Grady Tate (born January 14, 1932) is an American hard bop and soul-jazz drummer and singer with a distinctive baritone voice. In addition to his work as sideman, Tate has released many albums as leader and vocalist as well as lent his voice to a number of songs in the Schoolhouse Rock! series.
Tate was born in Hayti , Durham, North Carolina. In 1963 he moved to New York City , where he became the drummer in Quincy Jones 's band.
Grady Tate's drumming helped to define a particular hard bop, soul jazz and organ trio sound during the mid-1960s and beyond. His slick, layered and intense sound is instantly recognizable for its understated style in which he integrates his trademark subtle nuances with sharp, crisp "on top of the beat" timing (in comparison to playing slightly before, or slightly after the beat). The Grady Tate sound can be heard prominently on many of the classic Jimmy Smith and Wes Montgomery albums recorded on the Verve label in the 1960s.
Tate was the drummer on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for six years. During the 1970s he was a member of the New York Jazz Quartet . In 1981 he played drums and percussion for Simon and Garfunkel's Concert in Central Park.
As a sideman he has played with Lionel Hampton, Earl Hines, Jimmy Smith , Grant Green , Boogaloo Joe Jones , Lena Horne , Astrud Gilberto , Ella Fitzgerald , Miles Davis, Blossom Dearie, Chris Connor, Sarah Vaughan , Ray Charles, Cal Tjader , Peggy Lee , Bill Evans , Duke Ellington , Count Basie , Tom Rapp, Rahsaan Roland Kirk , Stanley Turrentine , Charles Earland , Quincy Jones , Stan Getz , Wes Montgomery, and Robert Stewart (saxophonist).
Among his most widely heard vocal performances are the songs "I Got Six", "Naughty Number Nine", and "Fireworks" from Multiplication Rock and America Rock , both part of the Schoolhouse Rock series. For the 1973 motion picture Cops And Robbers Michel Legrand and Jacques Wilson.
He has been on the faculty of Howard University since 1989.
1968: Windmills of My Mind (Skye ) 1970: After the Long Drive Home (Skye) 1971: Feeling Life (Skye) 1972: She Is My Lady (Janus ) 1975: By Special Request (Buddah) 1977: Master Grady Tate (Impulse!) 1991: TNT (Milestone) 1992: Body & Soul (Milestone) 2006: From the Heart: Songs Sung Live at the Blue Note (Half Note ) 1962: Charles Mingus – The Complete Town Hall Concert 1963: Gary McFarland – The In Sound Verve ) 1964: Ben Webster – See You at the Fair 1964: Lalo Schifrin – New Fantasy 1964: Jimmy Smith – The Cat 1964: Nat Adderley – Autobiography 1964: Oliver Nelson – More Blues and the Abstract Truth 1964: Lou Donaldson – Rough House Blues Argo ) 1964: Cal Tjader – Soul Sauce 1964: J. J. Johnson – J.J.! (RCA Victor) 1964: Budd Johnson - Off the Wall (Argo) - with Joe Newman 1965: Milt Jackson – Ray Brown / Milt Jackson (Verve) - with Ray Brown 1965: Johnny Hodges with Wild Bill Davis – Joe's Blues 1965: Dorothy Ashby – The Fantastic Jazz Harp of Dorothy Ashby 1965: Cal Tjader – Soul Bird: Whiffenpoof 1965: Illinois Jacquet – Spectrum 1965: Roland Kirk & Al Hibbler – A Meeting of the Times 1965: Jimmy Smith – Organ Grinder Swing (Verve) 1965: Jimmy Smith – Monster 1965: Lalo Schifrin – Once a Thief and Other Themes 1965: Stanley Turrentine – Joyride 1965: Gary McFarland and Clark Terry – Tijuana Jazz 1965: Kai Winding – Rainy Day 1965: Dave Pike – Jazz for the Jet Set (Atlantic) 1965: J. J. Johnson – Broadway Express 1966: Shirley Scott – Roll 'Em: Shirley Scott Plays the Big Bands 1966: Eric Kloss – Love and All That Jazz 1966: Jimmy Smith – Got My Mojo Workin' (Verve) 1966: Jimmy Smith – Hoochie Coochie Man (Verve) 1966: Gábor Szabó – Gypsy '66 (Impulse!) 