Fabulous jazz drummer, Mickey Roker was born Granville William Roker in Miami, Florida on September 3rd, 1932.
He soon started playing drums, playing with many great musicians and bands. It's almost impossible tracing his live lineups, so I just mention some of the ones I know. I'll also be upgrading his discography as soon as I find some free time.
Mickey Roker played around 1955 with Jimmy Heath and Jimmy Oliver. In 1957, he was part of the Gloria Lynne Group (along with Jimmy Heath). Then, he played with Gigi Gryce from 1959 to 1961. He stayed with Ray Bryant from 1961 to 1963. Then, he joined Junior Mance Trio, and started backing Joe Williams.
In 1964, he moved to New York, starting playing in many sessions. From 1965 to 1967, he backed Nancy Wilson, then moving to Duke Pearson Orchestra until 1969. He was also a member of other great orchestras, led by Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Woody Herman.
From 1969 to 1971, he worked with Lee Morgan, and then, he started playing with Dizzy Gillespie in different band configurations during 9 years.
In 1992, he became the drummer in Modern Jazz Quartet (replacing Connie Kay).
GIGI GRYCE GROUP
This was the Gigi Gryce Group in August 1961:
GIGI GRYCE GROUP #? |
1961 |
||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gigi Gryce † sax | Julian Euell bass | Richard Wyands keyboards | Richard Williams trumpet | Eddie Costa † vibraphone | Mickey Roker † drums |
Other info on members of Gigi Gryce Group (I know up to 13 members) | |
---|---|
Already covered (2): | Hank Jones, Cedar Walton |
To be covered (8): | Donald Byrd, Eddie Costa, Sam Dockery, Gigi Gryce, Osie Johnson, Wendell Marshall, Richard Williams, Reggie Workman |
Not enough info (2): | Julian Euell, Richard Wyands |
OWEN MARSHALL GROUP
This was one of the lineup for Owen Marshall Group:
OWEN MARSHALL GROUP #? |
? |
||
---|---|---|---|
Owen Marshall trumpet | Arthur Harper † bass | Kenny Barron keyboards | Mickey Roker † drums |
Other info on members of Owen Marshall Group (I know up to 4 members) | |
---|---|
To be covered (1): | Kenny Barron |
Not enough info (2): | Arthur Harper, Owen Marshall |
RAY BRYANT GROUP
Mickey Roker was also a member of Ray Bryant Trio, but don´t know when:
RAY BRYANT GROUP #? |
? |
|
---|---|---|
Ray Bryant † keyboards | Arthur Harper † bass | Mickey Roker † drums |
Other info on members of Ray Bryant Group (I know up to 4 members) | |
---|---|
To be covered (1): | Ray Bryant |
Not enough info (2): | Sticks Evans, Arthur Harper |
ART FARMER GROUP
In February 1967, this was the Art Farmer Quintet:
They released the live album The time and the place in 1973, but recorded in February 1967.
ART FARMER GROUP #? |
1967 |
|||
---|---|---|---|---|
Art Farmer † trumpet | Walter Booker bass | Cedar Walton † piano | Jimmy Heath sax | Mickey Roker † drums |
They released the live album The time and the place in 1973, but recorded in February 1967.
Other info on members of Art Farmer Group (I know up to 30 members) | |
---|---|
Already covered (4): | Jim Hall, Al Harewood, James Moody, Cedar Walton |
To be covered (23): | Walter Booker, Richard Davis, Ray Drummond, Art Farmer, Tommy Flanagan, Curtis Fuller, Benny Golson, Gigi Gryce, Billy Hart, Jimmy Heath, Tootie Heath, Billy Higgins, Dennis Irwin, Sam Jones, Clifford Jordan, Roy McCurdy, Tom McIntosh, Jackie McLean, Fritz Pauer, Marvin ´Smitty´ Smith, Steve Swallow, Mickey Tucker, McCoy Tyner |
Not enough info (2): | Fred Hersch, Pete La Roca |
JOE WILLIAMS GROUP
This was one of the Joe Williams Group configurations:
JOE WILLIAMS GROUP #? |
? |
||
---|---|---|---|
Joe Williams † vocals | George Duvivier † bass | Ellis Larkins † keyboards | Mickey Roker † drums |
Other info on members of Joe Williams Group (I know up to 10 members) | |
---|---|
Already covered (1): | Joel DiBartolo |
To be covered (5): | George Duvivier, Major Quincey Holley, Zoot Sims, Clark Terry, Joe Williams |
Not enough info (3): | J C Heard, Ellis Larkins, John Young |
DIZZY GILLESPIE ORCHESTRA
Hank Jones played with Dizzy Gillespie for a TV program:
And I don´t know if Hank kept on playing with Dizzy, or it was just a one-off show. Does anybody know?
