March 18, 2025 • 27 mins
Legendary Pittsburgh jazz drummer Roger Humphries has played with icons like Horace Silver, Ray Charles, and Stanley Turrentine. A prodigy, he went pro at 14 and performed at Carnegie Hall at 16. He’s led bands, taught at Pitt, and continues to influence jazz!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Yah knows that.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
This isn't video and you are oh, bless your heart.
This is the Codd Podcast, chronicling Pittsburgh's music scene and
welcome in. I'm Johnny Hertwell, your host, along with Andy Pugar.
Today we talked to legendary Pittsburgh jazz drummer Roger Humphreys.
(00:29):
Roger are you there?
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Yes? I am. How you going to be?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
I'm great? I'm Johnny and Ed. Can you hear hello, Roger?
Can you hear me?
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Yes? I can?
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Okay, good morning.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Good morning.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
So I've never you know, I think you may be
the first person I've ever had a chance to interview
that actually had a road named after themselves. What is
that like?
Speaker 1 (00:54):
I'm still just excited about it, just happy you know
that they thought about me too to want to do this.
So very excited.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
How did that all happen? Did you get to pick
the road or do you know? Did you like, hey,
how about the Parkway West or maybe the Parkway North?
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Well? I do, I really do believe the story behind
it is because I was born, you know, and raised
on East Jefferson Street, in the house at two two
five East Jeffson Street. Okay, and like my dad and
everybody had other relatives there, you know, so like I've
been there and like I had all my life and
(01:35):
I had my birthday January, you know, thirtieth, and I
had turned eighty, and I guess they figured it was time,
you know, to do that for me and for the
whole family Humphrey family that was there before I got there.
But it's a great thing. Is It's very surprising. I'm
very happy.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
It's a nice honor. So tell me how how did
that all happen when they suggested it? How who thought
this up? How did it all work out?
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Well, I'll tell you what. H Dwayne Dauphin is bass player, Okay,
and I've been knowing Dwayne just about so many years
when he was teenagers what have you. But anyway, Dwayne
and another guy, Alex, they thought about changing the you know,
the street name because I lived there, and they just
(02:26):
you know how people can think of you that way,
you know, and you're you're just grateful that they did
and they do think about you that way, and that's
how it happened.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
That is quite an honor. Although I have a road
named after me, my name is Johnny saw Run boulevards.
That's all right. I think it would be easier to
name Have you named some of the luminaries that you
played with? Who are some of the greats that you
(03:00):
take pride in playing because the list it would take
it would take an hour to go through everybody. Who
are who are some of the ones that you were like, Wow,
this is who I played with?
Speaker 1 (03:10):
Well, I'll give you a foundation. It's like coming right
out of high school, I went on the road with
Stanley Tarnantine, okay, and like he's always like a big
brother to me right here in Pittsburgh. And another person
was after that. I remember my Man of Horse Silver
and played with Horse Silver like four years. And after
(03:31):
that I went I went and played with Ray Charles, okay,
and and so like I've been been fortunate to play
with a bunch of great people in my lifetime.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
So what is what is Let's go on, Gray Charles.
What is he like to play with?
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Ray Charles is great to play with. He taught He
taught me a lot, you know, about the about the business,
and and he was a nice guy. We played check
together on the airplane and had a few conversations. What
have you know, about you know, personal things. Uh and
like it taught me a whole lot about how to
(04:13):
you know, to really increase my my my dynamics. And
you're paying attention of like what he counting the beat off?
Because you know he's counting the beat off is like
kind of emotional when I say emotional because the fact
that he's blind. You got to watch him, you know
what I mean, you know, with different rhythm things. It
(04:34):
was great for me, a heck of a great experience. Man.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
Well we're interviewing, uh, you on on October tenth, which
just happens to be hug a drummer day, and so
you know, yeah, you know, I don't think drummers need
to hug. I think it's always the bass player. They're
the ones that don't get to love as much as
they should. But take me back. You know you started
(04:59):
at a very a young age playing the drums. Did
you come from a musical family?
Speaker 1 (05:05):
Yes, Yes, I come from a musical family. When you
get a chance to look up Frank Humphrey's fat Man,
Frank Humphrey's he's my dad's brother, my uncle. He played
the trumpet and he his brother played the saxophone. Hilda Humphreys,
and I also had another cousin named Teddy Humphreys who
(05:29):
sang and played piano. Now when I's coming up at
the age of you know, the kid, my oldest brother
played saxophone and his name is Lawrence, okay. And next
to Lawrence was my brother Norman, who played the drums,
and Norman the one I taught me how to play
(05:49):
the drums, okay, And like I come up through as
a kid three years old and then that four years old. Uh.
I have that picture where Teeny Harris took up me
and I was in elementary school and me playing my
drum set okay, but I come up playing drums and music,
(06:10):
you know, all my life.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Teeny Harris took a picture of you. That's that's quite
an iconic. That's amazing. So yes, madam, so you're you're
go ahead, and I'm sorry, I was going.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
To add on to that. On the No. M of
the second at university, we're going to be doing a
thing for Teeny Harris okay with my band and a
dedication thing like to him art thing on no Bomity second.
