Bill Summers

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Bill Summers is an American percussionist who plays Afro-Cuban jazz and Latin jazz. He was born on 27 June 1948 and is a multi-instrumentalist, but plays mainly conga. His name is seldom out in front, because a large part of his work was done behind the scenes, in studios and on films. Even so, his career runs through several worlds: jazz, funk, Latin and film music.

Music and breakthrough

In the 1970s he founded Bill Summers & Summers Heat, a large group with many musicians, including the saxophonist Hadley Caliman, the pianist Rodney Franklin and the guitarist Ray Obiedo. Between 1977 and 1983 the group made seven albums, with titles such as Cayenne, Straight to the Bank and Seventeen. Before that he played with Herbie Hancock in the days of The Headhunters. His contribution to the later album Evolution Revolution from 2003 is mentioned in the liner notes. He also worked on the music for films such as The Color Purple and on the television series Roots, together with Quincy Jones.

Influence

In the 1990s Summers played in Los Hombres Calientes, with the trumpeter Irvin Mayfield as co-leader and Jason Marsalis on drums. His solo work includes Feel the Heat from 1976 and The Essence of Kwanzaa from 1997. With his conga playing he showed how African and Cuban rhythms could gain a permanent place in American jazz and funk.

Listening

Discography

Studio albums

• 1976Feel the Heat
• 1997The Essence of Kwanzaa

In School of Rock

The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.

• After Hours: Session 3^NL Reader