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Pete La Roca

April 09, 2024

Pete "La Roca" Sims (born Peter Sims; April 7, 1938 – November 20, 2012, known as Pete La Roca from 1957 until 1968)[1] was an American jazz drummer and attorney. Born and raised in Harlem by a pianist mother and a stepfather who played trumpet, he was introduced to jazz by his uncle Kenneth Bright, a major shareholder in Circle Records and the manager of rehearsal spaces above the Lafayette Theater. Sims studied percussion at the High School of Music and Art and at the City College of New York, where he played tympani in the CCNY Orchestra.[2] He adopted the name La Roca early in his musical career, when he played timbales for six years in Latin bands.[3] In the 1970s, during a hiatus from jazz performance, he resumed using his original surname. When he returned to jazz in the late 1970s, he usually inserted "La Roca" into his name in quotation marks to help audiences familiar with his early work identify him. He told The New York Times in 1982 that he did so only out of necessity:

Pete La Roca
Birth namePeter Sims
Born(1938-04-07)April 7, 1938
Harlem, New York, United States
DiedNovember 20, 2012(2012-11-20) (aged 74)
GenresJazz
Occupation(s)Drummer

I can't deny that I once played under the name La Roca, but I have to insist that my name is Peter Sims with La Roca in brackets or in quotes. For 16 or 17 years, when I have not been playing the music, people have known me as Sims....When I was 14 or 15, I thought ["La Roca"] was clever; right now, it's an embarrassment. I thought that it would be something that people would probably remember - boy, was I ever right on that one! I can't make my conversion.[4]

In 1957, Max Roach became aware of him while jamming at Birdland and recommended him to Sonny Rollins. As drummer of Rollins' trio on the afternoon set at the Village Vanguard on November 3 he became part of the important record A Night at the Village Vanguard. (Only one of five recorded tracks with La Roca was included on the original single LP release of the album). In 1959 he recorded with Jackie McLean (New Soil) and in a quartet with Tony Scott, Bill Evans and Jimmy Garrison. Besides Garrison he often joined with bassists who played in the Bill Evans Trio, especially Scott LaFaro and Steve Swallow, and also accompanied pianists like Steve Kuhn, Don Friedman and Paul Bley.

Between the end of the 1950s and 1968, he also played with Slide Hampton, the John Coltrane Quartet, Marian McPartland, Art Farmer, Freddie Hubbard, Mose Allison, and Charles Lloyd, among others. During this period, he led his own group and worked as the house drummer at the Jazz Workshop in Boston, Massachusetts.[5] He recorded two albums as a leader during the mid-1960s, Basra (Blue Note, 1965) and Turkish Women at the Bath (Douglas, 1967).

In 1968, with the market for acoustic jazz in decline, Sims decided to enroll in law school.[5] By this time he was already earning most of his income by driving a taxi cab in New York City, a job he held for five years during the 1960s.[4] Sims became a lawyer in the early 1970s, and was still practicing at the time of a 1997 radio interview with WNYC's Steve Sullivan. When his second album as leader, Turkish Women at the Bath, was released under Chick Corea's name without his consent, Sims filed and argued a lawsuit against Douglas Records, and the erroneously-labeled records were recalled.

He returned to jazz part-time in 1979, and recorded one new album as a leader, Swing Time (Blue Note, 1997).

He died in New York of lung cancer at the age of 74.[6]

Discography edit

As leader edit

As sideman edit

With Anamari

  • Anamari (Atlantic, 1964)

With Bill Barron

With Paul Bley

With Rocky Boyd

With Jaki Byard

With Sonny Clark

With Johnny Coles

With Ted Curson

With Art Farmer

With the Don Friedman Trio

With Slide Hampton

With Joe Henderson

With Freddie Hubbard

With the Steve Kuhn Trio

With Booker Little

With Charles Lloyd

With Jackie McLean

With Helen Merrill and Dick Katz

  • The Feeling Is Mutual (Milestone, 1967)

With J.R. Monterose

  • The Message (Jaro, 1960)