So you'll you'll look that up. Then you'll be able
to get all the information you know for.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
That, So which I'm sorry, Which brother taught you the drums?
Speaker 1 (06:50):
My brother Norman?
Speaker 2 (06:51):
All right, So how long did it take for you
to surpass Norman in drumming skills?
Speaker 1 (06:59):
Well, Norman, he didn't continue to play drums, you know,
like he went into He was a heck of a contractor. Okay,
So therefore, uh, by the time I was uh, you know,
I grew up. By the time I was a young boy,
you know, I kind of like pass past my brother's
(07:23):
skill because he didn't play drums anymore all the time,
you know what I mean. So he had me, you know,
studying things under Art blake Head and Max Roach. And
it was my two people that I listened to a
whole lot when I was coming up.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Okay, tell me more, what what what kind of music
was being played in the household when you were when
you were very young?
Speaker 1 (07:48):
Basically it was jazz, uh and uh my sisters they say,
and they listened to down in Worshipton and served On
and Dakota Stayton, you know what I mean. So basically jazz,
and we had gospel music and house and we played
you know, we had James Brown, We played all the music. Man,
(08:10):
I come up listening to everything, but basically it was
jazz in the house that we I listened to.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
So when you became a professional very young as a
as a young teenager, how did that develop?
Speaker 1 (08:28):
Well, it's developed because I was around you know, uh,
very creative musicians who were older than me. Okay, And
it's like a school without it's like a school that
you go to. Man, you you're with these people all
the time and you and you're studying the music and
you have a gift. They pull pull you in with
(08:48):
them and you're you know what talent you have, you
know is multiplied in other words, you know what I mean,
because you're around a bunch of professional musicians to do this,
you know, for a lifetime living well.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
From what I understand, Roger Humphreys has a style. At
what point did you develop your own style or who
did you try to emulate at a young age? And
then how did you develop your own style? How did
that work out?
Speaker 1 (09:22):
Well? Like I was saying earlier, you know you listened
to I listened to all the drummers through a hands
everybody and you just get a you just come in
your head and you can't be nobody else but who
you are. So I don't know as just how your
personally developed like in life. You know, that's a hard
(09:45):
one to explain.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
You know, well try to explain because here is a
professional fourteen fifteen year old playing with some established jazz musicians.
How did that? How did you fit in with these
these guys who've been playing saying music for for decades.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
Well, the same way they got there, That's how I
got mine. That's all I did all my life coming
up as a kid, listen to you know music. So
by the time I got with them, I had I
had the different pease buzz going, you know, swinging fast
or Latin, whatever the deal was. You know, it's like
a studying out of a book, you know, by studying
(10:24):
the music from the from your record player and music
that you're here on the radio all the time. And
it's a way of life for what it is. You know.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
Do you remember your first paid gig?
Speaker 1 (10:39):
Uh that's a hard one. Uh my first paid gig? No,
I don't No, I don't remember the first paid gig,
you know, because I had to be honest with your
man playing you know, it wasn't about the money, you know,
it gets to a point that you know you gonna
(11:00):
get paid. And my first paid gig was wow, I
really I can't say. I was very young.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
Yeah, well, you know, as a young professional.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
Do you.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
At fourteen fifteen, sixteen years old? Do you remember some
of the venues that you played.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
Let me see, I did a thing like a Carnagian
musical and with my band my name is Feature and
it's my biography, you know, and like I got paid
for that gig. But a lot of the other gig
I had my my brother who would take me to
(11:45):
these gigs because I wasn't, you know, quite old enough,
you know, to get in by myself.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
You couldn't even drive.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
Yeah, that's what I'm talking about. I couldn't get But
I was talking about a little bit after that. But
all the other ones, you know, because it was also
I had to go to school, you know. It wasn't
no dropping out of school doing anything. So I had
just spent a lot of time and just like you said,
in high school during the regular routine thing. But there's
other people call me for gigs where if they came,
(12:15):
they could pick me up, you know, and they had
always somebody picked me up to take me to the
gig either my brother would. So you know, just one
of the guys man I played with, you know, his
name is Pete Henderson. He's a trumpet player, Okay. And
I started playing early with with Pete Henderson. And and
(12:39):
I remember, you know, like in high school that one
time we were all Carnegie. He was on my show
with me. That's when I did the thing with all right,
you know, with my band. I would think I was
sixteen years old, but that particular one. So, you know,
as far as I know, as far as I can remember, man,
I've been like playing gigs, you know, like when I
(13:02):
was able to uh make them happen at the age
of fourteen, you know, professional at the gigs.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
So what is it? What's the what's the magic? What
what made what made Roger Humphreys special at at that
young age?
Speaker 1 (13:21):
Well? What made me special that that that age? I laughed,
I'm laughing about it because it was just it's just something,
you know, like everybody else have their own special things.
