Percy Brice

Austin Percy Brice Jr. (March 25, 1923 – November 2020), nicknamed Big P, was an American jazz drummer.

Brice was born in March 1923 in New York City. His professional career began around the end of World War II, when he played with Benny Carter, Mercer Ellington, Luis Russell, and Eddie Cleanhead Vinson. He played frequently in Harlem in the early 1950s with Tiny Grimes, Oscar Pettiford, Tab Smith, Lucky Thompson, and Cootie Williams, in addition to leading sessions at Minton's Playhouse. He then played with Billy Taylor (1954-1956), George Shearing (1956-1958), and Kenny Burrell (1958–59); from 1959 to 1961 he played behind Sarah Vaughan on tour.

Brice was Harry Belafonte's drummer for most of the 1960s; he also worked with Ahmad Jamal, Carmen McRae and Mary Lou Williams in that decade. He led a group called the New Sounds in the early 1970s, and worked with Sy Oliver and Illinois Jacquet, as well as in Broadway orchestras, later in his career. He died in November 2020 at the age of 97.

Birth and Death Data: Born March 25, 1923 (New York City), Died November 1, 2020

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1953 - 1954

Roles Represented in DAHR: drums

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Decca 85038 8/14/1953 Slow and easy Lucky Thompson instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 85039 8/14/1953 Flamingo Lucky Thompson instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 85040 8/14/1953 Mambo in blues Lucky Thompson instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 85041 8/14/1953 The scene is clean Lucky Thompson instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 85931 3/2/1954 The night hawk Lucky Thompson instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 85932 3/2/1954 Little boy, blow Lucky Thompson instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 85933 3/2/1954 Moonlight in Vermont Lucky Thompson instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 85934 3/2/1954 Bunny Lucky Thompson instrumentalist, drums  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Brice, Percy," accessed April 23, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/305559.

Brice, Percy. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 23, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/305559.

"Brice, Percy." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 23 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/305559

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