Good news moves slowly but bad news spreads like wildfire. Came home from the supermarket to read that drummer Ralph Peterson Jr. (pictured left) had succumbed early this morning to cancer. If you had the joy of seeing and hearing Mr. Peterson in concert, chances are good you remember his powerful drumming, his infectious laugh, the sweat flowing off his bald head, his sheer joy behind the drum kit, and his amazing touch. A master communicator, Peterson had been on the "jazz" scene since the early 1980s, actually performing with his idol and mentor Art Blakey as the second drummer in the last few years of the Jazz Messengers. The drummer worked with so many great artists, from Betty Carter to Branford Marsalis, from Roy Hargrove to Geri Allen to name but four. As an educator, Peterson taught at Berklee College of Music and the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA.
He began his career recording as a leader for Blue Note Records in 1988 before moving on Sirocco and Evidence Records before recording a series of impressive sessions for Criss Cross Jazz. In 2010, he created his own label, Onyx Music, and released 10 albums with various-sized ensembles. Like his mentor Mr. Blakey, Peterson's groups often included younger musicians making their recording debut. He also played trumpet –– in fact, it was his trumpet playing that helped get Peterson into the jazz program at Rutgers University where he studied under the tutelage of Paul Jeffreys and Michael Carvin (drums). Like his percussion work, Peterson played trumpet with verve and energy.
As I think back of the times I saw and heard Mr Peterson in person, two shows stand out. The first time was a 1992 concert sponsored by the Hartford Jazz Society in the old Holiday Inn –– it was his Fo'Tet with Don Byron (clarinet), Bryan Carrott (vibraphone), and Belden Bullock (bass). They brought the packed house down with their amazing energy and passion. Last time I saw the drummer, he was leading the Messengers Legacy Band at The Side Door Jazz Club in Old Lyme CT in October of 2019 –– the group was celebrating the release of "Legacy Alive, Vol. 6 at the Side Door" recorded in the venue the year before. Onstage was Bill Pierce (tenor saxophone), Craig Handy (alto saxophone), Brian Lynch (trumpet), Essiet Essiet (bass), and Zaccai Curtis (piano). All of them (save for Curtis, who was subbing for Geoff Keezer) had played with Mr. Blakey. What fun to see and hear this sextet –– the second set was classic Hard Bop and the band took no prisoners.
Ralph Peterson Jr passed at the age of 58, way too young. He made a ton of music, all of it fascinating especially if you were sitting there watching him make that music. This drummer could drive a band with a ferocity that often made one jump from his seat to cheer yet he knew how to "paint" a ballad like few drummers. O, how he will be missed by music fans and students around the world.
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Well said Richard. He will be missed.
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