Rocky Dzidzornu
Rocky Dzidzornu | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | "Rocky" Rocky Dzidzornu Rocki Dzidzornu Rocky DziDzornu Rocky Dijon Rocky Dejon Kwasi Dzidzornu |
| Genres | R&B Rock Blues Funk World |
| Occupation(s) | Percussionist |
| Instruments | Congas, percussion |
| Labels | Various |
| Associated acts | The Rolling Stones Taj Mahal Bill Wyman Nick Drake Ginger Baker Billy Preston Minnie Riperton Stevie Wonder Hugh Masekela Joe Walsh Jimi Hendrix |
Kwasi "Rocky" Dzidzornu (1935 – March 13, 1993),[1] also known as Rocky Dijon, was a Ghanaian percussionist known for his playing on recordings by The Rolling Stones, Nick Drake, Ginger Baker, Stevie Wonder, Billy Preston and Joe Walsh.[2] During the 1970s he recorded extensively with Taj Mahal. Bill Wyman also enlisted him on his 1976 solo album Stone Alone.
War's drummer Harold Brown has named him as an important influence, and also credits him with teaching Ginger Baker.[3]
Dzidzornu was born in Ghana, and escaped poverty there by stowing away on a boat for weeks with hardly any food and water to make his way to England. He was the father of six children, two sons, Kwaku and Gary, were both born in England and four daughters; Evonne, Jane, Norvi (deceased), and Awura. Producer Jimmy Miller brought him in to work with the Rolling Stones.[4]
Critic Ned Sublette has written that the addition of his conga drumming on "Sympathy for the Devil" transformed the song from "a dirge, and a dull one at that . . . making it come alive".[5][6] He continued playing with The Rolling Stones through 1968, on tracks like "Stray Cat Blues", "Factory Girl" and "You Can't Always Get What You Want" and also participated in the same era on the Rock and Roll Circus event. In 1970 they used him again on "Can't You Hear Me Knocking".
Partial discography[]
- 68 Beggars Banquet (The Rolling Stones)
- 69 Five Leaves Left (Nick Drake)
- 69 Let It Bleed (The Rolling Stones)
- 70 The Road to Ruin (John and Beverley Martyn)
- 70 Ginger Baker's Air Force 2 (Ginger Baker's Air Force)
- 70 The Answer (Peter Bardens' Village)
- 71 Sticky Fingers (The Rolling Stones)
- 71 The Real Thing (Taj Mahal)
- 71 Happy Just to Be Like I Am (Taj Mahal)
- 74 Fulfillingness' First Finale (Stevie Wonder)
- 74 Perfect Angel (Minnie Riperton)
- 74 Mo' Roots (Taj Mahal)
- 75 Music Keeps Me Together (Taj Mahal)
- 75 It's My Pleasure (Billy Preston)
- 75 The Boys Don't Do It (Hugh Masekela)
- 76 Stone Alone (Bill Wyman)
- 76 You Can't Argue with a Sick Mind (Joe Walsh)
- 76 Music Fuh Ya' (Musica Para Tu) (Taj Mahal)
- 77 Brothers (Taj Mahal)
- 81 Magic Windows (Herbie Hancock)
- 98 Do What You Like (Ginger Baker)
- 09 Valleys of Neptune (Jimi Hendrix)
References[]
- ^ "50 YEARS OF ROLLING STONES - ROCKY DIJON MADE THE DIFFERENCE". iorr.org.
- ^ "Ladies & lords take a bow for Master Drummer & Percussionist from Ghana Kwasi ‘Rocky Dijon’ Dzidzornu" Blakk Pepper. Retrieved 2018-07-03.
- ^ Jim Payne and Harry Weinger, The Great Drummers of R&B Funk & Soul (Mel Bay Publications, 2007), ISBN 978-0-7866-7303-2, pp. 148ff. Excerpts available at Google Books.
- ^ "Ranking the Rolling Stones: Moments that matter from the Navy Pier show" Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2018-07-03.
- ^ Ned Sublette, "The Kingsmen and the Cha-Cha-Chá", in Eric Weisbard, ed., Listen Again: A Momentary History of Pop Music (Duke University Press, 2007), ISBN 978-0-8223-4041-6, p. 90. Excerpt available at Google Books.
- ^ See also Stephen Davis, Old Gods Almost Dead: The 40-Year Odyssey of the Rolling Stones (Random House Digital, Inc., 2001), ISBN 978-0-7679-0312-7. Excerpts available at Google Books.
External links[]
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- British percussionists
- Conga players
- 1935 births
- 1993 deaths
- Ghanaian emigrants to the United Kingdom
- 20th-century drummers
- Percussionist stubs