Bobby Rosengarden

Robert Marshall Rosengarden (April 23, 1924 – February 27, 2007) was a jazz drummer and bandleader. A native of Elgin, Illinois, he played on many recordings and in television orchestras and talk show bands.

Rosengarden began playing drums when he was 12, and later studied at the University of Michigan. After playing drums in Army bands in World War II, he moved to New York City, working in several groups between 1945 and 1948 before becoming a busy studio musician. He played at NBC-TV (1949–1968) and ABC (1969–1974) on The Steve Allen Show, The Ernie Kovacs Show, Sing Along With Mitch, Johnny Carson's The Tonight Show Band, and led the band for The Dick Cavett Show.

Through the years, Rosengarden was an active studio musician, recording with Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Skitch Henderson, Quincy Jones, Peter Nero, Gil Evans, Miles Davis, Gerry Mulligan, Benny Goodman, Moondog, Dick Hyman, Arlo Guthrie, Carmen McRae, Ben E. King, Harry Belafonte, Barbra Streisand, Jimi Hendrix and Tony Bennett.

In later years, Rosengarden was most often heard as the drummer with a variety of all-star, swing-oriented groups, including Soprano Summit. He died of Alzheimer's disease in Sarasota, Florida, at the age of 82.

Discography

As sideman

With Stan Getz

• What the World Needs Now: Stan Getz Plays Burt Bacharach and Hal David (Verve, 1968)

With Oliver Nelson

• Oliver Nelson Plays Michelle (Impulse!, 1966)
• Encyclopedia of Jazz (Verve, 1966)
• The Sound of Feeling (Verve, 1966)

With Jimmy Smith

• Hoochie Coochie Man (1966)

With Sylvia Syms

• For Once in My Life (Prestige, 1967)

With Milt Hinton & Derek Smith

• The Trio (Chiaroscuro, 1994)

With Bob Wilber & Kenny Davern

• Summit Reunion (Chiaroscuro, 1989)
• Summit Reunion 1992 (Chiaroscuro, 1992)

With Walter Wanderley

• Rain Forest (Verve, 1966)

With Kai Winding

• More Brass (Verve, 1966)

Sources

• All-Music Guide
• Obituary *dead link
• The Dead Rock Stars Club
• Tribute to Bobby Rosengarden - an unofficial site detailing Bobby's discography and career highlights