12 Videos of Drummer Sonny Payne

By the time drummer Sonny Payne joined Count Basie in December 1954, he had played with bands led by Paul Bascomb, Hot Lips Page, Earl Bostic, Tiny Grimes and Erskine Hawkins. After he tried out with Basie, the pianist loved his fresh, novel approach—driving the swing with a steady beat while sneaking in accents, polyrhythms and a sassy attitude that excited and motivated the players and audiences. Payne left Basie in December 1964 to lead a trio and tour with Illinois Jacquet in 1976. Frank Sinatra would only sing with Basie in the 1960s if Payne was on the kit.

But a solid chunk of Payne's post-Basie career was spent in Harry James's band, with occasional gigs with Basie on tours. In January 1979, after returning from Europe, Payne came down with the flu, which quickly escalated to pneumonia and required hospitalization. Payne died later that month at age 52. Harry James reportedly paid all of his hospital bills.

Here are 12 videos of Sonny Payne in action:

Here's Payne with Basie on Chicago's WGN-TV in 1965 playing This Could Be the Start of Something Big. Tenor solos by Eric Dixon and Sal Nistico...

Here's a solo by Payne with Basie in 1958...

Here's Payne with Basie in Hollywood in 1959 on Blee Blop Blues...

Here's Payne with Basie in Milan in 1960 playing Cute...

Here's Payne with Basie in Milan in 1960 on Blues in Frankie's Flat...

Here's Payne with Harry James in 1970 on Apples...

Here's Corner Pocket, with a tenor saxophone solo by Corky Corcoran...

Here's Opus One...

Here's a Payne spotlight solo with Basie in 1962...

Here's Basie in 1968 on Ralph J. Gleason's TV show Jazz Casual on KQED in San Francisco, with Freddie Green on guitar, Norman Keenan on bass and Payne on drums...

Here's Payne with Basie at the Dorchester Hotel in London in 1973, with some tasty Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis solos as well...

And here's Frank Sinatra with Basie and Payne wailing away on Fly Me to the Moon in 1965...

Bonus: Here's a transcription of Payne's drum part on Cute...

And here's Jerry Lewis miming Payne's drumming on Cute in Cinderfella (1960)...