This was the Dizzy Gillespie Quartet in 1975:
DIZZY GILLESPIE ORCHESTRA #? |
? |
||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dizzy Gillespie † trumpet | Sam Jones † bass | Hank Jones † piano | James Moody † sax | Milt Jackson † vibraphone | Mickey Roker † drums |
And I don´t know if Hank kept on playing with Dizzy, or it was just a one-off show. Does anybody know?
This was the Dizzy Gillespie Quartet in 1975:
DIZZY GILLESPIE ORCHESTRA #? |
1975 |
||
---|---|---|---|
Dizzy Gillespie † trumpet, vocals | Alexander Gafa guitar | Earl May † bass | Mickey Roker † drums |
HANK CRAWFORD GROUP
This was the Hank Crawford Group (known as The Quartet) in July 1978:
HANK CRAWFORD GROUP #? |
1978 |
||
---|---|---|---|
Hank Crawford † sax | George Duvivier † bass | Mickey Roker † drums |
Other info on members of Hank Crawford Group (I know up to 7 members) | |
---|---|
Already covered (2): | Hank Crawford, David ´Fathead´ Newman |
To be covered (2): | George Duvivier, Jimmy McGriff |
Not enough info (2): | Wayne Boyd, James Vance |
RAY CHARLES BAND
In July 1978, Ray Charles played with an all-star comprising old mates and friends:
RAY CHARLES BAND #? |
1978 |
||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ray Charles † vocals, piano | Kenny Burrell guitar | George Duvivier † bass | Dizzy Gillespie † trumpet | Hank Crawford † sax | David ´Fathead´ Newman † sax, flute |
Mickey Roker † drums |
Other info on members of Ray Charles Band (I know up to 94 members) | |
---|---|
Already covered (4): | Marcus Belgrave, Leroy Cooper, Hank Crawford, David ´Fathead´ Newman |
To be covered (33): | Curtis Amy, Alvin Batiste, Pete Beltran, Steve Beskrone, Kenny Burrell, Roy Burrowes, Bruno Carr, Henderson Chambers, Ray Charles, Merry Clayton, Johnny Coles, Wallace Davenport, George Duvivier, Tom Fowler, Eric Giausserand, Dizzy Gillespie, Susaye Greene, Phil Guilbeau, Steve Huffsteter, Roger Ingram, Charles Johnson, Keg Johnson, Blue Mitchell, Bob Odneal, Don Peake,... up to 33 musicians. |
Not enough info (56): | Craig Bailey, Gwendolyn Berry, Kenneth Carr, James Clay, Trudy Cochran, Leon Comegys, Wayne Coniglio, Steven Elliott, Karen Evans, James Farnsworth, Marc Fields, Sonny Forriest, Lawrence Foyen, Scott Frillman, Kenneth Garr, Benoit Grey, Michael Guerrier, George Harper, Katrina Harper, Jeffrey Helgesen, Margie Hendricks, James Lee Herbert, David Hoffmann, John Hunt, Alford Jackson,... up to 56 musicians. |
NANCY WILSON GROUP
This was one of the lineups for Nancy Wilson Group, but don´t know when this happened (help, please):
NANCY WILSON GROUP #? |
? |
||
---|---|---|---|
Nancy Wilson vocals | Buster Williams bass | Donn Trenner keyboards | Mickey Roker † drums |
Other info on members of Nancy Wilson Group (I know up to 5 members) | |
---|---|
To be covered (2): | Roy McCurdy, Buster Williams |
Not enough info (2): | Donn Trenner, Nancy Wilson |
GERRY MULLIGAN GROUP
For a New Year´s Eve concert in 1985, Gerry Mulligan assembles a one-off All Stars lineup with some of his mates:
GERRY MULLIGAN GROUP #? |
Dec 85 |
||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gerry Mulligan † sax | Phil Woods † sax | Ray Brown † bass | Cedar Walton † piano | Toots Thielemans † harmonica | Milt Jackson † vibes |
Mickey Roker † drums | + | Joe Williams † vocals | Ethel Ennis vocals |
Other info on members of Gerry Mulligan Group (I know up to 129 members) | |
---|---|
Already covered (9): | Donald Bailey, Bob Brookmeyer, Larry Bunker, Jim Hall, Chico Hamilton, Hank Jones, Gerry Niewood, Bud Shank, Cedar Walton |
To be covered (119): | Gene Allen, Wayne Andre, Bill Anthony, Dave Aronov, Dave Bailey, Chet Baker, Joe Benjamin, Warren Bernhardt, Pete Bertocini, Tom Boras, Ray Brown, Sam Brown, Dave Brubeck, James Buffington, Kenny Burrell, Bud Burridge, Red Callender, Candido Camero, Conte Candoli, Mike Canubia, Dick Carey, Ron Carter, Rick Chamberlain, Bill Charlap, Buddy Clark,... up to 119 musicians. |
