190 – Bernard “Pretty” Purdie: The most recorded drummer of all time

In this podcast I have the opportunity to chat with Bernard Purdie, who is arguably the most recorded drummer of all time. Purdie’s signature sound can be heard on records from some of the most prolific artists in the world, including: Steely Dan, Aretha Franklin, Miles Davis, Ray Charles, James Brown, B.B. King, totaling over 5,000 records. Yes, you read that correctly – 5,000 records! As if that wasn’t impressive enough, Bernard shaped the landscape of modern music with his “Purdie Shuffle” and now the iconic half-time shuffle can be heard on records across the globe as an homage to the great, Bernard Purdie.

“When you allow your ego to control your thoughts, everything you believe becomes an illusion.” – Rusty Eric (Tweet this)

Bernard Purdie talks about:

• How he got started playing drums
• Why he wasn’t allowed to play drums
• His ego and what he learned from it
• The inspiration behind the Purdie Shuffle
• Not “looking back”
• The infamous Beatles stories
• The most important part of grooving
• Much more

Resources and links mentioned:

• Contact Bernard Purdie: Website | Facebook | Twitter
• Let the drums speak 

DW Drums: I’ve been playing DW for years…not only because they make high-quality, handcrafted drums but because they support and foster drumming initiatives all over the wold, much like this podcast. I’m thrilled to announce that DW has signed on to support Drummer’s Reosource for 2016! Be sure to check them out today and DWDrums.com.

Audible.com: Audible is one of my favorite companies in the world! They make audio book so you can listen to your favorite books on the go. You know, but I listen more. I use audible every single day and can’t recommend them enough! The best part, you can download a FREE audio book by going to Audible.com/Drummer

Promark Drumsticks: Promark is Is now a sponsor of the podcast once again they were last year and now they are again. they just released the Mike Portnoy signature model that has the active grip 420X at it’s designed to add more power to your arsenal and features the heat activated technology. It’s s an awesome technology that actually adjusts to your body temperature and give you control you need so no matter how hard you play the active grip is going to help you handle it by getting tackier as it warms up. You can learn more about this great technology and the Mike Portnoy stick at Promark.com