Celebration of Bernard "Pretty" Purdie as the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival

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With over 4,000 recordings as a sideman with 2,500 artists spanning seven decades, the world-renowned Bernard "Pretty" Purdie is the most recorded drummer in history. On Saturday, September 19, the 16th edition of the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival (PIJF), co-presented by Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, presents Bernard "Pretty" Purdie & Friends Celebrate Our America 250, commemorating Purdie's syncopated supremacy and our nation's anniversary. During the performance, Purdie will be presented with the PIJF Luminary Award for his lifetime of achievements and contributions to music.

Purdie will be backed by a locally assembled ensemble led by Pittsburgh bassist Dwayne Dolphin with pianist Max Leake, guitarist John Shannon, vocalist T. Marie, The Steel City Horns and other special guests. In addition, some of the world's finest drummers and musicians will take the stage to pay tribute to the man who created a unique rhythm that has been heard around the world.

Purdie recorded on many iconic tracks including James Brown's "It's a Man's World, " B.B. King's "The Thrill is Gone, " Aretha Franklin's "Rock Steady, " Steely Dan's "Home at Last" and "Babylon Sisters, " to name a very select few. His mastery of rock, blues, jazz, R&B, Caribbean and Latin rhythms has influenced generations of drummers.

Purdie is lauded for his encyclopedic knowledge of musical styles, but it was his celebrated Purdie Shuffle that made him an invaluable sideman and gave him everlasting fame. The Shuffle is a halftime, midtempo blend of eighth note triplets and ghost notes, interlocking with driving snare, high-hat and bass drum accents and grooves that are conversant with blues, funk, rock, Latin and reggae rhythms.

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