1966: Jimmy McGriff – The Big Band Solid State ) 1966: Kai Winding – More Brass Dirty Dog 1966: Oliver Nelson – Oliver Nelson Plays Michelle 1966: Clark Terry – Mumbles Mainstream ) 1966: Oliver Nelson – Sound Pieces 1966: Oliver Nelson – Happenings Hank Jones 1966: Oliver Nelson – Encyclopedia of Jazz 1966: Oliver Nelson – The Sound of Feeling 1966: J. J. Johnson – The Total J.J. Johnson 1966: Johnny Hodges - Blue Notes (Verve) 1967: Kenny Burrell – A Generation Ago Today 1967: Oliver Nelson – The Spirit of '67 1967: Kai Winding – Penny Lane & Time (Verve) 1967: Oliver Nelson – The Kennedy Dream 1967: Stan Getz – Sweet Rain 1967: Johnny Hodges – Don't Sleep in the Subway 1967: Herbie Mann – Glory of Love CTI ) 1968: Stan Getz – What the World Needs Now: Stan Getz Plays Burt Bacharach and Hal David 1968: Kenny Burrell – Blues – The Common Ground 1968: Hubert Laws – Laws' Cause 1968: Roy Ayers – Stoned Soul Picnic 1968: Eddie Harris – Plug Me In 1968: Billy Taylor – I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free 1968: Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis – Love Calls 1968: Johnny "Hammond" Smith – Nasty! (Prestige) 1968: J. J. Johnson and Kai Winding – Israel (A&M/CTI) 1968: Nat Adderley – You, Baby 1968: Milt Jackson – Milt Jackson and the Hip String Quartet 1968: Jimmy McGriff – The Worm (Solid State) 1969: Freddie Hubbard – A Soul Experiment 1969: Billy Taylor – Sleeping Bee MPS ) 1969: J. J. Johnson and Kai Winding – Stonebone 1969: Ron Carter – Uptown Conversation Embryo ) 1969: Hubert Laws – Crying Song 1969: Lena Horne and Gábor Szabó – Lena & Gabor (Skye) 1969: Pearls Before Swine – These Things Too 1969: Quincy Jones – Walking in Space 1969: Phil Woods – Round Trip 1970: Johnny Hodges – 3 Shades of Blue Flying Dutchman ) 1970: Quincy Jones – Gula Matari 1971: Dizzy Gillespie , Bobby Hackett and Mary Lou Williams – Giants Perception ) 1971: Pearls Before Swine – Beautiful Lies You Could Live In 1971: Quincy Jones – Smackwater Jack 1972: Grant Green – The Final Comedown 1972: Eric Kaz – If You're Lonely (Atlantic) 1972: Ivan "Boogaloo Joe" Jones – Snake Rhythm Rock 1972: Houston Person – Broken Windows, Empty Hallways Sweet Buns & Barbeque (Prestige) 1973: Roberta Flack – Killing Me Softly 1973: Leon Spencer – Where I'm Coming From 1973: Lou Donaldson – Sophisticated Lou 1973: Marlena Shaw – From the Depths of My Soul 1973: Bette Midler – Bette Midler 1973: Shirley Scott – Superstition Cadet ) 1973: Paul Simon – There Goes Rhymin' Simon 1974: Gato Barbieri – Chapter Three: Viva Emiliano Zapata 1974: Jack McDuff – The Fourth Dimension 1974: Arif Mardin – Journey 1975: Zoot Sims – Zoot Sims and the Gershwin Brothers Pablo ) 1975: Jack McDuff – Magnetic Feel 1975: Hank Jones – Hanky Panky East Wind ) 1976: Phoebe Snow – Second Childhood 1976: Houston Person – The Big Horn Muse ) 1977: Kate & Anna McGarrigle – Dancer with Bruised Knees 1977: Billy Taylor – Live at Storyville (West 54 ) 1977: Houston Person – The Nearness of You 1978: Clifford Jordan – The Adventurer 1978: New York Jazz Quartet – Blues for Sarka Enja ) 1980: Willis Jackson - Nothing Butt... (Muse [rel. 1983]) 1981: Grover Washington Jr. – Come Morning (Elektra) - with Tate on vocals 1982: Simon & Garfunkel – The Concert in Central Park 1983: Michel Legrand – After the Rain 1983: Sadao Watanabe – Fill Up The Night 1986: Jimmy Smith – Go For Whatcha Know (Blue Note) 1988: Peggy Lee – Miss Peggy Lee Sings the Blues 1989: Maureen McGovern – Naughty Baby 1990: Dizzy Gillespie – The Winter in Lisbon Milan ) 1990: Bette Midler – Some People's Lives 1990: Jimmy Smith – Fourmost: Recorded Live At Fat Tuesday's NYC (Milestone) - with Stanley Turrentine, Kenny Burrell 1990: Jimmy Smith – Fourmost Return (Milestone [rel. 2001]) - with Stanley Turrentine and Kenny Burrell 1991: Bob Thiele Collective – Louis Satchmo 1992: John Hicks – Friends Old and New (Novus/RCA/BMG) 1992: Lalo Schifrin – Jazz Meets the Symphony 1993: Lalo Schifrin – More Jazz Meets the Symphony 1994: Oscar Peterson and Itzhak Perlman – Side by Side 1995: Lalo Schifrin – Firebird: Jazz Meets the Symphony No. 3 2007: Kenny Barron - The Traveler (Sunnyside) 