You have to study and you listen, and one thing
about it, you got to listen and pay attention. When
(13:43):
you're playing with a group. You know, it's not about
you it's about the group, okay. And I always learned
that disciplined part about listening to everybody you know in
the band, that you I can compliment them as I'm playing.
So I think this is part of you know, who
I am, and you know, would make you and other
(14:05):
people say that I'm special. I don't say that about me.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
Well, you know, there's people, there's musicians that dream their
whole life to play Carnegie Hall, Carnegie Hall, and you
did it at a very young age. So there had
to be something special about.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
Roger Well, I mean, it just had to be created
and looked at by somebody else, you know. And I
just wanted to be me, and you know, and I
was chosen by the people there and some other people
like let him play at Carnegie Hall. We think his
(14:41):
band's good enough, you know, at his age and discount
and everything. So I was chosen to do this, you know.
But you know, we see in television every day people
hailed the Swift all kind of people, you know what
I mean, Jane Brown, And these are the things that
happened because other people.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
Like your style, you know, So was it your style?
Was it your ability? Was it your work ethic?
Speaker 1 (15:07):
What did you work, Yeah, my building and work ethics.
Because whatever style somebody wanted to play like, I wanted
to be able to play that style and make it
sound good. So it was more than just like we said,
the jazz. It's like any kind of music. I wanted
to complimentary and make us sound good. Because in high school,
(15:30):
in junior high school, we it was we had a
rock and roll We had a rock and roll band.
Just say it like that, because like, uh, Frankie Lyman
was in New York City and uh me and my
cousin I was singing in the band and also playing drums.
So I you know, music is like it's been so
(15:52):
important in my life, you know.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
So what was that band's name? Do you remember?
Speaker 1 (15:57):
No, I just know we were in Latimer Junior High School, okay.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
And what kind of songs? What kind of rocking did
you play? Covers? Did you play any originals? What did
you do?
Speaker 1 (16:07):
No, not at the time the original that I remember
any of us writing. But I was just tuned that
we heard, you know.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
Okay. You know when people talk about jazz music, they
locations like New York and Chicago, New Orleans. But Pittsburgh
has a rich tradition of jazz. Can you talk about
that and how and what it was like in the
(16:36):
the jazz era here in Pittsburgh.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
Yes, on the north side when I was growing up
as a kid, there's a place called a high Hat
on Pennsylvania Avenue with the bar where we you know
with how do you start? You're playing in bars in
Chappies sounds that's bitsburied down the street from the high Yeah.
And then we went to the place on the north
(17:04):
side here, uh, I forget the name of chap I
was called Liberty Lounge, Yeah, the Liberty. And then from
the North side I grew up like in the heel
Man playing at the Crawford Grill and the Hurricane. When
I first met Jimmy Smith at the Hurricane and then
(17:24):
at the Crawford Grill, that's when I first met my
mentor the one and only mitr Arc Blakey. So Art
Blakey knew my uncles and as a kid when they
were real young, they had a chance to play together
when Art Blakey was in Pittsburgh before he moved to
New York. And like when they would come, man, they
(17:45):
would let me sit in with the band. I met
you know, Lee Morgan and Thank Mowley and Freddie Herbert
and all of them, and then but Max Roase would
band would come there. That's the first somebody had met
Clifford Brown. And I mean it was fantastic, you know,
grow up as a kid. And that's why my thing
(18:06):
is always tried to share with other younger musicians, to
help them out, you know, to try to pass it
on like they passed it on with me. So like
I said, man, I played with oh so many people
until it is it's wonderful for me.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
You know when you mentioned Blakey and Crawford, girl, I
got goosebumps. And do younger musicians understand that that that history,
that jazz history, that that came from Pittsburgh. What was
it like to play the Crawford?
Speaker 1 (18:44):
What was like for me to play the Crawford? It
was just it was it was fantastic. Put it that way, man,
because I was sitting in the audience and just the
people that come in there, how they supported the music
and you know, and it was just a heck of
a place to be at and uh, there's something else,
(19:06):
something else, but like, uh, I grew up in that place,
so you.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
Know, It wasn't that strange for me, but for somebody
like me, I never experienced the Crawford Grill. What was
it like, what was the what was its reputation?
Speaker 1 (19:24):
Well, his reputation was like one of is like having
a reputation that Berland has in UH in New York
City is a place, you know, where everybody wanted to
want to go, one of the big name jazz house
in the UH in the state, you know what I mean,
in the United States really to Crawford Grill and the
(19:45):
Hurricane because that's where all the musicians went. I mean,
who has had a name, big name, So it was
a very fan you know. But when you live in
it at that time, you know, like I said, what
was it like? It was like some normal kind of
for me because it's where I'm you know, living in
Pittsburgh going all the time. It was just a great place.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
But from a historical standpoint, it's an amazing place. It's
a it's a you know, it's a landmark in jazz music.
And do you think we'll ever see that kind of
club come back again.