With Sonny Rollins

With George Russell

With Tony Scott

With the Paul Serrano Quintet

References edit

  1. ^ Jeff Tamarkin "Drummer & Composer Pete La Roca Dies at 74", Jazz Times, November 20, 2012
  2. ^ Encyclopedia of Jazz Musicians August 31, 2012, at the Wayback Machine at Jazz.com
  3. ^ Interview with José Francisco Tapiz for Tomajazz.com in 2004.
  4. ^ a b Pareles, Jon (October 15, 1982). "Lawyer-Drummer Makes a Case for His Day Gig". The New York Times. New York, NY. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  5. ^ a b Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Who's Who of Jazz (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 248. ISBN 0-85112-580-8.
  6. ^ "Pete La Roca, Top Post-Bop Jazz Drummer, Has Died". Npr.org. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  7. ^ "Charles Lloyd - Live At Slugs'". Discogs. Retrieved October 24, 2017.

External links edit

  • Pete LaRoca Sims Discography at JazzDiscography.com
  • Pete La Roca at AllMusic

April 09, 2024
pete, roca, pete, roca, sims, born, peter, sims, april, 1938, november, 2012, known, from, 1957, until, 1968, american, jazz, drummer, attorney, born, raised, harlem, pianist, mother, stepfather, played, trumpet, introduced, jazz, uncle, kenneth, bright, major. Pete La Roca Sims born Peter Sims April 7 1938 November 20 2012 known as Pete La Roca from 1957 until 1968 1 was an American jazz drummer and attorney Born and raised in Harlem by a pianist mother and a stepfather who played trumpet he was introduced to jazz by his uncle Kenneth Bright a major shareholder in Circle Records and the manager of rehearsal spaces above the Lafayette Theater Sims studied percussion at the High School of Music and Art and at the City College of New York where he played tympani in the CCNY Orchestra 2 He adopted the name La Roca early in his musical career when he played timbales for six years in Latin bands 3 In the 1970s during a hiatus from jazz performance he resumed using his original surname When he returned to jazz in the late 1970s he usually inserted La Roca into his name in quotation marks to help audiences familiar with his early work identify him He told The New York Times in 1982 that he did so only out of necessity Pete La RocaBirth namePeter SimsBorn 1938 04 07 April 7 1938Harlem New York United StatesDiedNovember 20 2012 2012 11 20 aged 74 GenresJazzOccupation s Drummer I can t deny that I once played under the name La Roca but I have to insist that my name is Peter Sims with La Roca in brackets or in quotes For 16 or 17 years when I have not been playing the music people have known me as Sims When I was 14 or 15 I thought La Roca was clever right now it s an embarrassment I thought that it would be something that people would probably remember boy was I ever right on that one I can t make my conversion 4 In 1957 Max Roach became aware of him while jamming at Birdland and recommended him to Sonny Rollins As drummer of Rollins trio on the afternoon set at the Village Vanguard on November 3 he became part of the important record A Night at the Village Vanguard Only one of five recorded tracks with La Roca was included on the original single LP release of the album In 1959 he recorded with Jackie McLean New Soil and in a quartet with Tony Scott Bill Evans and Jimmy Garrison Besides Garrison he often joined with bassists who played in the Bill Evans Trio especially Scott LaFaro and Steve Swallow and also accompanied pianists like Steve Kuhn Don Friedman and Paul Bley Between the end of the 1950s and 1968 he also played with Slide Hampton the John Coltrane Quartet Marian McPartland Art Farmer Freddie Hubbard Mose Allison and Charles Lloyd among others During this period he led his own group and worked as the house drummer at the Jazz Workshop in Boston Massachusetts 5 He recorded two albums as a leader during the mid 1960s Basra Blue Note 1965 and Turkish Women at the Bath Douglas 1967 In 1968 with the market for