Ronnie Burrage
Encyclopedia
Ronnie Burrage is an American jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...

 drummer. His style draws elements from hard bop
Hard bop
Hard bop is a style of jazz that is an extension of bebop music. Journalists and record companies began using the term in the mid-1950s to describe a new current within jazz which incorporated influences from rhythm and blues, gospel music, and blues, especially in the saxophone and piano...

, bebop
Bebop
Bebop differed drastically from the straightforward compositions of the swing era, and was instead characterized by fast tempos, asymmetrical phrasing, intricate melodies, and rhythm sections that expanded on their role as tempo-keepers...

, funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...

, and soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...

.

Burrage sang in the St. Louis Cathedral
St. Louis Cathedral
St. Louis Cathedral may refer to:* St. Louis Cathedral, New Orleans, 18th century* Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, 20th century structure in St. Louis, Missouri* Saint Louis Cathedral, Carthage, 19th century structure, Tunisia...

 boys' choir from age seven to eleven and performed with Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...

 at the age of nine. Ronnie also played drums, percussion vibraphone and sang in several funk, R & B and jazz groups including The Soul Flamingos, Fontella Bass
Fontella Bass
Fontella Bass is an American soul singer, who is best known for the 1965 R&B hit "Rescue Me", which she also co-wrote.-Early life:...

, Oliver Sain
Oliver Sain
Oliver Sain was an American saxophonist, songwriter, bandleader, drummer and record producer....

, Third Circuit & Spirit, Rainbow Glass, and Expression Jazz Quintet. He played in the St. Louis Metropolitan Jazz Quintet from 1975 to 1977 and was considered a child prodigy to be playing with standing members of the St. Louis Metropolitan Jazz Quintet such as John Mixon who played bass with Grant Green
Grant Green
Grant Green was a jazz guitarist and composer....

 and Miles Davis
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...

, James "Iron Head" Matthews on piano, Freddie Washington
Freddie Washington
Freddie Washington was an American jazz pianist.Washington moved to California around the year 1918, where he joined Kid Ory's band in 1921. He recorded with Ory's band, and it is for his role in these sessions that he is primarily known. He led his own band in the 1920s and 1930s, in addition to...

, Willie Akins on saxophone and Ben Jones
Ben Jones
Ben Jones may refer to:*Ben Jones , British actor*Ben Jones , British radio DJ*Ben Jones , Welsh soccer player*Ben Jones , English soccer player...

 on trumpet.

From age 15 to 17, Burrage was also involved in a collective band called No Commercial Potential with Mark Friedrick on keyboards, Darryl Mixon on bass (son of John Mixon), and Richie Daniels on guitar that opened many fusion concerts for the likes of George Duke
George Duke
George Duke is a multi-faceted American musician, known as a keyboard pioneer, composer, singer and producer in both jazz and popular mainstream musical genres. He has worked with numerous acclaimed artists as arranger, music director, writer and co-writer, record producer and professor of music...

, Gino Vannelli
Gino Vannelli
Gino Vannelli is an Italian-Canadian singer, songwriter, musician and composer.-Early years:Born in Montreal, Quebec, Vannelli is one of three sons born to Russ and Delia Vannelli. Russ, his father, was a big band musician. As a child, Gino's greatest passion was music, and he began playing...

 and others. He played in many jazz clubs, concerts and venues including St. Louis' "Afro Day in the Park," an annual event. Also while still a teenager, Burrage and his own band, Alexis, managed by his mother, Cosandra Burrage, worked with correctional institutions throughout St. Louis and Illinois in an outreach program to bring about positive change.

At 17, Burrage moved to New York City and played with Sonny Fortune
Sonny Fortune
Sonny Fortune is an American jazz alto saxophonist and flautist. He also plays soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone and clarinet.-Biography:...

, Lester Bowie
Lester Bowie
Lester Bowie was an American jazz trumpet player and composer. He was a member of the AACM, and cofounded the Art Ensemble of Chicago.-Biography:...

, Defunkt
Defunkt
Defunkt is a musical group founded by trombonist/singer Joseph Bowie 1978 in New York, United States, and still active. Their music touches on elements of punk rock, funk and jazz....

, Teruo Nakamura
Teruo Nakamura
Private was a Taiwan-born soldier of the Imperial Japanese Army who fought for Japan in World War II and did not surrender until 1974.His name in his native language appears to have been Attun Palalin...

