Panama Francis

David Albert "Panama" Francis (December 21, 1918 – November 13, 2001) was an American swing jazz drummer[1][2] who also played on numerous hit recordings in the 1950s.

Panama Francis
Birth nameDavid Albert Francis
Born(1918-12-21)December 21, 1918
Miami, Florida, United States
DiedNovember 13, 2001(2001-11-13) (aged 82)
Orlando, Florida
GenresJazz, swing, rhythm and blues
Occupation(s)Musician
InstrumentsDrums
Years active1930s–1980s

Early life

Francis was born in Miami, Florida, on December 21, 1918.[3] His father was Haitian, and "his mother came from an English property-owning background in the Bahamas".[4] His father collected records, and Francis was enthusiastic about music and playing the drums even before attending school.[3] He initially played in marching bands and local drum and bugle corps.[3]

Later life and career

Francis first played professionally in the 1930s.[3] He was part of George Kelly's band from 1934 to 1938, and was then with the Florida Collegians in 1938.[3] After moving to New York that year, he worked with Tab Smith, Billy Hicks, and Roy Eldridge before the 1940s.[3] Francis acquired his nickname from Eldridge: "he was inadvertently given the lasting nickname Panama at a moment when he was wearing a panama hat and Eldridge could not remember his new drummer's name".[3]

Francis joined Lucky Millinder's big band in 1940, so often played at the Savoy Ballroom.[3] After leaving Millinder he was with Willie Bryant's band (1946), and then Cab Calloway (1947–52); he was in three short films alongside the latter.[3]

For much of the 1950s Francis was a studio musician in New York, accompanying rhythm-and-blues and rock-and-roll groups and singers.[3] The hits he played on included: Bobby Darin ("Splish Splash"); the Four Seasons ("Big Girls Don't Cry", "Walk Like a Man"); the Platters ("The Great Pretender", "My Prayer", "Only You", "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes"), Neil Sedaka ("Calendar Girl");[5] and Jackie Wilson ("Reet Petite").[4]

From 1963 Francis toured with singer Dinah Shore for five years.[3] He then set up home in California, but struggled to find work.[3] He toured Japan with Sam "the Man" Taylor in 1970–71, and appeared on film again in 1972, in Lady Sings the Blues.[3] Back in New York, Francis was part of Sy Oliver's nonet from 1973 to 1975, during which time he also appeared at jazz festivals and toured internationally with other bands.[3] His Savoy Sultans jazz and dance band was formed in 1979, and appeared regularly at the Rainbow Room, New York, for eight years from 1980.[3] Francis became drummer in the Benny Goodman Quartet for concerts in 1982.[3] He appeared in the 1994 film The Statesmen of Jazz as a member of the Statesmen of Jazz.[3] He died on November 13, 2001, following a stroke, at the age of 82.[4]

Discography

As leader
  • Exploding Drums (Epic, 1959)
  • The Beat Behind the Million Sellers (ABC-Paramount, 1960)
  • Gettin' in the Groove (Black and Blue, 1979)
  • Panama Francis and the Savoy Sultans (Classic Jazz, 1980)

As sideman

With Eddie Barefield

  • Eddie Barefield (RCA, 1974)
  • The Indestructible E. B. (Famous Door, 1977)

With Wilson Pickett

  • In the Midnight Hour (Atlantic Records, 1965)

With Milt Buckner

  • Green Onions (Black and Blue, 1975)
  • Midnight Slows Vol 6 (Black and Blue, 1977)

With Ray Bryant

With Sam Cooke

With John Lee Hooker

With Cab Calloway

  • Hi De Ho Man (Columbia, 1974)
  • Jumpin' Jive (CBS, 1984)

With Solomon Burke

  • If You Need Me (Atlantic, 1963)

With Arnett Cobb

  • Jumpin' at the Woodside (Black and Blue, 1974)
  • The Wild Man from Texas (Black and Blue, 1977)
  • Keep On Pushin' (Bee Hive, 1984)

With Ray Conniff

  • 'S Awful Nice (1958)
  • Ray Conniff's Concert in Stereo (CBS/Sony 1970)
  • Live in Japan (CBS/Sony 1975)

With Earl Hines

With Brownie McGhee/Sonny Terry

With Big Joe Turner

  • Singing the Blues (BluesWay, 1967)
  • Joe's Back in Town (Black and Blue, 1974)
  • Effervescent (Classic Jazz, 1979)

With others

Singles
YearTitleArtistDateU.S. chartR&B chartUK chartProducerNotes
1955Only You (And You Alone)The PlattersApril 265118Buck Ram plays piano
1955The Great PretenderThe Platters115Buck Ram
1956I Put a Spell On YouScreaming Jay HawkinsSeptember 12
1956My PrayerThe Platters1128, 22Buck Ram
1958Splish SplashBobby DarinMay 193128
1958Smoke Gets in Your EyesThe Platters131Buck Ram
1960LullabyeThe ChevronsJuly 20
1959What a Diff'rence a Day Made[6]Dinah WashingtonFebruary 1984with the Belford Hendricks Orchestra
1959I Cried a Tear[7]LaVern Baker62Ahmet Ertegun, Jerry Wexler
1961Runaround Sue[8]Dion1411ExampleGene Schwartz, Dionbacking vocals by the Del Satins
1962Big Girls Don't CryThe Four SeasonsOctober1113Bob Crewe
1962Prisoner of LoveJames BrownDecember 17186James Brown, Hal Neely
1963Walk Like a ManThe Four SeasonsJanuary 19621312Bob Crewe

References
  1. Ratliff, Ben (2001-11-17). "Panama Francis, 82, Jazz Drummer of Swing Era". The New York Times. Retrieved 2019-01-25.
  2. "Drummer David 'Panama' Francis, 82; Career Spanned Seven Decades". Los Angeles Times. 2001-11-17. Retrieved 2019-01-25.
  3. Brown, T. Dennis; Kernfeld, Barry (2003), Francis, Panama [Dave, David Albert], Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, retrieved February 5, 2020
  4. Monaghan, Terry (27 November 2001). "Obituary: 'Panama' Francis". Theguardian.com. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  5. Prato, Greg. "Panama Francis". AllMusic. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
  6. Project, Jazz Discography. "Mercury Records Discography: 1959". Jazzdisco.org. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  7. Baker, LaVern, Soul On Fire: The Best of Lavern Baker CD, Atlantic Recording Corporation, 1991
  8. Myers, Marc, Anatomy of a Song:The Oral History of 45 Iconic Hits That Changed Rock, R&B and Pop, Grove Press, New York, 2016 p. 38
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