Charlie Rice

Charles R. Rice (March 1, 1920 – April 22, 2018), better known as Charlie Rice, was an American jazz drummer.

Having played with Jimmy Oliver, Rice led the first house band at Philadelphia's Club 421, with a lineup including Vance Wilson, Bob Bushnell, Red Garland and Johnny Hughes.[1]

After playing with Eddie Vinson's[2] and Jimmy Heath's big bands (with John Coltrane in both lineups[2]) in 1951 he went with Oscar Pettiford, Rudy Williams, Clifton Best,[3] J.J. Johnson and Howard McGhee on a USO tour to the South Pacific,[1][4] as part of a unit known as the "Swingin' Jamboree".[5] The concerts were recorded and released the following year as Howard McGhee and his Korean All Stars, Jazz At the Battlefront Volume 1.[6][7]

Back in Philadelphia, he led the Charlie Rice All-Stars.[8]

As well as playing with Sonny Stitt, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis (again with John Coltrane[2]), and Leo Parker, in 1964 and 1965 he toured and recorded with Chet Baker.[1]

As of October 2011, Rice was still performing.[9] He died in April 2018 at the age of 98.[10] He was buried at Harleigh Cemetery, Camden.[11]