Bernard Purdie

Bernard “Pretty” Purdie is an American drummer that needs little introduction. Considered an influential and innovative soul-jazz-funk musician, he is known for his precise musical timekeeping and his signature use of triplets against a half-time backbeat, aka the "Purdie Shuffle." Variations on this shuffle can be heard on songs such as Led Zeppelin's "Fool in the Rain," the Police's "Walking on the Moon," and Toto's "Rosanna." One of the greatest drummers of his generation, he was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 2013.

Purdie composed, produced, and performed the entire score for Lialeh, the first major black porn movie, while between projects with Curtis Mayfield, Aretha Franklin, The Last Poets, The Rolling Stones, and James Brown. Bryan Records released the Shaft-era soundtrack to Lialeh in 1974, which has been championed by music fans throughout time for its seven original Purdie tracks.