Colin Bailey

Colin James Bailey (9 July 1934 – 20 September 2021) was British-born American jazz drummer.

Born in Swindon, England, in 1934, Bailey learned to play drums as a child, studying formally from age seven. His first band was the Nibs, when he was 7, which consisted of two accordions, banjo and drums. He toured with Winifred Atwell from 1952–1956, and performed at the London Palladium for Queen Elizabeth (1952). He lived in Australia from 1958 into the early 1960s, playing in the staff band for Channel 9 TV. In Sydney, he played with Bryce Rohde and the Australian Jazz Quartet, backing musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie and Sarah Vaughan. When the AJQ toured the U.S., Bailey was hired by Vince Guaraldi, with Monty Budwig on bass. This trio played with Jimmy Witherspoon, Ben Webster, and Gene Ammons for the Jazz Workshop in San Francisco. In 1962, they recorded the album Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus, which included the hit “Cast Your Fate To The Wind“. In 1963, he moved to Los Angeles to play with the Victor Feldman Trio, returning to San Francisco the following year to record Jazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown with Guaraldi. Bailey also performed with Guaraldi on the Peanuts television specials A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965), It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966) and He’s Your Dog, Charlie Brown (1968).

Bailey worked with Clare Fischer (1963–1964), Joe Pass (for 14 years, and made 14 records) and Miles Davis (1963). He toured worldwide with Benny Goodman in 1964–1965, played on the first Regis Philbin show with Terry Gibbs, and toured with George Shearing (1964-1967). In 1967 he recorded with Frank Sinatra and Tom Jobim. He also spent time with Chet Baker, Ray Brown, João Gilberto, and Blossom Dearie (1975).

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