Donald Orlando "Duck" Bailey (March 26, 1933 – October 15, 2013) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

drummer.

Biography

Bailey was born in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, on March 26, 1933. He was largely self-taught as a drummer. Bailey got his big break in the jazz world and he is probably best known as the drummer in the trio of jazz organist Jimmy Smith from 1956 to 1964 and also for his work with The Three Sounds on

Blue Note Records Blue Note Records is an American jazz record label owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Capitol Music Group. Established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis, it derived its name from the blue notes of jazz and the blues. ...

. While based in Los Angeles, Bailey also worked as a sideman for musicians including

Sarah Vaughan Sarah Lois Vaughan (March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer. Nicknamed "Sassy" and " The Divine One", she won two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, and was nominated for a total of nine Grammy Award ...

, Carmen McRae, Hampton Hawes,

Kenny Burrell Kenneth Earl Burrell (born July 31, 1931) is an American jazz guitarist known for his work on numerous top jazz labels: Prestige, Blue Note, Verve, CTI, Muse, and Concord. His collaborations with Jimmy Smith were notable, and produced the 1965 ...

, and

Red Mitchell Keith Moore "Red" Mitchell (September 20, 1927 – November 8, 1992) was an American jazz double-bassist, composer, lyricist, and poet. Biography Mitchell was born in New York City. His younger brother, Whitey Mitchell, also became a jazz b ...

. In the mid-1970s, Bailey moved to Japan, where he lived for five years. His album ''Blueprints of Jazz, Vol. 3'' was recorded in 2006 and issued by

Talking House Records Talking may refer to: * Speech, the product of the action of ''to talk'' * Communication by spoken words; conversation or discussion Other uses * "Talking" (The Rifles song), 2007 * "Talking" (A Flock of Seagulls song), 1983 * "Talking", a son ...

in 2008. It features

Charles Tolliver Charles Tolliver (born 1942) is an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and co-founder of Strata East Records. Biography Tolliver was born in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1942 and moved with his family to New York City when he was 10. During his ch ...

(trumpet),

Odean Pope Odean Pope (born October 24, 1938) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Biography Pope was raised in Philadelphia, where he learned from Ray Bryant while young. Early in his career, at Philadelphia's Uptown Theater, Pope played behind a numbe ...

(tenor saxophone), George Burton (piano), and Tyrone Brown (bass). The album is part of the ''Blueprints of Jazz'' series conceived, produced and recorded by Talking House Productions with an aim to expose the histories and current work of important but often lesser-known jazz players who had contributed to the sounds of jazz legends from the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s. Production and recording of the albums was helmed by Talking House producers Marc Weibel and Stephen Smith. Bailey's playing also featured on the soundtracks of the films ''Buck and the Preacher'' and ''Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me''. Bailey performed around the

San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area G ...

until his late seventies and moved to Montclair, California, shortly before his death at age 80 in October 2013. He had suffered from asthma, seizures, and back problems.

Discography

As leader or Co-Leader

* ''Trio'' (

Capri Capri ( , ; ; ) is an island located in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the Sorrento Peninsula, on the south side of the Gulf of Naples in the Campania region of Italy. The main town of Capri that is located on the island shares the name. It has be ...

, 1990, co-leader with

Jimmy Rowles James George Hunter (August 19, 1918 – May 28, 1996), known professionally as Jimmy Rowles (sometimes spelled Jimmie Rowles), was an American jazz pianist, vocalist, and composer. As a bandleader and accompanist, he explored multiple styles in ...

) * ''Blueprints of Jazz, Vol. 3'' (Talking House Records, 2008)

As backing musician

With

Roy Ayers Roy Ayers (born September 10, 1940) is an American funk, soul, and jazz composer, vibraphone player, and music producer. Ayers began his career as a post-bop jazz artist, releasing several albums with Atlantic Records, before his tenure at ...

* ''

Virgo Vibes ''Virgo Vibes'' is an album by American jazz vibraphonist Roy Ayers released on the Atlantic label in 1967.

'' (Atlantic, 1967) With George Braith * '' Two Souls in One'' (Blue Note, 1963) With Hampton Hawes * '' Here and Now'' (Contemporary, 1965) * '' The Seance'' (Contemporary, 1966 969 * '' I'm All Smiles'' (Contemporary, 1966 973 With Harold Land * '' The Peace-Maker'' (Cadet, 1968) With Thornel Schwartz *''

Soul Cookin' ''Soul Cookin' '' is the sole album led by guitarist Thornel Schwartz, with saxophonist Bill Leslie, released in 1962 on Argo Records. Reception Flophouse magazine noted: "A proficient blues player who talks the bop language without really, li ...

'' (Argo, 1962) with Bill Leslie With Jimmy Smith * '' The Incredible Jimmy Smith at the Organ'' (Blue Note, 1956) * '' At Club Baby Grand'' (Blue Note, 1956) * '' The Sounds of Jimmy Smith'' (Blue Note, 1956) * '' Plays Pretty Just for You'' (Blue Note, 1957) * '' Jimmy Smith Trio + LD'' (Blue Note, 1957) * '' Groovin' at Small's Paradise'' (Blue Note, 1957) * '' House Party'' (Blue Note, 1957) * '' The Sermon!'' (Blue Note, 1958) * '' Softly as a Summer Breeze'' (Blue Note, 1958) * '' Cool Blues'' (Blue Note, 1958) * '' Six Views of the Blues'' (Blue Note, 1958) * '' Home Cookin''' (Blue Note, 1958–59) * '' Crazy! Baby'' (Blue Note, 1960) * '' Open House'' (Blue Note, 1960) * '' Plain Talk'' (Blue Note, 1960) * '' Straight Life'' (Blue Note, 1961) * '' Midnight Special'' (Blue Note, 1961) * ''

Plays Fats Waller ''Plays Fats Waller'' is an album by American jazz organist Jimmy Smith featuring performances of tunes associated with Fats Waller recorded in 1962 and released on the Blue Note label.

'' (Blue Note, 1962) * '' I'm Movin' On'' (Blue Note, 1963) * '' Bucket!'' (Blue Note, 1963) * '' Rockin' the Boat'' (Blue Note, 1963) * '' Prayer Meetin''' (Blue Note, 1963) * '' Back at the Chicken Shack'' (Blue Note, 1963) With

* ''Subtle Legend'' (Storyville, recorded live 1972, released 1998) With The Three Sounds * '' Live at the Lighthouse'' (Blue Note, 1967) * '' Coldwater Flat'' (Blue Note, 1968) With

Frank Wess Frank Wellington Wess (January 4, 1922 – October 30, 2013) was an American jazz saxophonist and flutist. In addition to his extensive solo work, Wess is remembered for his time in Count Basie's band from the early 1950s into the 1960s. Critic ...

and Johnny Coles *'' Two at the Top'' (Uptown, 1988

012 012 may refer to: * Tyrrell 012, a Formula One racing car * The dialing code for Pretoria, South Africa See also * 12 (disambiguation) Twelve or 12 may refer to: * 12 (number) * December, the twelfth and final month of the year Years * 12 BC ...

With Jack Wilson * '' Song for My Daughter'' (Blue Note, 1969)

Biography

Discography

As leader or Co-Leader

As backing musician

References

Further reading