MILT JACKSON GROUP
Milt Jackson and Ray Brown also played as a quartet with Cedar Walton and Mickey Roker, but don´t know when:
In 1986, Milt Jackson and Ray Brown teamed again, playing festivals with this great lineup:
MILT JACKSON GROUP #? |
? |
||
---|---|---|---|
Milt Jackson † vibraphone | Ray Brown † bass | Cedar Walton † piano | Mickey Roker † drums |
In 1986, Milt Jackson and Ray Brown teamed again, playing festivals with this great lineup:
MILT JACKSON GROUP #? |
1986 |
|||
---|---|---|---|---|
Milt Jackson † vibraphone | Ray Brown † bass | Cedar Walton † piano | Stanley Turrentine † sax | Mickey Roker † drums |
Other info on members of Milt Jackson Group (I know up to 19 members) | |
---|---|
Already covered (3): | Dick Berk, James Moody, Cedar Walton |
To be covered (15): | Monty Alexander, Ray Brown, Ron Carter, Eddie ´Lockjaw´ Davis, Lou Donaldson, Ray Drummond, Teddy Edwards, Otis Candy Finch Jr, Billy Higgins, Milt Jackson, John Lewis, Harold Mabern, Jimmie Smith, Clark Terry, Stanley Turrentine |
CARMEN MCRAE GROUP
In 1986, Cedar Walton is part of Carmen McRae Trio:
CARMEN MCRAE GROUP #? |
1986 |
||
---|---|---|---|
Carmen McRae † vocals | Cedar Walton † piano | Mickey Roker † drums | + maybe some other, unknown to me. Help! |
Other info on members of Carmen McRae Group (I know up to 32 members) | |
---|---|
Already covered (5): | Donald Bailey, Joel DiBartolo, Al Harewood, Stan Tracey, Cedar Walton |
To be covered (14): | Ray Bryant, Pat Coil, Bob Cranshaw, Chuck Domanico, Chuck Flores, Eric Gunnison, Winard Harper, Jim Hughart, Ike Isaacs, Dick Katz, Mundell Lowe, Carmen McRae, Joe Pass, Jimmy Rowles |
Not enough info (12): | Bernard Baron, Edward Bennett, Bob Bowman, Curtis Boyd, Betty Carter, John Leftwich, Mat Mathews, Marshall Otwell, Mark Pulice, Norman Simmons, Victor Sproles, Tommy Williams |
DIZZY GILLESPIE ORCHESTRA (again)
In July 1987, Dizzy Gillespie & Phil Woods played at the Montreux Jazz Festival with this all-star lineup:
DIZZY GILLESPIE ORCHESTRA #? |
1989 |
||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dizzy Gillespie † trumpet | Phil Woods † sax | Rufus Reid bass | Cedar Walton † piano | Eric Gunnison piano | Bill ´Wild´ Davis † organ |
James Morrison trumpet | Steve Turre trombone | Bobby Hutcherson † vibes | Mickey Roker † drums | + | Carmen McRae † guest vocals |
Other info on members of Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra (I know up to 178 members) | |
---|---|
Already covered (9): | Steve Berrios, Larry Bunker, Frank Foster, Hank Jones, Hal McKusick, James Moody, Al Porcino, Cedar Walton, Joe Wilder |
To be covered (168): | Pepper Adams, Monty Alexander, Ray Barretto, Kenny Barron, John Barrows, Richard Berg, Ignacio Berroa, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Ben Brown, Garnett Brown, Ray Brown, Tommy Bryant, James Buffington, John Burden, Billy Butterfield, Don Butterfield, Don Byas, Candido Camero, Tom Campbell, Paul Chambers, Ed Cherry, Kenny Clarke, Julio Colazo, Burt Collins, Rudy Collins,... up to 168 musicians. |
SHIRLEY SCOTT GROUP
This was one of the lineups for Shirley Scott Trio:
Sadly, Mickey Roker passed away in Philadelphia on May 22nd, 2017. He was 84.
   31 BANDS (WITH 26 SELECTED RECORDINGS):
   11 ALBUMS FOR 5 BANDMATES AND FRIENDS:
   5 COLLECTIVE ALBUMS:
   25 SESSIONS (FOR 14 ARTISTS):
SHIRLEY SCOTT GROUP #? |
? |
|
---|---|---|
Shirley Scott † keyboards | Stanley Turrentine † sax | Mickey Roker † drums |
Other info on members of Shirley Scott Group (I know up to 6 members) | |
---|---|
Already covered (1): | Al Harewood |
To be covered (2): | George Duvivier, Stanley Turrentine |
Not enough info (2): | Walter Perkins, Shirley Scott |
Sadly, Mickey Roker passed away in Philadelphia on May 22nd, 2017. He was 84.
