Ralph Peterson Jr., a drummer, bandleader, composer and educator whose lunging propulsion and volatile combustion were hallmarks of a jazz career spanning more than 40 years, died on Monday in North Dartmouth, Mass. The cause was complications from cancer, his manager, Laura Martinez, tells NPR Music; Peterson had been living with the disease for the last six years. He was 58.
We bring you Michael Jewett's interview from the archives when Peterson brought his Art Blakey tribute group to Ann Arbor's Blue LLama Jazz Club in 2019.
Obituary From NPR Music: Ralph Peterson Jr., Drummer Who Re-Enlivened Hard Bop, Dead At 58
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— Michael Jewett is the the WEMU Operations Director and host of 89.1 Jazz & BluesTime on WEMU.
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