Theodore Dudley "Red" Saunders (March 2, 1912 –
March 5, 1981) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He also played
vibraphone and timpani.
He was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and after his mother's
death moved to Chicago with his sister. He took drum lessons while 
attending a
boarding school in Milwaukee, and became a professional musician in 1928,
playing in Stomp King's band. He then spent several years touring the country
as drummer with Ira Coffey's Walkathonians, a band that played at competitive
walkathon events, before joining a revue, Harlem Scandals.
attending a
boarding school in Milwaukee, and became a professional musician in 1928,
playing in Stomp King's band. He then spent several years touring the country
as drummer with Ira Coffey's Walkathonians, a band that played at competitive
walkathon events, before joining a revue, Harlem Scandals.
On returning to Chicago in 1934, he joined a band led by
Tiny Parham at the Savoy Ballroom, and thereafter became a well-known drummer
in Chicago clubs and hotels. In 1937, Saunders joined the house band at the
Club DeLisa, initially led by pianist Albert Ammons, and then briefly by
saxophonist Delbert Bright, before taking over as bandleader himself.
Saunders remained in control of the Club DeLisa house
band until the club closed in 1958, apart from a hiatus between 1945 and 1947
when he led a smaller band at other venues in Chicago. Among his sidemen were
Leon Washington, Porter Kilbert, Earl Washington, Sonny Cohn, Ike Perkins,
Riley Hampton, singer Joe Williams and Mac Easton. Among the arrangers he
employed were Johnny Pate and Sun Ra.
when he led a smaller band at other venues in Chicago. Among his sidemen were
Leon Washington, Porter Kilbert, Earl Washington, Sonny Cohn, Ike Perkins,
Riley Hampton, singer Joe Williams and Mac Easton. Among the arrangers he
employed were Johnny Pate and Sun Ra.
He made his first recordings as bandleader for Savoy
Records in late 1945, and later accompanied such rhythm and blues performers
as
T-Bone Walker, Big Joe Turner, Sugar Chile Robinson, Rosetta Tharpe, Willie
Mabon, Little Brother Montgomery and LaVern Baker (then credited as "Miss
Sharecropper") on sessions. He continued to record under his own name with
relatively little commercial success for several years, until early 1952 when
his recording of the traditional children's song "Hambone" on the
OKeh label, with Dolores Hawkins and the Hambone Kids (who included Dee Clark),
reached some R&B charts.
as
T-Bone Walker, Big Joe Turner, Sugar Chile Robinson, Rosetta Tharpe, Willie
Mabon, Little Brother Montgomery and LaVern Baker (then credited as "Miss
Sharecropper") on sessions. He continued to record under his own name with
relatively little commercial success for several years, until early 1952 when
his recording of the traditional children's song "Hambone" on the
OKeh label, with Dolores Hawkins and the Hambone Kids (who included Dee Clark),
reached some R&B charts. 
In 1956, he recorded with Guy Warren on Warren's album Africa
Speaks—America Answers! Despite his regular gig and disinclination to go on the
road, Saunders also played with Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Woody
Herman.
Sadly, the rise of rock ‘n roll spurned the end of the
recording days for Red’s band, but he continued to lead a band at the Regal
Theatre in Chicago into the 1960s. For the remainder of his career, he worked
as a producer/musician and as a booking agent.
He worked with some iconic names in the music business, including
everyone from Albert Ammons to the Jackson Five, participating in over 50
recording sessions.
He played with Little Brother Montgomery and Art Hodes at
the New Orleans Jazz Festival in the 1970s. He was one of the greatest show drummers of
the period and is well-remembered as such.
Red Saunders continued to work right up until his death in
Chicago on March 4, 1981; his death certificate listed the causes as acute
cardiopulmonary arrest, congestive heart failure, and diabetes.
