Versatile jazz, R&B; drummer performed with music legends

Bobby Durham, a jazz drummer of impeccable taste and versatility who teamed with Oscar Peterson and Ella Fitzgerald and became a fixture of the Jazz at the Philharmonic touring concert series, died July 7 at a hospital in Genoa, Italy. He was 71 and had lung cancer and emphysema.

His death was confirmed by Sandra Fuller, a family friend.

Durham’s personality on drums ranged from exuberant to unobtrusive.

John S. Wilson, the late New York Times jazz critic, noted Durham’s “remarkable displays of technical virtuosity” in a 1968 concert with Peterson, a pianist known for his understated swing.

Norman Granz, the impresario behind Jazz at the Philharmonic, became an admirer of Durham’s skills and used him frequently as a supporting studio and stage musician for a wide variety of star performers from the 1960s to the ‘80s.

In the ‘70s, Durham also spent several years in small groups fronted by singer Fitzgerald and pianists Monty Alexander and Tommy Flanagan, as well as one led by trombonist Al Grey and saxophonist Jimmy Forrest.

Robert Joseph Durham was born Feb. 3, 1937, in Philadelphia, the son of tap dancers.

He learned trombone, bass and vibraphone before concentrating on a drumming career in rhythm and blues groups after serving in the Marine Corps in the late ‘50s. In later years, he developed a talent for improvised singing known as scat.

After settling in New York in 1960, Durham accompanied jazz, R&B; and soul entertainers, including Marvin Gaye and James Brown. In 1967, he began working in Duke Ellington’s band but quickly become a part of Peterson’s trio.

Starting in the ‘80s, Durham began an active freelance career and performed with organist Shirley Scott, among other jazz stars. He also reunited with Peterson in the late ‘80s, playing in a trio with the pianist and bassist Ray Brown that received high praise.

Durham made many trips to Europe, leading trios and recording several albums for an independent Italian music label, Azzurra. He spent the final years of his life dividing his time between homes in Basel, Switzerland, and Isola del Cantone, near Genoa.

Survivors include two daughters and four grandchildren.