionysius

As sideman
With Charles Mingus
 * The Clown (1957)
 * Mingus Three (1957)
 * Tijuana Moods (1957)
 * East Coasting (1957)
 * Jazz Portraits: Mingus in Wonderland (1959)
 * Mingus Ah Um (1959)
 * Mingus Dynasty (1959)
 * Blues & Roots (1960)
 * Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus (1960)
 * Mingus at Antibes (1960)
 * Reincarnation of a Lovebird (1960)
 * Oh Yeah (1961)
 * The Complete Town Hall Concert (Blue Note, 1962 [1994])
 * The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady (1963)
 * Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus (1963)
 * Town Hall Concert (1964)
 * The Cornell Concert (1964)
 * Right Now: Live at the Jazz Workshop (Fantasy, 1964)
 * Mingus at Monterey (1964)
 * Mingus In Paris (1964)
 * Mingus in Europe (1964)
 * Music Written for Monterey 1965 (Jazz Workshop, 1965)
 * Charles Mingus in Paris: The Complete America Session (Sunnyside, 1970 [2006])
 * Let My Children Hear Music (1971)
 * Mingus Moves (1973)
 * Changes One (1973)
 * Changes Two (1973)
 * Mingus at Carnegie Hall (1974)
 * Cumbia & Jazz Fusion (1976)
 * Me, Myself an Eye (1978)
 * Something Like a Bird (1978)

With George Adams & Don Pullen With Chet Baker With Booker Ervin With John Jenkins With Herbie Nichols With Mal Waldron With Bert Jansch With Mark-Almond
 * Jazz a Confronto 21 (Horo, 1975)
 * All That Funk (Palcoscenico, 1979)
 * More Funk (Palcoscenico, 1979)
 * Don't Lose Control (Soul Note, 1979)
 * Earth Beams (Timeless, 1981)
 * Life Line (Timeless, 1981)
 * City Gates (Timeless, 1983)
 * Live at the Village Vanguard (Soul Note, 1983)
 * Live at the Village Vanguard Vol. 2 (Soul Note, 1983)
 * Decisions (Timeless, 1984)
 * Live at Montmartre (Timeless, 1985)
 * Breakthrough (Blue Note, 1986)
 * Song Everlasting (Blue Note, 1987)
 * Chet Baker Sings (1956)
 * The Book Cooks (1960)
 * Jenkins, Jordan and Timmons (Prestige, 1957) - with Clifford Jordan and Bobby Timmons
 * John Jenkins with Kenny Burrell (Blue Note, 1957) - with Kenny Burrell
 * Love, Gloom, Cash, Love (1957)
 * What It Is (Enja, 1981)
 * Moonshine (1973)
 * Mark-Almond II (1972)
 * Rising (1972)
 * 73 (1973)