Poogie Bell

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Poogie Bell, born Charles Bell Jr. on February 11, 1961, in Pittsburgh, is an American jazz drummer, composer, band leader, and producer. He comes from a musical family; his father, Charles Bell Sr., was a jazz pianist and band leader. Bell made his first concert appearance with his father's band at about two and a half years old at Carnegie Music Hall in Pittsburgh, and in 1966 he performed with Pearl Bailey on the Mike Douglas Show.

The family later moved to New York, where Bell grew up around music and many great players. He befriended future stars such as Marcus Miller, Omar Hakim, and Lenny White, and he absorbed a wealth of musical influence from the city’s vibrant scene.

Bell has built a long and active career as a sideman, producer, and arranger. He has worked with a wide range of artists, including Marcus Miller, Erykah Badu, David Bowie, Chaka Khan, Alex Bugnon, Stanley Clarke, Randy Crawford, Roberta Flack, Al Jarreau, Angelique Kidjo, Joe Sample, David Sanborn, John Scofield, Stanley Turrentine, Luther Vandross, Vanessa Williams, and Victor Wooten. He also runs his own label and production company, Poogie Bell Presents, LLC, and has produced artists such as Alex Bugnon and Mey.

In the world of awards, Bell contributed to three Grammy-winning projects: Chaka Khan’s 1992 The Woman I Am (Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, 1993); Marcus Miller’s M2 (Best Contemporary Jazz Album, 2001); and Angélique Kidjo’s Djin Djin (Best Contemporary World Music Album, 2008).

Bell leads the Poogie Bell Band, releasing several albums: Thinking Outside The Box (2004), Get on the Kit (2007), Poogie on Shuffle (2009), My America (2010), and Suga Top (2013).

As a sideman, his credits span many recordings from 1979 onward, including work with Weldon Irvine, Bobby Broom, Najee, Kirk Whalum, Erykah Badu, Marcus Miller, Chaka Khan, and Angelique Kidjo, among others.

Bell’s music spans genres such as jazz, jazz fusion, rhythm and blues, rock, and funk. He remains an active drummer, composer, and producer, continuing to perform, record, and lead projects. His official site is poogiebell.net.