acoustic jazz in decline Sims decided to enroll in law school 5 By this time he was already earning most of his income by driving a taxi cab in New York City a job he held for five years during the 1960s 4 Sims became a lawyer in the early 1970s and was still practicing at the time of a 1997 radio interview with WNYC s Steve Sullivan When his second album as leader Turkish Women at the Bath was released under Chick Corea s name without his consent Sims filed and argued a lawsuit against Douglas Records and the erroneously labeled records were recalled He returned to jazz part time in 1979 and recorded one new album as a leader Swing Time Blue Note 1997 He died in New York of lung cancer at the age of 74 6 Contents 1 Discography 1 1 As leader 1 2 As sideman 2 References 3 External linksDiscography editAs leader edit Basra Blue Note 1965 Turkish Women at the Bath Douglas 1967 also released as Bliss under Chick Corea s name on Muse 1973 Swingtime Blue Note 1997 As sideman edit With Anamari Anamari Atlantic 1964 With Bill Barron Modern Windows Savoy 1961 With Paul Bley Footloose Savoy 1963 With Rocky Boyd Ease It Jazztime 1961 With Jaki Byard Hi Fly New Jazz 1962 With Sonny Clark My Conception rec 1957 Blue Note compilation 1979 Sonny Clark Quintets a k a Cool Struttin Volume 2 rec 1958 Blue Note 1965 With Johnny Coles Little Johnny C Blue Note 1963 With Ted Curson Plenty of Horn Old Town 1961 With Art Farmer To Sweden with Love Atlantic 1964 with Jim Hall Sing Me Softly of the Blues Atlantic 1965 With the Don Friedman Trio Circle Waltz Riverside 1962 with Scott LaFaro Scott LaFaro Pieces of Jade rec 1961 Resonance 2009 With Slide Hampton Slide Hampton and His Horn of Plenty Strand 1959 Sister Salvation Atlantic 1960 Somethin Sanctified Atlantic 1961 With Joe Henderson Page One Blue Note 1963 Our Thing Blue Note 1963 With Freddie Hubbard Blue Spirits Blue Note 1964 The Night of the Cookers Blue Note 1965 With the Steve Kuhn Trio 1960 rec 1960 PJL J 2005 with Scott LaFaro The Country and Western Sound of Jazz Pianos Dauntless 1963 with Toshiko Akiyoshi Three Waves rec 1966 Flying Dutchman J 1975 with Steve Swallow Sing Me Softly of the Blues Venus 1997 with George MrazWith Booker Little Booker Little and Friend Bethlehem 1961 With Charles Lloyd Of Course of Course Columbia 1965 Nirvana Columbia 1965 Charles Lloyd Live at Slugs Resonance 2014 7 With Jackie McLean New Soil Blue Note 1959 Bluesnik Blue Note 1961 With Helen Merrill and Dick Katz The Feeling Is Mutual Milestone 1967 With J R Monterose The Message Jaro 1960 With Sonny Rollins A Night at the Village Vanguard Blue Note 1957 St Thomas Sonny Rollins Trio in Stockholm 1959 Dragon 1984 Oleo recorded 1959 Jazz Hour 1992 With George Russell The Outer View Riverside 1962 With Tony Scott Gypsy Signature 1959 Golden Moments recorded 1959 Muse 1982 with Bill Evans and Jimmy Garrison I ll Remember recorded 1959 Muse 1982 both Muse LPs reissued on CD as At Last 32 Jazz 1999 With the Paul Serrano Quintet Blues Holiday Riverside 1961 with Cannonball Adderley a o References edit Jeff Tamarkin Drummer amp Composer Pete La Roca Dies at 74 Jazz Times November 20 2012 Encyclopedia of Jazz Musicians Archived August 31 2012 at the Wayback Machine at Jazz com Interview with Jose Francisco Tapiz for Tomajazz com in 2004 a b Pareles Jon October 15 1982 Lawyer Drummer Makes a Case for His Day Gig The New York Times New York NY Retrieved February 9 2021 a b Colin Larkin ed 1992 The Guinness Who s Who of Jazz First ed Guinness Publishing p 248 ISBN 0 85112 580 8 Pete La Roca Top Post Bop Jazz Drummer Has Died Npr org Retrieved July 29 2021 Charles Lloyd Live At Slugs Discogs Retrieved October 24 2017 External links editPete LaRoca Sims Discography at JazzDiscography com Pete La Roca at AllMusic Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Pete La Roca amp oldid 1131622256, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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