Randy Gelispie

Randy "Uncle G" Gelispie is an American jazz percussionist, drummer, and educator.

Born and raised in Akron, Ohio, Randy Gelispie began playing drums at a young age.^[1] Gelispie is the instructor of jazz drums at the Michigan State University College of Music.^[2] He has been a professional jazz drummer since he started playing with a 10-piece band in the ninth grade. Gelispie has traveled on the road with Wes Montgomery, Sonny Stitt, Dinah Washington, Etta Jones, Lou Donaldson, and Gene Ammons. In the Detroit area, he has performed with Joe Williams, Nancy Wilson, Dizzy Gillespie, Tommy Flanagan, Barry Harris, Oliver Jones, O. C. Smith, Al Hibbler, and most recently with Geri Allen. Blues musicians he has worked with include Jimmy Witherspoon, John Lee Hooker, and Big Maybelle. Locally, he has played with many great jazz musicians, including Donald Walden, Marcus Belgrave, Perry Hughes, Rodney Whitaker,^[3] Gary Schunk, Rick Roe, Marion Hayden, Bill Heid,^[4] Andrew Speight, and Wycliffe Gordon.

Discography

With Sonny Stitt

• Night Letter (Prestige, 1969)^[5]

With Gene Ludwig

• Back on the Track^[6]
• Organ Out Loud (Mainstream Records, 1964)^[7]
• The Hot Organ (Time Records, 1967)^[8]

With Donald Walden

• A Portrait of You (1992)^[9]

With Bill Heid

• This is my Rifle (Savant, 1996)^[10]
• Bop Rascal (Savant, 1997)^[11]
• Wet Streets (Savant, 1999)^[12]
• Dark Secrets (Savant, 2000) ^[13]
• Da Girl (Savant, 2003)^[14]

References