, Sir Roland Hanna, Major Holley
Major Holley
Major Holley was an American jazz upright bassist.Holley attended the prestigious Cass Technical High School. Holley played violin and tuba when young and started playing bass while serving in the Navy...

, [Arthur Blythe]], Jackie McLean
Jackie McLean
John Lenwood McLean was an American jazz alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader and educator, born in New York City.-Biography:McLean's father, John Sr., played guitar in Tiny Bradshaw's orchestra...

, Andrew Hill
Andrew Hill
Andrew Hill was an American jazz pianist and composer.Hill is recognized as one of the most important innovators of jazz piano in the 1960s...

, and McCoy Tyner
McCoy Tyner
McCoy Tyner is a jazz pianist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet and a long solo career.-Early life:...

. He played with Woody Shaw
Woody Shaw
Woody Shaw was an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, composer and band leader, often referred to as the "last innovator" in the jazz trumpet lineage...

 and then cofounded Third Kind of Blue with John Purcell
John Purcell
John Purcell VC was an Irish soldier in the British Army who received the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....

 and Anthony Cox
Anthony Cox (musician)
Anthony Cox is an American jazz bass player.Played with: Geri Allen, Dewey Redman, Dave Douglas, John Scofield, Pat Metheny, Gary Thomas, Marty Ehrlich, Ed Blackwell, Joe Lovano, Dave King, and others.Lives and plays in Minnesota....

. Later work includes recordings with Defunkt
Defunkt
Defunkt is a musical group founded by trombonist/singer Joseph Bowie 1978 in New York, United States, and still active. Their music touches on elements of punk rock, funk and jazz....

, Barbara Dennerlein
Barbara Dennerlein
Barbara Dennerlein , is a hard bop and post-bop Hammond B3 organist.-Early years:At age 11, Dennerlein began playing electronic organ. After starting organ lessons, she learned to play the two manual organ with a bass pedalboard. After one and a half years of lessons she continued to study without...

, Michal Urbaniak
Michal Urbaniak
Michał Urbaniak is a Polish jazz musician and composer born in Warsaw, playing mainly the violin, lyricon and saxophone during concerts and recordings...

, Ray Anderson
Ray Anderson
Ray Anderson may refer to:*Ray Anderson , light heavyweight boxer*Ray Anderson *Ray Anderson , jazz trombone and trumpet player...

, Abdullah Ibrahim
Abdullah Ibrahim
Abdullah Ibrahim , born Adolph Johannes Brand, 9 October 1934 in Cape Town, South Africa, and formerly known as Dollar Brand, is a South African pianist and composer...

, Joanne Brackeen
Joanne Brackeen
Joanne Brackeen is an American jazz pianist and music educator.-Biography:She was born Joanne Grogan in Ventura, California. She attended the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music, but devoted herself to jazz by imitating Frankie Carle albums...

, Jack Walrath
Jack Walrath
Jack Walrath is an American post-bop jazz trumpeter and musical arranger known for his work with Ray Charles, Gary Peacock, Charles Mingus and Glenn Ferris, among others....

, Sonny Fortune
Sonny Fortune
Sonny Fortune is an American jazz alto saxophonist and flautist. He also plays soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone and clarinet.-Biography:...

, Courtney Pine
Courtney Pine
Courtney Pine CBE is an English jazz musician. At school he studied the clarinet, although he is known primarily for his saxophone playing. Pine is a multi-instrumentalist, also playing the flute, clarinet, bass Clarinet and keyboards...

, Joe Zawinul
Joe Zawinul
Josef Erich Zawinul was an Austrian-American jazz keyboardist and composer.First coming to prominence with saxophonist Cannonball Adderley, Zawinul went on to play with trumpeter Miles Davis, and to become one of the creators of jazz fusion, an innovative musical genre that combined jazz with...

, Archie Shepp
Archie Shepp
Archie Shepp is a prominent African-American jazz saxophonist. Shepp is best known for his passionately Afrocentric music of the late 1960s, which focused on highlighting the injustices faced by the African-Americans, as well as for his work with the New York Contemporary Five, Horace Parlan, and...

, the World Saxophone Quartet
World Saxophone Quartet
The World Saxophone Quartet is a jazz ensemble founded in 1977, implementing elements of free funk and African jazz into their musical routines.-History:...

 and Gary Thomas
Gary Thomas
Gary Thomas is an American jazz saxophonist and flautist from Baltimore, Maryland. He is a member of Jack DeJohnette's Special Edition band and has worked with John McLaughlin, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, John Scofield, Jim Hall, Dave Holland, Greg Osby, Wayne Shorter, Ravi Coltrane, Cassandra...

