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]

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (May 2017)

With Chet Baker

• The Most Important Jazz Album of 1964/65 (Colpix, 1964)
• I/We Had a Ball (Limelight, 1965) - 1 track
• Baby Breeze (Limelight, 1965)

With Sonny Stitt and Eddie Davis

• The Battle of Birdland (Roost, 1954)