TRANSCRIPT:
Hi, I’m Mark Rapp, and this is Rapp on Jazz.
Tommy Benford, born in 1905, was a remarkable jazz drummer whose journey began—like his brother Bill’s—at the Jenkins Orphanage in Charleston, South Carolina. He was just a child when he toured with the orphanage band, sharpening the rhythmic skills that would take him around the world.
Tommy became one of the first great jazz drummers of the swing era. He played and recorded with some of the biggest names in early jazz: Fats Waller, Benny Carter, Eddie South, and Duke Ellington. A standout moment in his career came in 1937, when he recorded in Paris with the legendary Coleman Hawkins.
Known for his crisp, swinging timing and musical sensitivity, Benford helped define the drummer's role in small combos and big bands alike.
His rhythmic legacy continues to echo in jazz percussion today.
This has been Rapp on Jazz, a co-production of ColaJazz and South Carolina Public Radio, made possible by the ETV Endowment of South Carolina.