. Burrage played for several years with Wayne Shorter
Wayne Shorter
Wayne Shorter is an American jazz saxophonist and composer.He is generally acknowledged to be jazz's greatest living composer, and many of his compositions have become standards...

, one of the greatest jazz composers of the late 20th century.

"The Burrage Ensemble" was Ronnie's first band playing primarily in New York City from 1980-1983 as well as jazz festivals in Philadelphia, St. Louis, Boston and Washington, DC. Members were Kenny Kirkland
Kenny Kirkland
Kenneth David “Kenny” Kirkland was an American pianist/keyboardist. He is most often associated with Sting, Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, and Kenny Garrett....

 on piano and keyboards, arcus Miller] on bass, Joe Ford
Joe Ford
Joseph or Joe Ford may refer to:*Joseph Ford*Joseph Dillon Ford*Joe Ford *Joe Ford *Joe Ford *Joe T. Ford, CEO and co-founder of Alltel...

 on saxes and flute. Other members of the ensemble included Rasul Siddik on trumpet, Branford Marsalis
Branford Marsalis
Branford Marsalis is an American saxophonist, composer and bandleader. While primarily known for his work in jazz as the leader of the Branford Marsalis Quartet, he also performs frequently as a soloist with classical ensembles and has led the group Buckshot LeFonque.-Biography:Marsalis was born...

 on sax, Avery Sharpe
Avery Sharpe
Avery Sharpe is an American jazz double-bassist.Sharpe began playing piano at age eight and also studied accordion in his youth. He learned both electric and acoustic bass as a teenager, then studied with Reggie Workman at the University of Massachusetts...

 on basses, Wynton Marsalis
Wynton Marsalis
Wynton Learson Marsalis is a trumpeter, composer, bandleader, music educator, and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. Marsalis has promoted the appreciation of classical and jazz music often to young audiences...

 on trumpet, and Wallace Roney
Wallace Roney
Wallace Roney is an American hard bop and post-bop trumpeter.Roney took lessons from Clark Terry and Dizzy Gillespie and studied with Miles Davis from 1985 until the latter's death in 1991...

 on trumpet.

In 1978, on a full music scholarship, Burrage attended North Texas State University. At Jazz Mobile N.Y.C. from 1994-2002, he was Instructor Drum and Percussion while being Instructor at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from 1994-1996. He was Substitute Instructor at The New School in New York, New York from 1992-2000. Currently, Burrage is Producer and Artistic Director at Bluenoise Studio, Frederick, Maryland as well as Professor of Practice at The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania teaching Hip-Hop Music and Culture and A Closer World in the Art, African and African-American Studies and Integrative Arts Departments.

Tours

2010: Azar Lawrence & Benito Gonzalez with Ronnie Burrage, U.S.A.
Third Kind of Blue, U.S.A.
Band Burrage, East Coast, U.S.A.
"Q.K.R.", East Coast, U.S.A.

2009: Bluenoise, Central Pennsylvania Arts Festival
Ronnie Burrage Group, Washington, DC, Baltimore, Maryland, State College and West Oak Lane Festival, Philadelphia, PA

2008: Archie Shepp, San Francisco Jazz Festival
Ronnie Burrage Group, Russia, Siberia
Third Kind of Blue with Essiet Okun Essiet & Alain Bradette, Baltimore, Washington, DC, State College, New York

2007: Ronnie Burrage Group, Orlando, FL, St. Louis, MO, Russia, Siberia
Arkadi Orwrutski, Frank Lucy & Joe Ford, Russia, Ukraine
Savion Glover, St. Thomas, London
Band Burrage, West Oak Lane Jazz Festival, Philadelphia, Baltimore, St. Louis, Orlando
Frank Morgan, U.S.A.
Archie Shepp, New York, NY

2006: "Artist in Residence," Pennsylvania State University, State College
Sam Rivers, U.S.A., Europe
Witzigmann Palozzo, Munich
Chris Byrne, Arts Festival, State College
Band Burrage with Benito Gonzales, Mike Boone, Sid Simmons, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, St. Louis

2005: Band Burrage with Jeff Rupert, Bobby Keoble & Doug Matthews, Orlando, FL
Ronnie Burrage Trio with Benito Gonzales & James King, Baltimore and Frederick, Maryland
Ronnie Burrage & Othello Montelaux Tribute to Jaco Pastorius, Hollywood Jazz Festival, Hollywood, FL
Ronnie Burrage Trio with Sid Simmons & James King, An Die Muzik Hall, Baltimore
Ronnie Burrage & Magnets Jazz Ensemble Class/Concert, Reed College, Portland, Oregon
Ronnie Burrage Trio, Inaugural Celebration, Assemblyman Roger Green, Brooklyn, NY
Root Down, Blue's Alley, Washington, DC
Carl Grubbs, East Coast Tour, U.S.A.

