Sam Woodyard


Sam Woodyard was an American jazz drummer.
He was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States. Woodyard was largely an autodidact on drums and played locally in the Newark, New Jersey, area in the 1940s. He performed with Paul Gayten in an R&B group, then played in the early 1950s with Joe Holiday, Roy Eldridge, and Milt Buckner. In 1955, he joined Duke Ellington's orchestra and remained until 1966.
After his time with Ellington, Woodyard worked with Ella Fitzgerald, then moved to Los Angeles. In the 1970s, he played less due to health problems, but he recorded with Buddy Rich, and toured with Claude Bolling. In 1983, he belonged to a band with Teddy Wilson, Buddy Tate, and Slam Stewart. His last recording was on Steve Lacy's 1988 album, The Door.
He died of cancer in Paris at the age of 63.

Discography

With Cat AndersonPlays at 4 a.m. Ellingtonia A Chat with Cat Anderson
With Duke EllingtonAt Newport Duke Ellington Presents... A Drum Is a Woman Ellington at Newport Such Sweet Thunder The Cosmic Scene Newport 1958 Ellington Indigos Black, Brown and Beige Ellington Jazz Party Festival Session Solitude The Nutcracker Suite Piano in the Background Piano in the Foreground The Symphonic Ellington Afro-Bossa Duke Ellington Meets Coleman Hawkins Duke Ellington & John Coltrane Duke Ellington & Django Reinhardt Ellington '65 The Popular Duke Ellington Duke Ellington at the Cote d'Azur "...And His Mother Called Him Bill" Second Sacred Concert Francis A. & Edward K. First Time! The Count Meets the Duke The Great Paris Concert Yale Concert Jazz at the Plaza Vol. II The Pianist The Duke Lives On Duke Ellington's Jazz Violin Session All Star Road Band All Star Road Band Volume 2 Hot Summer Dance
With Johnny HodgesEllingtonia '56 Duke's in Bed The Big Sound Blues-a-Plenty Not So Dukish Johnny Hodges with Billy Strayhorn and the Orchestra Swing's Our Thing with Earl Hines Ellingtonia! At the Sportpalast Berlin
With others