Speaker 1 (20:24):
I think I think it will. Somebody's working on that.
We don't know when it's going to happen, but I
think it will happen again, all right.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
As a musician, was there any of your contemporaries that
you played with that really impressed you when you first started?
Speaker 1 (20:43):
When I first started, it was horse Silver. Yeah, it
was horse Silver, you know. And like as a leader
you did it. Who helped me out? But a man,
it was so many guys, Joe Henderson, Woody Show, Carmel, Joe.
I mean, it was the lists go on and on
and on and on. So I was fortunate to be
(21:06):
out there with all these beautiful great musicians.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
Now, you also played with Dizzy Gillespie, which is one
of my favorites. What was he like to work with?
Speaker 1 (21:17):
Uh? Lizzie was beautiful to work with. It kind of
reminds me like my uncles of them, you know, because
of his age thing, but he could play. So you
know what I mean? It was, I was, you know,
it was I enjoyed that that moment, you know, thinking
about who he was and they and hurt and listened
to my uncle Frank and Uncle Hilton them talk about him.
(21:39):
Then I got a chance to play set in with
him down to walk Harper's Place downtown Pittsburgh.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
There was another great jazz place Wald Harper's addict.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
Yes it was. At the time, it sure was. You know,
Walt Harper had so many great artists, was coming down
there and gave us another place to you know, to
play it.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
You started recording real early in your life. What was
that like, especially playing for you know, an amazing you know,
historical you know label like Blue Note. How did that happen?
Speaker 1 (22:15):
Well, that happened through Uh, that happened through through Horse Silver.
But as you know, and I had been there at
the studio once before anyway, it was Stanley Turnting and
like the thing never we never put out the album,
(22:37):
you know, with Stanley Turntam. So therefore the second time
going there there with Horse Silver, and it was nice.
But it's it's it's part of life. You know, you
get excited, but by the time you I'm setting up
playing music. It's a way of life for you when
you're a musician, you know, so that's what you do.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
You know, as a musician, do you prefer play saying live?
Do you like jamming with your with some of your
contemporaries or did you enjoy the recording process?
Speaker 1 (23:10):
Well, you know, I enjoyed.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Or do you just like paying.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
Yeah, I'm gonna say it just it doesn't bother me
one way to the other. But I enjoyed playing. Do
you enjoy playing with the audience? So you know what
I mean? That's where you get the vibration, like people
feeling what you're doing, and you know, it's a happy sing.
And when you recording, you know, when you're recording, basically
you're not recording with the audience, you're recording in the studio,
(23:39):
you know, in your little boss ready put the drummer
ad and everybody got their own places. But the play
live with people, you know, is something that I live
for and look forward to, you know, communication with people,
but I make them happy and plus they make me
happy by into you know my conversation of the new Zeam.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
Do you still enjoy it?
Speaker 1 (24:06):
Oh very much, so very much. I enjoyed it so
very much. We have a little club here now called
Kahn Almah and downtown in Pittsburgh, and I enjoyed going
down there playing the City of Asylum. Yeah, there's a
few places there man that we go play at and
we have a good time in there.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
You know, you also are a very notable uh you've
taught a lot of people. Is have you taught anybody
of note that maybe somebody we would recognize.
Speaker 1 (24:39):
Now, isn't that? While you're asking me this, I was
on a job okay, and with mcg Manchester Craping School
now crap and guilt and what we do. We do
a program down there for the kids and they bust
them in your elementary kids. Okay. And while I was
there on my break, I get a call from Joey Sailor.
(25:05):
You know who Joey Sailor is?
Speaker 2 (25:07):
Tell me who Joey Sailor is.
Speaker 1 (25:10):
Yeah, Joey Saylor is the young man who play on
Stephen Colbert Show. He's a drummer. Okay, Joey Seler was
the drummer. So anyway, I'm getting this call because Joey
Saylor was one of my students coming up. Okay, here
here he is. Here he is calling me because he's
getting ready to turn on my street, which is called
(25:32):
Roger Humphrey's Way to come by to see me. But
I wasn't at home, and this is yesterday, and this
is yesterday.
Speaker 2 (25:42):
That's amazing. How comes around, doesn't it?
Speaker 1 (25:44):
It?
Speaker 2 (25:45):
All all rose lead to Roger Humphrey.
Speaker 1 (25:48):
Way, and we laughed a little hard about there yesterday too, man.
And so I didn't get a chance to see him,
but him and his dad I call of Thatt them
on the phone, but I make it chance to before
he go back to New York, you know. So anyway,
Joey Sellam was one of my students, and oh man,
I have so many, so many students, man, but I
(26:12):
just figured because he asked me about it. So now
you know who Joey Sailor is because he works on
that Stephen Goldbera show Nigua.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
And anyway, yeah, you got to be. He've done so
many things to be proud of. But I've got one question,
one last question for you, Roger. What is Roger Humphrey's legacy?