2004: Jackie & Rene McClean with James Moody & Gary Bartz/African Sax Summit, North Sea Jazz Festival, Cape Town, South Africa
Frank Morgan, U.S.A.
Magnets, U.S.A.

2001-2003: Wallace Roney, Europe, Japan, U.S.A.
Frank Morgan, U.S.A.
Ronnie Burrage, Monterey, Mexico, U.S.A.

2000: Archie Shepp, Europe
Stafford James Project, Europe
Gary Bartz, New York

1999: Michal Urbaniak, Poland
Bobby Watson's Horizon, Italy, New York City
Band Burrage, St. Louis, Kentucky
Coltrane Legacy Big Band with Reggie Workman, Magic Triangle Jazz Series, Amherst, MA, PECO Jazz Fest, Philadelphia, Lincoln Center, New York City
John Butler with Essiet Essiet & Dale Barlow, Peru
Sonny Simmons, Pennsylvania State University, Knitting Factory, New York City

1998: Band Burrage, Jazz Arts Fest/Blue's Alley, Sweet Basil's JVC Arts Fest/Knitting Factory, The Iron Horse Cafe, North Hampton, Massachusetts
The World Saxophone Quartet/"World Cup Parade"/Banlieues Bleus Fest, Paris/Festival Ancona, Italy
The Firm with Reggie Workman, Ernie Watts, Mark Whitfield, Ronnie Burrage, The Litchfield Jazz Festival
Reggie Workman's Coltrane Legacy, Jazz Arts Festival, Washington, DC
Sonny Fortune, The Flint Jazz Festival, The Kentucky Jazz Arts Festival

1997: The Firm with Reggie Workman, Ernie Watts, Mark Whitfield, Ronnie Burrage, New York
Carlos Ward, England, Europe
Buster Williams, Stafford James, Europe
Ed Schuller, Europe

1996: Ronnie Burrage, Gary Thomas, Dave Kikoski, Andrzej Cudzich, Poland
Carlos Ward, Europe

1995: Courtney Pine, Europe, England
Stafford James and Ronnie Burrage, Europe
David Murray, midwest USA

1994: Band Burrage, Japan
Gary Thomas, Europe
Jae Zawinul, Europe

1993: Ronnie Burrage and Eddie Henderson, Poland, Europe
Bob Berg, East Coast, USA

1992: Band Burrage, Europe
Sonny Fortune, Japan
Blue Brass Connection, Europe
Sir Roland Hanna Trio, Portugal
Eddie Gomez and Ronnie Burrage, Moscow

1991: Courtney Pine, USA and Canada
Monty Waters, Europe
JoAnn Brakeen, USA

1990: Ronnie Burrage Trio, Japan
Sonny Fortune, Japan
JoAnn Brakeen, Turkey
Jack Walrath, England, Europe
Richard Davis and Clifford Jordan, Japan
Blue Brass Connection, Europe
Wayne Shorter, USA, Canada, Europe

1989: Robin Eubanks, USA

1988: Abdullah Ibrahim, Europe
Michael Brecker, Japan, USA
Freddie Hubbard, USA

1987: Third Kind of Blue, USA, Europe
Ray Anderson, Europe
Jackie McClean, Europe
Jack Walrath, Puerto Rico

1986: Third Kind of Blue, Europe, England, Yugoslavia
Michael Urbaniak, Poland
Jackie McClean, Europe

1985: Third Kind of Blue, Europe
Jackie McClean, Europe
Cedar Walton, Europe
Pepper Adams, Europe
Woody Shaw and Joe Farrell, Europe

1984: Jaco Pastorius, USA
Woody Shaw, India, Africa, Middle East

1983: Dave Valentine and Jerry Gonzales, Jorge Dalto, Puerto Rico
Sonny Rollins and Pat Metheny, USA, Canada
Chico Freeman, Japan, Europe, Middle East, India, Pakistan

1980-1983: McCoy Tyner, USA, Canada, Europe, Japan, Brazil

Discography

As leader/co-leader
  • "Shuttle with Hamiet Bluiett
    Hamiet Bluiett
    Hamiet Bluiett is an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. His primary instrument is the baritone saxophone, and he is considered one of the finest living players of this instrument...

