Dave Black, 78; jazz drummer played with Ellington, other greats

Dave Black, 78, a jazz drummer who toured and recorded with Duke Ellington’s big band in the mid-1950s and inspired composer Billy Strayhorn to write the drum showcase “Gonna Tan Your Hide,” died Monday of pancreatic cancer at his home in Alameda, Calif.

An immensely versatile drummer, Black played swing, bebop and early rock with equal skill. He joined Ellington in 1953 after beating out Ed Shaughnessy and Philly Jo Jones in a contest to replace Ellington drummer Louis Bellson.

Black stayed with the band two years until he was diagnosed with polio. After recuperating, he became a staple of the Dixieland revival band led by trumpeter Bob Scobey and later a freelance drummer in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The son of Scottish immigrants, Black was born in Philadelphia.

After graduating from vocational high school, he became the house drummer at the Blue Note club in Philadelphia, where he accompanied a variety of visiting heavyweights, including Charlie Parker, Zoot Sims and Georgie Auld.

Black can be heard on several Ellington recordings, including “The 1954 Los Angeles Concert” and “Ellington ’55.”