Speaker 1 (26:36):
What is my legacy? Is the passing on? That's my legacy,
the passing on to other musicians to encourage them and
and and support them and make it feel confident. You know,
That's what my legacy. I want to be. Who can
(26:57):
I help today
Yah knows that.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
This isn't video and you are oh, bless your heart.
This is the Codd Podcast, chronicling Pittsburgh's music scene and
welcome in. I'm Johnny Hertwell, your host, along with Andy Pugar.
Today we talked to legendary Pittsburgh jazz drummer Roger Humphreys.
(00:29):
Roger are you there?
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Yes? I am. How you going to be?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
I'm great? I'm Johnny and Ed. Can you hear hello, Roger?
Can you hear me?
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Yes? I can?
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Okay, good morning.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Good morning.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
So I've never you know, I think you may be
the first person I've ever had a chance to interview
that actually had a road named after themselves. What is
that like?
Speaker 1 (00:54):
I'm still just excited about it, just happy you know
that they thought about me too to want to do this.
So very excited.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
How did that all happen? Did you get to pick
the road or do you know? Did you like, hey,
how about the Parkway West or maybe the Parkway North?
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Well? I do, I really do believe the story behind
it is because I was born, you know, and raised
on East Jefferson Street, in the house at two two
five East Jeffson Street. Okay, and like my dad and
everybody had other relatives there, you know, so like I've
been there and like I had all my life and
(01:35):
I had my birthday January, you know, thirtieth, and I
had turned eighty, and I guess they figured it was time,
you know, to do that for me and for the
whole family Humphrey family that was there before I got there.
But it's a great thing. Is It's very surprising. I'm
very happy.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
It's a nice honor. So tell me how how did
that all happen when they suggested it? How who thought
this up? How did it all work out?
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Well, I'll tell you what. H Dwayne Dauphin is bass player, Okay,
and I've been knowing Dwayne just about so many years
when he was teenagers what have you. But anyway, Dwayne
and another guy, Alex, they thought about changing the you know,
the street name because I lived there, and they just
(02:26):
you know how people can think of you that way,
you know, and you're you're just grateful that they did
and they do think about you that way, and that's
how it happened.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
That is quite an honor. Although I have a road
named after me, my name is Johnny saw Run boulevards.
That's all right. I think it would be easier to
name Have you named some of the luminaries that you
played with? Who are some of the greats that you
(03:00):
take pride in playing because the list it would take
it would take an hour to go through everybody. Who
are who are some of the ones that you were like, Wow,
this is who I played with?
Speaker 1 (03:10):
Well, I'll give you a foundation. It's like coming right
out of high school, I went on the road with
Stanley Tarnantine, okay, and like he's always like a big
brother to me right here in Pittsburgh. And another person
was after that. I remember my Man of Horse Silver
and played with Horse Silver like four years. And after
(03:31):
that I went I went and played with Ray Charles, okay,
and and so like I've been been fortunate to play
with a bunch of great people in my lifetime.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
So what is what is Let's go on, Gray Charles.
What is he like to play with?
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Ray Charles is great to play with. He taught He
taught me a lot, you know, about the about the business,
and and he was a nice guy. We played check
together on the airplane and had a few conversations. What
have you know, about you know, personal things. Uh and
like it taught me a whole lot about how to
(04:13):
you know, to really increase my my my dynamics. And
you're paying attention of like what he counting the beat off?
Because you know he's counting the beat off is like
kind of emotional when I say emotional because the fact
that he's blind. You got to watch him, you know
what I mean, you know, with different rhythm things. It
(04:34):
was great for me, a heck of a great experience. Man.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
Well we're interviewing, uh, you on on October tenth, which
just happens to be hug a drummer day, and so
you know, yeah, you know, I don't think drummers need
to hug. I think it's always the bass player. They're
the ones that don't get to love as much as
they should. But take me back. You know you started
(04:59):
at a very a young age playing the drums. Did
you come from a musical family?
Speaker 1 (05:05):
Yes, Yes, I come from a musical family. When you
get a chance to look up Frank Humphrey's fat Man,
Frank Humphrey's he's my dad's brother, my uncle. He played
the trumpet and he his brother played the saxophone. Hilda Humphreys,
and I also had another cousin named Teddy Humphreys who
(05:29):
sang and played piano. Now when I's coming up at
the age of you know, the kid, my oldest brother
played saxophone and his name is Lawrence, okay. And next
to Lawrence was my brother Norman, who played the drums,
and Norman the one I taught me how to play
(05:49):
the drums, okay, And like I come up through as
a kid three years old and then that four years old. Uh.
I have that picture where Teeny Harris took up me
and I was in elementary school and me playing my
drum set okay, but I come up playing drums and music,
(06:10):
you know, all my life.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Teeny Harris took a picture of you. That's that's quite
an iconic. That's amazing. So yes, madam, so you're you're
go ahead, and I'm sorry, I was going.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
To add on to that. On the No. M of
the second at university, we're going to be doing a
thing for Teeny Harris okay with my band and a
dedication thing like to him art thing on no Bomity second.