    , Cyrus Chestnut
    Cyrus Chestnut
    Cyrus Chestnut is an American jazz pianist, songwriter, and producer. In 2006, Josh Tyrangiel, music critic for Time Magazine, wrote: "What makes Chestnut the best jazz pianist of his generation is a willingness to abandon notes and play space." Chestnut enjoys mixing styles and resists being...

    , Joe Ford, Doc Gibbs, Frank Lacy
    Frank Lacy
    Ku-umba Frank Lacy is an American jazz trombonist.His father was a teacher who had played guitar with Illinois Jacquet, Eddie Cleanhead Vinson, and Arnett Cobb; his mother sang gospel music. He played piano from age eight, and played trumpet, euphonium, and tuba before settling on trombone at age 16...

    , Charnett Moffett
    Charnett Moffett
    Charnett Moffett is an American jazz musician who plays piccolo bass, double bass and bass guitar.Moffett's given name was created as a combination of that of his father and that of Ornette Coleman...

    , produced by Ronnie Burrage, Sound Hills Records, 1994
  • Just Natural with Terence Conley, Eric Person
    Eric Person
    Eric Person is an American alto and soprano saxophone player and leader of Meta-Four and Metamorphosis. Since coming to New York City in 1982, Person has performed with a who's who list of legends on the jazz and rock scene...

    , West Wind Records, 2000
  • In It, RoBurrage Music/MiMikAlana Records, 2004
  • Blue Noise, Produced by Ronnie Burrage, 2008
  • Electric Vibe Ronnie Burrage, MiMikAlana Records/RoBurrage Music, 2010
  • Third Kind of Blue with Alain Bradette, Essiet Okon Essiet and Ronnie Burrage, MiMikAlana Records/RoBurrage Music, 2010
  • Q.K.R. featuring Quincy Troupe, Kelvyn Bell and Ronnie Burrage, MiMikAlana Records/RoBurrage Music, 2010


As sideman
  • McCoy Tyner
    McCoy Tyner
    McCoy Tyner is a jazz pianist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet and a long solo career.-Early life:...

    , "Live Montreux-New York Connection" CBS Records, 1979
  • Sonny Fortune
    Sonny Fortune
    Sonny Fortune is an American jazz alto saxophonist and flautist. He also plays soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone and clarinet.-Biography:...

    , "Four in One" Blue Note Records, 1994
  • Jarek Smietana, "Ballads and Other Songs" Starling Records, 1994
  • The Bluiett Baritone Saxophone Group, "Live at the Knitting Factory" produced by Ronnie Burrage on Knitting Factory Records, 1998
  • Bluiett Baritone Nation, "Libation for the Baritone Saxophone Nation" Justin Time Records, 1998
  • Alan Glover, "The Anticipated Dawn" CMN Records, 1999
  • John Butler
    John Butler
    -Arts and Entertainment:*John "Picayune" Butler , American performer*John Butler , American artist*John Butler , member of the English alternative rock band Diesel Park West...

    , "Live in Peru" JB Records, 1999
  • Mack Gollebon, "Nostalgia" Half Note Records, 1999
  • Sonny Fortune
    Sonny Fortune
    Sonny Fortune is an American jazz alto saxophonist and flautist. He also plays soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone and clarinet.-Biography:...

    , In the Spirit of John Coltrane Shanachie Records
    Shanachie Records
    Shanachie Records was founded in 1976 by Richard Nevins and Dan Collins. According to Harvey Pekar , it is one of the largest independent record labels in the world, and is currently distributed by E1 Music. Starting as a label that specialized in fiddle music, they began releasing work by Celtic...

    , 1999
  • Piotr Wojtasik, 'Hope', Power Bros, 2003
  • Archie Shepp
    Archie Shepp
    Archie Shepp is a prominent African-American jazz saxophonist. Shepp is best known for his passionately Afrocentric music of the late 1960s, which focused on highlighting the injustices faced by the African-Americans, as well as for his work with the New York Contemporary Five, Horace Parlan, and...

    , Gemini Archie Ball Records, 2007
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