Though less celebrated than Buddy Rich, jazz drummer Roger Humphries took up percussion at an unusually young age. He grew up in a household of ten children whose two uncles, horn players Frank Humphries and Hildred Humphries, worked professionally. His early skill with drums earned him admission to school ahead of schedule. At four he made his first public appearance, performing in a Christmas program with the Mary J. Cowley Band. Amateur-contest prizes soon followed, and at four-and-a-half Uncle Frank persuaded the Tab Smith band to let the boy sit in. Professional work began by age fourteen; two years later he was fronting his own ensemble at Carnegie Music Hall.
The early 1960s brought road engagements with leading jazz artists. Based in Pittsburgh, he supported tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine and organist Shirley Scott in their celebrated trio. In 1964 Humphries moved to New York and joined the Horace Silver Quintet, touring Europe with the group on two occasions. He appears on several of Silver’s best-known recordings, including the acclaimed Song for My Father. Subsequent experience with Ray Charles sharpened his big-band skills. Additional artists who employed him include Lee Morgan, Grant Green, Billy Taylor, Lionel Hampton, Coleman Hawkins, Clark Terry, Joe Henderson, Dizzy Gillespie, Johnny Griffin, and numerous others.
In the early 1970s he formed his own unit, the R.H. Factor. Leadership continued with the Roger Humphries Big Band, organized in 1996. Releases under his name appeared in 1993 and a decade later; the latter album, Don't Give Up, carries a striking childhood photograph of the drummer on its cover. As an instructor at the University of Pittsburgh, Humphries exerted considerable influence on younger musicians. Musical relatives include pianist cousin Teddy Humphries as well as brothers Lawrence Humphries Jr. and Norman Humphries, both avocational players. The drumming tradition persists through son Roger Humphries Jr. and nephew Gregory Humphries.