So you'll you'll look that up. Then you'll be able
to get all the information you know for.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
That, So which I'm sorry, Which brother taught you the drums?
Speaker 1 (06:50):
My brother Norman?
Speaker 2 (06:51):
All right, So how long did it take for you
to surpass Norman in drumming skills?
Speaker 1 (06:59):
Well, Norman, he didn't continue to play drums, you know,
like he went into He was a heck of a contractor. Okay,
So therefore, uh, by the time I was uh, you know,
I grew up. By the time I was a young boy,
you know, I kind of like pass past my brother's
(07:23):
skill because he didn't play drums anymore all the time,
you know what I mean. So he had me, you know,
studying things under Art blake Head and Max Roach. And
it was my two people that I listened to a
whole lot when I was coming up.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Okay, tell me more, what what what kind of music
was being played in the household when you were when
you were very young?
Speaker 1 (07:48):
Basically it was jazz, uh and uh my sisters they say,
and they listened to down in Worshipton and served On
and Dakota Stayton, you know what I mean. So basically jazz,
and we had gospel music and house and we played
you know, we had James Brown, We played all the music. Man,
(08:10):
I come up listening to everything, but basically it was
jazz in the house that we I listened to.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
So when you became a professional very young as a
as a young teenager, how did that develop?
Speaker 1 (08:28):
Well, it's developed because I was around you know, uh,
very creative musicians who were older than me. Okay, And
it's like a school without it's like a school that
you go to. Man, you you're with these people all
the time and you and you're studying the music and
you have a gift. They pull pull you in with
(08:48):
them and you're you know what talent you have, you
know is multiplied in other words, you know what I mean,
because you're around a bunch of professional musicians to do this,
you know, for a lifetime living well.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
From what I understand, Roger Humphreys has a style. At
what point did you develop your own style or who
did you try to emulate at a young age? And
then how did you develop your own style? How did
that work out?
Speaker 1 (09:22):
Well? Like I was saying earlier, you know you listened
to I listened to all the drummers through a hands
everybody and you just get a you just come in
your head and you can't be nobody else but who
you are. So I don't know as just how your
personally developed like in life. You know, that's a hard
(09:45):
one to explain.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
You know, well try to explain because here is a
professional fourteen fifteen year old playing with some established jazz musicians.
How did that? How did you fit in with these
these guys who've been playing saying music for for decades.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
Well, the same way they got there, That's how I
got mine. That's all I did all my life coming
up as a kid, listen to you know music. So
by the time I got with them, I had I
had the different pease buzz going, you know, swinging fast
or Latin, whatever the deal was. You know, it's like
a studying out of a book, you know, by studying
(10:24):
the music from the from your record player and music
that you're here on the radio all the time. And
it's a way of life for what it is. You know.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
Do you remember your first paid gig?
Speaker 1 (10:39):
Uh that's a hard one. Uh my first paid gig? No,
I don't No, I don't remember the first paid gig,
you know, because I had to be honest with your
man playing you know, it wasn't about the money, you know,
it gets to a point that you know you gonna
(11:00):
get paid. And my first paid gig was wow, I
really I can't say. I was very young.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
Yeah, well, you know, as a young professional.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
Do you.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
At fourteen fifteen, sixteen years old? Do you remember some
of the venues that you played.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
Let me see, I did a thing like a Carnagian
musical and with my band my name is Feature and
it's my biography, you know, and like I got paid
for that gig. But a lot of the other gig
I had my my brother who would take me to
(11:45):
these gigs because I wasn't, you know, quite old enough,
you know, to get in by myself.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
You couldn't even drive.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
Yeah, that's what I'm talking about. I couldn't get But
I was talking about a little bit after that. But
all the other ones, you know, because it was also
I had to go to school, you know. It wasn't
no dropping out of school doing anything. So I had
just spent a lot of time and just like you said,
in high school during the regular routine thing. But there's
other people call me for gigs where if they came,
(12:15):
they could pick me up, you know, and they had
always somebody picked me up to take me to the
gig either my brother would. So you know, just one
of the guys man I played with, you know, his
name is Pete Henderson. He's a trumpet player, Okay. And
I started playing early with with Pete Henderson. And and
(12:39):
I remember, you know, like in high school that one
time we were all Carnegie. He was on my show
with me. That's when I did the thing with all right,
you know, with my band. I would think I was
sixteen years old, but that particular one. So, you know,
as far as I know, as far as I can remember, man,
I've been like playing gigs, you know, like when I
(13:02):
was able to uh make them happen at the age
of fourteen, you know, professional at the gigs.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
So what is it? What's the what's the magic? What
what made what made Roger Humphreys special at at that
young age?
Speaker 1 (13:21):
Well? What made me special that that that age? I laughed,
I'm laughing about it because it was just it's just something,
you know, like everybody else have their own special things.
