My Favorite Jazz-Rock Fusion Musicians from the "Classic Era": The Drummers

These are my favorite Jazz-Rock Fusion drummers from 1966 through 1980 (In the order of my preference and esteem as Jazz-Rock Fusion performers):

1. Billy Cobham / Dreams, Miroslav Vitous, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Kenny Burrell, Johnny Hammond, Hubert Laws, Ron Carter, Stanley Turrentine, Freddy Hubbard, Paul Winter Consort, Love Devotion Surrender, Deodato, Larry Coryell, self/solo/bandleader
2. Jon Hiseman / Colosseum, Colosseum II
3. Lenny White / Bitches Brew, Freddy Hubbard, Eddie Henderson's Realization, Return To Forever, solo/self, Azteca
4. John Marshall / Nucleus, The Soft Machine, Volker Kriegel
5. Giulio Capiozzo / Area
6. Steve Gadd / Chick Corea, Al Di Meola, Jan Hammer, so many, many others
7. Gerry Brown / Chris Hinze, Toto Blanke, John Lee/Medusa, Urbaniak/Dudziak, Eleventh House, Return To Forever
8. Pierre Moerlen / Gong
9. Tony Williams / Miles Davis Quartet/Quintet, Lifetime, John McLaughlin, Stanley Clarke, solo
10. Steve Bohannon / The Don Ellis Orchestra

11. Bruno Castellucci / Jan Akkerman
12. Lurenda Featherstone / Michal Urbaniak
13. Phil Collins / Genesis, Brand X, self/solo
14. Narada Michael Walden / The Mahavishnu Orchestra, Nova, self/solo
15. Mike Clark / Herbie Hancock/The Headhunters, Betty Davis, Eddie Henderson, Alphonso Johnson, Shawn Phillips, Brand X
16. Eric Gravatt / Weather Report, Eddie Henderson, McCoy Tyner
17. Pierre Courbois / Association (P.C.), self/solo, European Jazz Quintet
18. Curt Cress / Passport, self/solo 
19. Harvey Mason / Donald Byrd, Carole King, Herbie Hancock, Bobbi Humphrey, Eddie Henderson, Johnny Hammond, Grover Washington, Jr., Bob James, Gerry Mulligan, John Klemmer, Quincy Jones, The Brothers Johnson, Stanley Turrentine, George Benson, Earl Klugh, Lee Ritenour, Dave Gruisin, Thomas "Coke" Escovedo, Sadao Watanabe, Patrick Gleeson, Victor Feldman, Bennie Maupin, Flora Purim, Joe Farrell, Chick Corea, Henry Mancini, Wil Longmire, Herb Alpert, Minnie Ripperton, Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson
20. Furio Chirico / Arti E Mestieri

21. Michael Shrieve / Santana
22. Alphonse Mouzon / Roy Ayers, Gil Evans, Weather Report, McCoy Tyner, self/solo, Al Di Meola, Larry Coryell
23. John Guerin / Gabor Szabo, Frank Zappa, Bob Thiele, Tom Scott, Hammer, Jean-Luc Ponty, Seals & Crofts, Don Ellis, Thelonius Monk, Joni Mitchell, Howard Roberts, Peggy Lee, Jack Jones, John Klemmer, Michael Franks
24. Casey Scheuerell / Jean-Luc Ponty, Gino Vannelli
25. Karol Oháh / Fermáta
26. Agostino Marangolo / Etna
27. Pål Thowsen / Moose Loose
28. Marc Craney / Jean-Luc Ponty, Gino Vannelli
29. Earl Palmer / The Wrecking Crew
30. Steve Jordan / Michal Urbaniak, Sonny Fortune, Blue Montreux

31. Steve Smith / Jean-Luc Ponty, Focus, Journey, self/solo
32. Don Alias / Jeremy Steig, Nina Simone, Mongo Santamaria, Miles Davis, Stone Alliance, Joni Mitchell
33. Cyril Zeleňák / Fermáta
34. Billy Hart / Jimmy Smith, Eddie Harris, Herbie Hancock, Eddie Henderson, Pharoah Sanders, Miles Davis, McCoy Tyner, Azar Lawrence, Buster Williams, Mtume
35. Bob Goldman / Hermann Szobel
36. Leon "Ndugu" Chancler / Harold Land, Julian Preister, Herbie Hancock, Hampton Hawes, George Duke, Mike Howell, Flora Purim
37. Art Gore / Larry Young, Lonnie Liston Smith, Teruo Nakamura
38. Jim Allington / Larry Young's Fuel
39. Harry Wilkinson / Larry Coryell, Atmospheres, Michael Murphey
40. Norman Connors 

Also considered but ultimately rejected for lack of engagement, commitment, and/or interest in the exploration of the fusion of jazz and rock:

- Jack DeJohnette 
- Art Blakey 
- Elvin Jones
- Philly Joe Jones
- Roy Haynes
- Buddy Rich
- Max Roach
- Billy Higgins
- Jimmy Cobb
- Paul Motian

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