Paul Humphrey

A longtime session drummer who never emerged as a star in jazz circles, Paul Humphrey and his Cool Aid Chemists had a short stay in the limelight when his single "Cool Aid" made it into the R&B Top 20 in 1971. Humphrey and his group even made an appearance on American Bandstand, as the song stayed on the charts 11 weeks and cracked the pop Top 40. But it was back to obscurity when "Funky L.A." stalled at 45. Humphrey's list of credits included sessions with Wes Montgomery, Les McCann, Kai Winding, Charles Mingus, Lee Konitz, and Gene Ammons, among others, in the '60s. ~ Ron Wy...