Charlie Persip


Charles Lawrence Persip, known as Charli Persip and formerly as Charlie Persip, was an American jazz drummer.

Biography

Born in Morristown, New Jersey, United States, and raised in Newark, New Jersey, Persip attended West Side High School, preferring it over Newark Arts High School because he wanted to join the former's football team. He later studied drums with Al Germansky in Newark. After playing with Tadd Dameron in 1953, he gained recognition as a jazz drummer as he toured and recorded with Dizzy Gillespie's big and small bands between 1953 and 1958. He then joined Harry "Sweets" Edison's quintet and later the Harry James Orchestra before forming his own group, the Jazz Statesmen, with Roland Alexander, Freddie Hubbard, and Ron Carter in 1960. Around this time, Persip also recorded with other jazz musicians, including Lee Morgan, Melba Liston, Kenny Dorham, Zoot Sims, Red Garland, Gil Evans, Don Ellis, Eric Dolphy, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Gene Ammons and the singer Dinah Washington. Persip was also the drummer on the "Eternal Triangle" recording, Sonny Side Up, featuring Sonny Rollins and Sonny Stitt. From 1960 to 1973 he toured as a drummer and conductor with Billy Eckstine.
Along with his performing activities, Persip earned a reputation as an educator. From 1974, he was an instructor of drums and music for Jazzmobile, Inc. in New York City. As of 2008, he was an associate professor at the Contemporary Music">Contemporary Records">Contemporary Music in Manhattan.
Persip led Supersound, his jazz big band that was started in the mid-1980s as Superband. Supersound's first album was recorded on the Stash label, and was titled Charli Persip and Superband. The group's second album, Superband II, and third album, No Dummies Allowed, were recorded on the Soul Note label. Their fourth album was Intrinsic Evolution.

Death

Charli Persip died August 23, 2020, at Mount Sinai Morningside in New York City at the age of 91.

Discography

As leader

Gretsch Drum Night at Birdland with Art Blakey, Elvin Jones, Philly Joe Jones Gretsch Drum Night at Birdland Vol. 2 with Art Blakey, Elvin Jones, Philly Joe Jones Charles Persip and the Jazz Statesmen Drum Night at Birdland with Art Blakey, Elvin Jones, Philly Joe Jones Charlie Persip and Gerry Lafurn's 17-Piece Superband In Case You Missed It No Dummies Allowed
  • Charli Persip & Supersound - ''Intrinsic Evolution''

As sideman

With Ernestine AndersonMoanin' Moanin' Moanin' My Kinda Swing
With Bob BrookmeyerStretching Out (Zoot Sims and [Bob Brookmeyer album)|Stretching Out] with Zoot SimsPortrait of the Artist Jazz Is a Kick
With Cándido CameroIn Indigo Latin Fire Conga Soul
With Harry EdisonThe Swinger Mr. Swing Harry Edison Swings Buck Clayton Sweetenings
With Don EllisHow Time Passes New Ideas
With Art FarmerThe Aztec Suite Listen to [Art Farmer and the Orchestra]
With Frank FosterBursting Out! Shiny Stockings Twelve Shades of Black
With Dizzy GillespieMore of the Dizzy Gillespie Stan Getz Sextet Afro Jazz Recital Dizzy and Strings World Statesman Diz and Getz Dizzy Gillespie at Newport Dizzy Gillespie's Big Band Jazz Duets Birks' Works Dizzy in Greece The Greatest Trumpet of Them All Sonny Side Up with Sonny Stitt, Sonny Rollins A Portrait of Duke Ellington Perceptions
With Red GarlandBright and Breezy Rojo When There Are Grey Skies Soul Burnin'
With Benny GolsonBenny Golson's New York Scene Pop + Jazz = Swing
With Quincy JonesThis Is [How I Feel About Jazz]
With Rahsaan Roland KirkWe Free Kings The [Return of the 5000 Lb. Man] Kirkatron
With Hank MobleyNewark 1953 Hank Mobley Sextet Peckin' Time
With Lee MorganLee Morgan Sextet Dizzy Atmosphere with Al Grey and Billy MitchellLee Morgan Vol. 3
With David "Fathead" NewmanStraight Ahead Fathead Comes On
With Joe Newman Soft Swingin' Jazz Joe Newman with Woodwinds
With Cecil PaynePerforming Charlie Parker Music The Connection
With Jerome RichardsonRoamin' with Richardson Midnight Oil
With George RussellNew York, N.Y. Jazz in the Space Age
With Sonny StittThe Saxophones of Sonny Stitt A [Little Bit of Stitt] Soul Summit with Gene Ammons and Jack McDuff
With Randy WestonLittle Niles Uhuru Afrika Highlife Volcano Blues with Melba Liston
With George WilliamsSwing Classics in Hi-Fi Put on Your Dancing Shoes
With others