* En anglais uniquement
Although he played with a many first-rate leaders over the course of his career,
Woodyard is most closely associated with
Duke Ellington. And rightfully so; one has only to listen to the
Ellington Orchestra's legendary performance of "Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue" from the 1956 Ellington at Newport album to appreciate how important
Woodyard became to the legendary composer's later work.
Woodyard wasn't a flashy player, but few swung harder; he drove the
Ellington band like no other drummer in the band's storied history.
Musically,
Woodyard was largely self-taught. In the '40s, he played with local groups in and around his hometown of Newark. He played in
Paul Gayten's R&B group around 1950. In the early '50s, prior to joining
Ellington,
Woodyard played with tenor saxophonist
Joe Holiday, trumpeter
Roy Eldridge, and pianist
Milt Buckner. His tenure with
Ellington began in 1955; it lasted (with a few interruptions) until 1966. He then joined
Ella Fitzgerald's band and moved to Los Angeles. His health failed during the '70s and his playing activities declined, although he did perform, most notably on congas with the
Buddy Rich Big Band on such albums as
Roar of '74 and Ease on Down the Road. In the late '70s,
Woodyard toured with pianist
Claude Bolling. In 1983, he recorded with an all-star band that included pianist
Teddy Wilson, tenor saxophonist
Buddy Tate, and bassist
Slam Stewart. In July 1988, then living in Paris,
Woodyard played on
Steve Lacy's album The Door. He died just over a month later. ~ Chris Kelsey