Ronnie Burrage

Ronnie Burrage brought versatility to the drum kit while also handling vibes and marimba, shaping a personal approach that moved fluidly between the rapid-fire demands of hard bop and bebop and the solid grooves of funk, soul, and R&B. His mother worked as a classical pianist, he performed as a vocalist in the St. Louis Cathedral boys' choir, and he spent time drumming in several funk groups. In the early 1980s he contributed to the St. Louis Metropolitan Jazz Quintet, supporting Arthur Blythe, Jackie McLean, Andrew Hill, and McCoy Tyner on their appearances in the city. Mid-decade found him in the Woody Shaw quintet. By 1986 he had assembled the trio Third Kind of Blue with John Purcell and Anthony Cox, fusing avant-garde and bop sensibilities, and the group documented its music that year. The following decade brought recording sessions alongside Courtney Pine, Sonny Fortune, Gunther Schuller, Hamiet Bluiett, the World Saxophone Quartet, and Billy Bang. He also led a 1993 date issued as Shuttle that featured Bluiett, Cyrus Chestnut, and Charnett Moffett. Two leader albums appeared in the 2000s: Just Natural in 2001 and In It in 2004. Activity continued through the 2010s with the releases Blue Noise in 2010 and Spirit Guides in 2011.