Bernard "Pretty" Purdie

An all-time great soul, R&B, funk, and pop drummer, Bernard Purdie's impeccable time and mastery of backbeats and grooves (especially his trademark "Purdie Shuffle") are widely celebrated. He moved to New York from Maryland in 1960, and recorded with James Brown, King Curtis, and many others. He was CTI's house drummer in the late '60s and early '70s, and worked with Grover Washington, Jr. and George Benson, among several others. Purdie toured with Curtis and Aretha Franklin in 1970 and was Franklin's music director until 1975. During his studio days in the early '70s, Purdie ...