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“Bernard Purdie is a legendary drummer in American music,” Westport Arts Center Jazz Curator Brian Torff said. “His ‘Purdie Shuffle’ has been heard on countless recordings, from Aretha Franklin to Steely Dan.”
Torff added, “He will be playing many of these hits with his infectious energy at the Westport Arts Center. “It is the debut concert of the Jazz-Popular Music series, and promises to be a great one.”
Purdie has been called “the world’s most recorded drummer,” and he is considered a significant influence in the funk world. He started drumming with cans and sticks as a child, before buying a real drum set when he was 14.
He played with Lonnie Youngblood in 1960 in New York, and had his first big hit with King Curtis, before scoring a gig with Aretha Franklin in 1970. He has also drummed for musical greats such as Miles Davis, The Beatles, Hall & Oates and James Brown.
Tickets for the upcoming performance are $30 for adults, $25 for members of the Westport Arts Center and $10 for students. Tickets may be purchased online at www.westportartscenter.org, or by calling 203-222-7070.
A limited number of senior tickets are also available at a discounted rate at the Westport Center for Senior Activities, 21 Imperial Ave.
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