Musicians - Sonny Payne

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	Musicians - Sonny Payne

Sonny Payne (4 May 1926–29 January 1979) was an American jazz drummer, best known for his work with Count Basie and Harry James.

Born Percival Payne in New York, his father was Wild Bill Davis's drummer Chris Columbus. After early study with Vic Berton, in 1944 Payne started playing professionally around New York with the Dud and Paul Bascomb band, Hot Lips Page, Earl Bostic (1945–1947), Tiny Grimes (between 1947 and 1950), and Lucille Dixon (1948).

From 1950 to 1953, Payne played with Erskine Hawkins' big band, and led his own band for two years, but in late 1954 he made his most significant move, joining Basie's band for ten years of constant touring and recording. He left Basie in 1965, leading his own trio, touring with Illinois Jacquet in 1976, and rejoining Basie wice (1965–1966, and 1973–1974). Most of the rest of his career, however, was spent in the Harry James band, which he joined in 1966, and with which he was working at the time of his death.

Sources and external links

Ian Carr, Digby Fairweather, & Brian Priestley. Jazz: The Rough Guide. ISBN1-85828-528-3

— brief biography by Scott Yanow, for AllMusic.

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