Home » Jazz Musicians » Richie Pratt

Richie Pratt

Beginnings - Kansas City

Richie Pratt (March 11, 1943 – February 12, 2015, born Richard Dean Tyree) was an American jazz drummer. He embarked upon a career as a professional musician on the New York scene in the early 1970s, it was as much due to an unanticipated sporting injury as anything else. Pratt was born into a musical family (his mother was a church pianist and a brother is saxophonist, Chris Burnett) and grew up in the Kansas City metro city of Olathe, Kansas. He first studied music via the piano, as well as, attended various music camps as a youth prior to attending college as a music major at the University of Kansas.

Prolific Years - New York City

Richie Pratt’s prolific tenure as a first-call percussionist on the highly competitive New York City music scene began after he suffered a career-ending injury during his second season with the Giants. His professional tenure as a musician in New York actually began while he was employed as a host at the famed Village Gate.

Pratt began sitting in with Jaki Byard and word began to spread about the big guy from the Midwest who played drums. Bassist, Major Holley, eventually invited Pratt to jam on Sundays at Jacques, which resulted in Junior Mance hearing him play drums and offering him his first paid gig as a drummer in New York. He was sponsored into the American Federation of Musicians, Local 802 by pianist, Ahmad Jamal and eventually worked significantly as a studio session musician, contractor and sideman in numerous contexts.

Initially described in the New York press as a "bubbling cauldron of musical vitality", Pratt subsequently added musical diversity to his cauldron by performing with the American Symphony Orchestra, the Joffrey Ballet, Alvin Ailey; in the Broadway hits: Ain't Supposed To Die A Natural Death; Dude; Raisin; and notably, Pratt was the drum soloist in Broadway's smashing tribute to Duke Ellington, Sophisticated Ladies.

In the traditional jazz arena, Pratt spent over three years as a member of the New York Jazz Quartet, which included Sir Roland Hanna, Frank Wess, and George Mraz. Pratt also accompanied Billy Taylor, Milt Jackson, Milton Hinton, Frank Foster, Monty Alexander, Michel Legrand, Lionel Hampton, Benny Goodman, andBenny Carter among others. The lightness and sensitivity of his drumming has enhanced such legendary vocalists as: Nancy Wilson, Aretha Franklin, Marlena Shaw, Barry White, Melba Moore, the Temptations, Della Reese, Johnny Hartman, Carol Sloane, and Johnny Desmond as well.

Read more

Tags

429
Musings In Cb

Drummer Richie Pratt

Read "Drummer Richie Pratt" reviewed by Christopher Burnett


It is always helpful to have a mentor available during one's life and career as a working professional musician. The subject of this particular musing is my oldest brother, Richie Pratt, a life- long musician, composer, and great human being. He is one of those unsung heroes, who have probably been heard on countless recordings or sessions, but no one knows their names -and that fact doesn't bother him in the least.Pratt is the quintessential jazz musician, a ...

Read more articles
1

Music Industry

Drummer, Richie Pratt (March 11, 1943 - February 12, 2015)

Drummer, Richie Pratt (March 11, 1943 - February 12, 2015)

Source: Artists Recording Collective, LLC

"It is with sadness that I inform you of the passing of drummer, Richie Pratt (March 11, 1943 - February 12, 2015) at his home in the jny: Kansas City metro area", stated Artists Recording Collective label COO, Christopher Burnett. “Richie was a prolific musician on the jny: New York City and global jazz scenes as mostly a sideman and studio musician during the 1970s and 1980s. He also worked on and off Broadway, most notably in the Tony Award ...

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Olathe

ARC - Artists Recording Collective
2007

buy

Videos

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.