Paul Humphrey (Paul Nelson Humphrey) (lizard Records) An American jazz and funk/R&B drummer, out of Detroit, Michigan, USA He has been working as a session drummer and been involved with Groups/artist such as: Wes Montgomery Kai Winding, Jimmy Smith, Charles Mingus, Lee Konitz, Blue Mitchell, Gene Ammons, Afrique, Freedom Sounds, Steely Dan, Frank Zappa, Jerry Garcia, Hubert Laws Group, Les McCann Ltd., Paul Humphrey & His Cool Aid Chemists, Paul Humphrey Sextet, Ron Escheté Trio, Four Tops, Al Kooper, Jackie DeShannon, Natalie Cole, Albert King, Quincy Jones, Dusty Springfield, Jean-Luc Ponty, Michael Franks, Maria Muldaur, and many others. In 1971 he recorded under the name “Paul Humphrey and the Cool Aid Chemists” an ensemble with names like Clarence MacDonald, David T. Walker, and Phil Upchurch. This record dropped two super cool hits, "Cool Aid" and "Funky L.A." such groovy tracks … it’s all most impossible to stand still when original sounds like this hits the speakers. The record was issued on Lizard Records an LA based label found by Gabriel Mekler in 1971. Mekler started out Working for Dunhill Records in the 60s (which later became a part of ABC-Records) producing names like Steppenwolf, Three Dog Night, and Janis Joplin. He used Paul Humphrey on some recordings, among other on some of Dusty Springfields recordings. When he later established his own labels Vulture and Lizard Records, he collaborated with Paul Humphrey on this fine piece of funk. Other artist on the Lizard label includes names like Nolan Porter and Clydie King. But Vulture and Lizard Records didn’t last long. For some unknown reason the company collapsed about a year later in 1972. Mekler continued his brilliant production work for other companies. Unfortunately he was killed in a motorcycle accident five years later in 1977 (a great loss). But this record still remains as a groovy example of his genius production work.
