Sonny Greer

He was never the greatest timekeeper, but Sonny Greer was perfect for Duke Ellington's Orchestra during 1924-1951, adding color and class to the rhythm section. He met Ellington in 1919 when he was a member of the Howard Theatre's orchestra in Washington, D.C. Greer visited New York for the first time with Elmer Snowden and was an original member of Ellington's Washingtonians, which was a five-piece group at its start. Greer's playing grew with the band, and his large array of sounds (using a drum set that included a gong, chimes, timpani, and vibes) added to the Ellington ban...