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Drummer
Ron Jefferson was fixture of the postwar New York City bop landscape, collaborating with giants ranging from
Lester Young to
Coleman Hawkins. Born in the Big Apple on February 13, 1926,
Jefferson begin his career as a tap dancer before turning to drums, touring and recording with a who's who of bebop greats that also included
Charles Mingus,
Freddie Redd, and
Roy Eldridge. He also spent a number of years in support of
Oscar Pettiford, and with fellow Pettiford alums
Charlie Rouse and
Julius Watkins formed
the Jazz Modes in 1957. When the trio split two years later,
Jefferson signed on with
Les McCann before settling in Los Angeles. There he cut his first session as a leader, the Pacifica date Love Lifted Me, in 1962, in addition to playing behind
Groove Holmes,
Zoot Sims,
Carmell Jones, and
Joe Castro.
Jefferson also toured with the
Roland Kirk-led Jazz and People's Movement, and spent a number of years in Paris, drumming behind
Hazel Scott and teaching music for the U.S. Embassy. In 1976, he also cut Vout Etes Swing! for the Catalyst label. Upon returning to New York,
Jefferson hosted the cable TV series Miles Ahead with fellow drummer John Lewis. Despite a steady work schedule, he never attained the visibility or renown of many of his contemporaries, and after a brief illness died in Richmond, VA, on May 7, 2007. ~ Jason Ankeny