You have to study and you listen, and one thing
about it, you got to listen and pay attention. When
(13:43):
you're playing with a group. You know, it's not about
you it's about the group, okay. And I always learned
that disciplined part about listening to everybody you know in
the band, that you I can compliment them as I'm playing.
So I think this is part of you know, who
I am, and you know, would make you and other
(14:05):
people say that I'm special. I don't say that about me.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
Well, you know, there's people, there's musicians that dream their
whole life to play Carnegie Hall, Carnegie Hall, and you
did it at a very young age. So there had
to be something special about.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
Roger Well, I mean, it just had to be created
and looked at by somebody else, you know. And I
just wanted to be me, and you know, and I
was chosen by the people there and some other people
like let him play at Carnegie Hall. We think his
(14:41):
band's good enough, you know, at his age and discount
and everything. So I was chosen to do this, you know.
But you know, we see in television every day people
hailed the Swift all kind of people, you know what
I mean, Jane Brown, And these are the things that
happened because other people.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
Like your style, you know, So was it your style?
Was it your ability? Was it your work ethic?
Speaker 1 (15:07):
What did you work, Yeah, my building and work ethics.
Because whatever style somebody wanted to play like, I wanted
to be able to play that style and make it
sound good. So it was more than just like we said,
the jazz. It's like any kind of music. I wanted
to complimentary and make us sound good. Because in high school,
(15:30):
in junior high school, we it was we had a
rock and roll We had a rock and roll band.
Just say it like that, because like, uh, Frankie Lyman
was in New York City and uh me and my
cousin I was singing in the band and also playing drums.
So I you know, music is like it's been so
(15:52):
important in my life, you know.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
So what was that band's name? Do you remember?
Speaker 1 (15:57):
No, I just know we were in Latimer Junior High School, okay.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
And what kind of songs? What kind of rocking did
you play? Covers? Did you play any originals? What did
you do?
Speaker 1 (16:07):
No, not at the time the original that I remember
any of us writing. But I was just tuned that
we heard, you know.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
Okay. You know when people talk about jazz music, they
locations like New York and Chicago, New Orleans. But Pittsburgh
has a rich tradition of jazz. Can you talk about
that and how and what it was like in the
(16:36):
the jazz era here in Pittsburgh.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
Yes, on the north side when I was growing up
as a kid, there's a place called a high Hat
on Pennsylvania Avenue with the bar where we you know
with how do you start? You're playing in bars in
Chappies sounds that's bitsburied down the street from the high Yeah.
And then we went to the place on the north
(17:04):
side here, uh, I forget the name of chap I
was called Liberty Lounge, Yeah, the Liberty. And then from
the North side I grew up like in the heel
Man playing at the Crawford Grill and the Hurricane. When
I first met Jimmy Smith at the Hurricane and then
(17:24):
at the Crawford Grill, that's when I first met my
mentor the one and only mitr Arc Blakey. So Art
Blakey knew my uncles and as a kid when they
were real young, they had a chance to play together
when Art Blakey was in Pittsburgh before he moved to
New York. And like when they would come, man, they
(17:45):
would let me sit in with the band. I met
you know, Lee Morgan and Thank Mowley and Freddie Herbert
and all of them, and then but Max Roase would
band would come there. That's the first somebody had met
Clifford Brown. And I mean it was fantastic, you know,
grow up as a kid. And that's why my thing
(18:06):
is always tried to share with other younger musicians, to
help them out, you know, to try to pass it
on like they passed it on with me. So like
I said, man, I played with oh so many people
until it is it's wonderful for me.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
You know when you mentioned Blakey and Crawford, girl, I
got goosebumps. And do younger musicians understand that that that history,
that jazz history, that that came from Pittsburgh. What was
it like to play the Crawford?
Speaker 1 (18:44):
What was like for me to play the Crawford? It
was just it was it was fantastic. Put it that way, man,
because I was sitting in the audience and just the
people that come in there, how they supported the music
and you know, and it was just a heck of
a place to be at and uh, there's something else,
(19:06):
something else, but like, uh, I grew up in that place,
so you.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
Know, It wasn't that strange for me, but for somebody
like me, I never experienced the Crawford Grill. What was
it like, what was the what was its reputation?
Speaker 1 (19:24):
Well, his reputation was like one of is like having
a reputation that Berland has in UH in New York
City is a place, you know, where everybody wanted to
want to go, one of the big name jazz house
in the UH in the state, you know what I mean,
in the United States really to Crawford Grill and the
(19:45):
Hurricane because that's where all the musicians went. I mean,
who has had a name, big name, So it was
a very fan you know. But when you live in
it at that time, you know, like I said, what
was it like? It was like some normal kind of
for me because it's where I'm you know, living in
Pittsburgh going all the time. It was just a great place.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
But from a historical standpoint, it's an amazing place. It's
a it's a you know, it's a landmark in jazz music.
And do you think we'll ever see that kind of
club come back again.
Speaker 1 (20:24):
I think I think it will. Somebody's working on that.
We don't know when it's going to happen, but I
think it will happen again, all right.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
As a musician, was there any of your contemporaries that
you played with that really impressed you when you first started?
