Poogie Bell

American drummer

Poogie Bell
Birth name	Charles Bell Jr.
Born	(1961-02-11) February 11, 1961 (age 63) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Origin	New York, United States
Genres	Jazz, jazz fusion, rhythm and blues, rock, funk
Occupation	Musician
Instrument	Drums
Years active	1964–present

Website	poogiebell.net

Musical artist

Charles Bell Jr. (born February 11, 1961, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), better known by his stage name Poogie Bell, is an American jazz drummer, composer, band leader and producer. Bell is best known as a drummer, working extensively with bassist Marcus Miller and as a sideman for other artists such as Erykah Badu, Victor Bailey, David Bowie, Stanley Clarke, Randy Crawford, Roberta Flack, Al Jarreau, Chaka Khan, Angelique Kidjo, Joe Sample, David Sanborn, John Scofield, Stanley Turrentine, Luther Vandross, Vanessa Williams, and Victor Wooten.^[1]

Life and career

Early life

Bell was born in 1961 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Charles Bell, Sr. and Alice Pittrell. His father was a jazz pianist and band leader for the Charles Bell Contemporary Jazz Quartet. As an infant, Bell regularly watched his father's band rehearse. He made his concert debut with his father's band at age two and a half, playing at Carnegie Music Hall, Pittsburgh, and in 1966, he performed with Pearl Bailey on the Mike Douglas Show.^[2]

Bell moved to New York with his family, where his father took up a music professorship. In New York, Bell continued to be immersed in the world of music. His father regularly rehearsed at home with Ron Carter, Richard Davis, Ornette Coleman, Max Roach, and Mary Lou Williams, and the bassist Paul Chambers was a neighbor. While growing up in New York, Bell was friends with Omar Hakim, Weldon Irvine, Marcus Miller, Lenny White, and Bernard Wright, all of whom went on to professional music careers of their own.^[1]^[2]

Professional career

Bell has an extensive discography as a sideman, producer and arranger. He produced Alex Bugnon, smooth jazz artist Mey, pop and R&B artist Kenji Hino, jazz bassist owner of Yuji Sound Records and promotion company Poogie Bell Presents, LLC.

Grammy Awards

Bell performed on Chaka Khan's 1992 album The Woman I Am, which won the 1993 Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and on Marcus Miller's album M2, which won the 2001 Best Contemporary Jazz Album. He also performed on Angélique Kidjo's 2007 release Djin Djin, which won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Music Album in 2008.

Videos

Poogie Bell Interview

Discography

2004: Poogie Bell Band – Thinking Outside The Box
2007: Poogie Bell Band – Get on the Kit
2009: Poogie Bell Band – Poogie on Shuffle
2010: Poogie Bell Band – My America
2013: Poogie Bell Band – Suga Top

As a sideman

1979: Weldon Irvine – The Sisters^[3]
1980: Weldon Irvine – Weldon & The Kats^[3]
1981: Bobby Broom – Clean Sweep
1991: Marcus Miller – Out of the World^[3]
1992: Chaka Khan – The Woman I Am^[3]
1992: Najee – Just An Illusion^[3]
1993: Kirk Whalum – Caché^[3]
1993: Marcus Miller – The Sun Don't Lie^[3]
1995: Marcus Miller – Tales^[3]
1996: Various Artists – World Christmas
1997: Marcus Miller – Live & More^[3]
1997: Erykah Badu - "Erykah Badu: Live"
1998: Marcus Miller – The Best of Marcus Miller
1999: Various Artists – An American Love Story
2001: Marcus Miller – M² (2002 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album)^[3]
2002: Marcus Miller – The Ozell Tapes – Live 2001
2003: Michael 'Patches' Stewart – Blow
2004: Dean Brown – Groove Warrior^[3]
2005: Marcus Miller – Master of All Trades^[3]
2005: Marcus Miller – Silver Rain^[3]
2007: Angelique Kidgo - Djin Djin (nominated for Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Music Album)^[4]
2008: Marcus Miller – Marcus^[3]
2008: S.M.V. – Thunder^[3]
2010: Marcus Miller – A Night in Monte Carlo – Live 2009^[3]

References

^ ^a ^b Castiglioni, Bernhard. "Poogie Bell". Drummerworld. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
^ ^a ^b "Poogie Bell". Pittsburgh Music History. Archived from the original on 23 September 2013. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p "Discography". Marcus Miller. Archived from the original on 30 April 2012. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
^ Tsunami Publicity (23 January 2008). "Poogie Bell Nominated For A Grammy". All About Jazz. Retrieved 6 June 2015.