Frank Butler (February 18, 1928 – July 24, 1984) was an American jazz drummer.

Early life

Butler was born in Kansas City, Missouri, but later moved west and was associated in large part with the West Coast school. He played the drums in multiple high school bands (including one in Omaha, Nebraska), in local jazz combos, and in USO shows during World War II.

Career

Butler never became well known, but was highly regarded by fellow musicians (in 1958, veteran drummer Jo Jones proclaimed him "the greatest drummer in the world") and performed with numerous jazz notables. Early in his career he played with the Dave Brubeck combo at a 1950 engagement in San Francisco, before Brubeck's group gained a national following in the mid-1950s. He went on to perform and record with Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Ben Webster, Harold Land, Hampton Hawes and Art Pepper in the 1950s and 1960s. He performed on several television series, including Stars of Jazz with bassist Curtis Counce. The Contemporary label noticed Butler and Counce, and, from 1956 through 1958, captured them together on several Curtis Counce Quintet albums. Sidelined for many years by an addiction to heroin, Butler did not record albums under his own name until the 1970s, when he released two highly regarded albums titled Wheelin' and Dealin' and The Stepper.

Death

Butler died in Ventura, California after a short battle with lung cancer at the age of 56.

Discography

As leader

As co-leader

Co-led with Curtis Amy

As sideman

With Dolo Coker With Joyce Collins With John Coltrane With Curtis Counce With Miles Davis With Kenny Drew With Teddy Edwards With Victor Feldman With Red Garland With Hampton Hawes With Elmo Hope With Helen Humes With Fred Katz With Harold Land With Big Miller With Red Mitchell With Paul Moer With Phineas Newborn With Art Pepper With Ben Webster With Gerald Wilson With Jimmy Witherspoon With Xanadu All Stars