Sonny Payne (May 4, 1926 – January 29, 1979)[1] was an American jazz drummer, best known for his work with Count Basie and Harry James.
[2] After early study with Vic Berton, in 1944 Payne started playing professionally around New York with the Dud and Paul Bascomb band, Hot Lips Page, Earl Bostic (1945–1947), Tiny Grimes (between 1947 and 1950), and Lucille Dixon (1948).
You can’t see any stick twirling and trickerlating on those next records, but you can hear and feel a difference in the band.” He left Basie in late December, 1964, leading his own trio and also touring with Illinois Jacquet in 1976.
Harold Jones, Count Basie's regular drummer from 1967 until 1972, told an interviewer, "I am proud to say that I took everything that I could from Sonny Payne."
Foster asked the drummer to come back for another audition in six months after the young man had listened to every recording he could find of Sonny Payne drumming with Count Basie.