Drummer Charli Persip Dies at 91

By DownBeat I Aug. 24, 2020

Drummer and jazz educator Charli Persip (1931–2020)
(Photo: GoFundMe)

Drummer Charli Persip, who enjoyed a long career as a drummer and jazz educator, died Aug. 23 at the age of 91, according to WBGO.

Persip worked frequently in bop ensembles helmed by folks like Dizzy Gillespie and Lee Morgan, while also contributing to recordings by Ron Carter, Gil Evans, Benny Golson and Quincy Jones, among others. The drummer also led a big band, Supersound, and taught at The New School in New York City. He authored How Not to Play the Drums: Not for Drummers Only.

In July 2018, friends and supports set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for Persip’s medical expenses. Among those who contributed was drummer Eliot Zigmund, who wrote in a 2019 post: “Charlie’s a national hero and an important link to the golden age of jazz in America.”

Charles Lawrence Persip was born in Morristown, New Jersey, on July 26, 1929. On many albums, his first name is spelled Charlie, but he later changed the spelling to Charli. DB