Speaker 1 (20:43):
When I first started, it was horse Silver. Yeah, it
was horse Silver, you know. And like as a leader
you did it. Who helped me out? But a man,
it was so many guys, Joe Henderson, Woody Show, Carmel, Joe.
I mean, it was the lists go on and on
and on and on. So I was fortunate to be
(21:06):
out there with all these beautiful great musicians.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
Now, you also played with Dizzy Gillespie, which is one
of my favorites. What was he like to work with?
Speaker 1 (21:17):
Uh? Lizzie was beautiful to work with. It kind of
reminds me like my uncles of them, you know, because
of his age thing, but he could play. So you
know what I mean? It was, I was, you know,
it was I enjoyed that that moment, you know, thinking
about who he was and they and hurt and listened
to my uncle Frank and Uncle Hilton them talk about him.
(21:39):
Then I got a chance to play set in with
him down to walk Harper's Place downtown Pittsburgh.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
There was another great jazz place Wald Harper's addict.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
Yes it was. At the time, it sure was. You know,
Walt Harper had so many great artists, was coming down
there and gave us another place to you know, to
play it.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
You started recording real early in your life. What was
that like, especially playing for you know, an amazing you know,
historical you know label like Blue Note. How did that happen?
Speaker 1 (22:15):
Well, that happened through Uh, that happened through through Horse Silver.
But as you know, and I had been there at
the studio once before anyway, it was Stanley Turnting and
like the thing never we never put out the album,
(22:37):
you know, with Stanley Turntam. So therefore the second time
going there there with Horse Silver, and it was nice.
But it's it's it's part of life. You know, you
get excited, but by the time you I'm setting up
playing music. It's a way of life for you when
you're a musician, you know, so that's what you do.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
You know, as a musician, do you prefer play saying live?
Do you like jamming with your with some of your
contemporaries or did you enjoy the recording process?
Speaker 1 (23:10):
Well, you know, I enjoyed.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Or do you just like paying.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
Yeah, I'm gonna say it just it doesn't bother me
one way to the other. But I enjoyed playing. Do
you enjoy playing with the audience? So you know what
I mean? That's where you get the vibration, like people
feeling what you're doing, and you know, it's a happy sing.
And when you recording, you know, when you're recording, basically
you're not recording with the audience, you're recording in the studio,
(23:39):
you know, in your little boss ready put the drummer
ad and everybody got their own places. But the play
live with people, you know, is something that I live
for and look forward to, you know, communication with people,
but I make them happy and plus they make me
happy by into you know my conversation of the new Zeam.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
Do you still enjoy it?
Speaker 1 (24:06):
Oh very much, so very much. I enjoyed it so
very much. We have a little club here now called
Kahn Almah and downtown in Pittsburgh, and I enjoyed going
down there playing the City of Asylum. Yeah, there's a
few places there man that we go play at and
we have a good time in there.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
You know, you also are a very notable uh you've
taught a lot of people. Is have you taught anybody
of note that maybe somebody we would recognize.
Speaker 1 (24:39):
Now, isn't that? While you're asking me this, I was
on a job okay, and with mcg Manchester Craping School
now crap and guilt and what we do. We do
a program down there for the kids and they bust
them in your elementary kids. Okay. And while I was
there on my break, I get a call from Joey Sailor.
(25:05):
You know who Joey Sailor is?
Speaker 2 (25:07):
Tell me who Joey Sailor is.
Speaker 1 (25:10):
Yeah, Joey Saylor is the young man who play on
Stephen Colbert Show. He's a drummer. Okay, Joey Seler was
the drummer. So anyway, I'm getting this call because Joey
Saylor was one of my students coming up. Okay, here
here he is. Here he is calling me because he's
getting ready to turn on my street, which is called
(25:32):
Roger Humphrey's Way to come by to see me. But
I wasn't at home, and this is yesterday, and this
is yesterday.
Speaker 2 (25:42):
That's amazing. How comes around, doesn't it?
Speaker 1 (25:44):
It?
Speaker 2 (25:45):
All all rose lead to Roger Humphrey.
Speaker 1 (25:48):
Way, and we laughed a little hard about there yesterday too, man.
And so I didn't get a chance to see him,
but him and his dad I call of Thatt them
on the phone, but I make it chance to before
he go back to New York, you know. So anyway,
Joey Sellam was one of my students, and oh man,
I have so many, so many students, man, but I
(26:12):
just figured because he asked me about it. So now
you know who Joey Sailor is because he works on
that Stephen Goldbera show Nigua.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
And anyway, yeah, you got to be. He've done so
many things to be proud of. But I've got one question,
one last question for you, Roger. What is Roger Humphrey's legacy?
Speaker 1 (26:36):
What is my legacy? Is the passing on? That's my legacy,
the passing on to other musicians to encourage them and
and and support them and make it feel confident. You know,
That's what my legacy. I want to be. Who can
(26:57):
I help today
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