Roger Humphries was 3 1⁄2 years old when his family discovered his early drum talent. He led his group at Carnegie Music Hall when just sixteen.
One year later, he sat in with his first big band and began playing professionally at fourteen. He joined Stanley Turrentine (also from Pittsburgh) and Shirley Scott at the Harrican in the Hill District of Pittsburgh. In 1964, Roger went to New York to join the Horace Silver Quintet. While with Silver, he toured Europe twice and appeared at the Monterey Jazz Festival.
Roger recorded three albums while working with Horace Silver: Song for My Father, Cape Verdean Blues, and Jody Grind. Song For My Father is one of the most legendary albums of our time, still being played by jazz radio stations as a popular hit. His tenure with the great Horace Silver lasted slightly over three years, from 1964 through 1967. During those three album recordings, he played with giants like Joe Henderson, James Spalding, Tyrone Washington, Teddy Smith, Larry Ridley, Woody Shaw, Carmell Jones, and J.J. Johnson.
He also recorded with artists like Geri Alan, Herbie Mann/Phil Woods, Richard Groove Holmes, Kenny Blake, Frank Cunimondo, Dwayne Dolphin, and Nancy Wilson. Shortly after leaving Silver, Roger began working with Ray Charles.
After playing with various groups around the country, ace drummer Roger Humphries decided o organize his group in 1972, which he called RH Factor. In 1996 he assembled Roger Humphries’ Big Band. Roger gives special thanks to Dr. Harry Clark, principal of the Pittsburgh High School for the Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA), who has allowed him to have such a beautiful experience teaching the kids at the school, and to Dr. Nathan Davis, who allowed him to teach and share lives with students at the University of Pittsburgh.
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