   31 BANDS (WITH 26 SELECTED RECORDINGS):
BAND / ARTIST | . | RECORDINGS | ||||||||
Count Basie Orchestra |   |  
| ||||||||
Ray Bryant Group |   |  
| ||||||||
Ray Charles Band |   |  
| ||||||||
Hank Crawford Group |   |  
| ||||||||
Xavier Cugat Orchestra |   |  
| ||||||||
Duke Ellington Orchestra |   |  
| ||||||||
Art Farmer Group |   | 2 RECORDINGS:
| ||||||||
Ella Fitzgerald Group |   | 1 RECORDINGS:
| ||||||||
Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra |   | 3 RECORDINGS:
| ||||||||
Gigi Gryce Group |   |  
| ||||||||
Arthur Harper Group |   |  
| ||||||||
Jimmy Heath Group |   |  
| ||||||||
Woody Herman Orchestra |   |  
| ||||||||
The High Five |   |   | ||||||||
Milt Jackson Group |   | 7 RECORDINGS:
| ||||||||
Gloria Lynne Group |   |  
| ||||||||
Junior Mance Group |   |  
| ||||||||
Owen Marshall Group |   |  
| ||||||||
Carmen McRae Group |   |  
| ||||||||
Modern Jazz Quartet |   |  
| ||||||||
Lee Morgan Group |   | 2 RECORDINGS:
| ||||||||
Gerry Mulligan Group |   |  
| ||||||||
Jimmy Oliver Group |   |  
| ||||||||
Duke Pearson Orchestra |   | 5 RECORDINGS:
| ||||||||
The Quartet |   |  
| ||||||||
Sonny Rollins Group |   | 2 RECORDINGS:
| ||||||||
Shirley Scott Group |   | 2 RECORDINGS:
| ||||||||
Patti Wicks Group |   |  
| ||||||||
Joe Williams Group |   | 1 RECORDINGS:
| ||||||||
Mary Lou Williams Group |   |  
| ||||||||
Nancy Wilson Group |   |  
|
   11 ALBUMS FOR 5 BANDMATES AND FRIENDS:
BAND / ARTIST | . | RECORDINGS | ||||||||
Ray Brown Group |   | 1 RECORDINGS:
| ||||||||
Hank Jones Group |   | 4 RECORDINGS:
| ||||||||
Stanley Turrentine Group |   | 1 RECORDINGS:
| ||||||||
Cedar Walton Group |   | 2 RECORDINGS:
| ||||||||
Phil Woods Group |   | 1 RECORDINGS:
|
   5 COLLECTIVE ALBUMS:
BAND / ARTIST | . | RECORDINGS |
VVAA |   | 3 RECORDINGS:
|
   25 SESSIONS (FOR 14 ARTISTS):
BAND / ARTIST | . | RECORDINGS | ||||||||
Randy Brecker Group |   | 1 RECORDINGS:
| ||||||||
Donald Byrd Group |   | 2 RECORDINGS:
| ||||||||
Benny Carter Orchestra |   | 2 RECORDINGS:
| ||||||||
Frank Foster Group |   | 2 RECORDINGS:
| ||||||||
Luis Gasca Group |   | 1 RECORDINGS:
| ||||||||
Dusko Gojkovic Group |   | 2 RECORDINGS:
| ||||||||
Herbie Hancock Band |   | 1 RECORDINGS:
| ||||||||
Manhattan Transfer |   | 1 RECORDINGS:
| ||||||||
Blue Mitchell Group |   | 1 RECORDINGS:
| ||||||||
Chuck Redd Group |   | 1 RECORDINGS:
| ||||||||
Horace Silver Group |   | 5 RECORDINGS:
| ||||||||
McCoy Tyner Group |   | 1 RECORDINGS:
| ||||||||
Harold Vick Group |   | 1 RECORDINGS:
| ||||||||
Snooky Young Group |   | 1 RECORDINGS:
|
RELATED MUSICIANS:
Mickey Roker mostly worked with these musicians: (name + number of credits)
Bob Cranshaw (25)
Cedar Walton (17)
Ron Carter (14)
Duke Pearson (12)
Rudy Van Gelder (12)
Tommy Flanagan (9)
Jimmy Heath (9)
Thad Jones (9)
Milt Jackson (8)
Alfred Lion (8)
Page created by Miguel Terol on: 29/May/2017 - Last modified on: 29/May/2017. If you want to contribute with info, please write to: molympus1@gmail.com
Please, note than you can check the indexes (musicians, bands, obituaries) at the top of this page.
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