Jazz Bass Artists Of The 1950s

by Dave Hunt, Virginia Hunt (Editor)

Overview

As the ultimate resource on 1950s jazz bass artistry, this work explores the musical, creative and artistic contributions of 15 jazz bass masters of the straight-ahead era: big-name bassists Oscar Pettiford, Ray Brown, Milt Hinton, Paul Chambers, Leroy Vinnegar, Red Mitchell, Charles Mingus, Doug Watkins and Sam Jones, as well as bassists deserving wider recognition: Eddie Safranski, George Duvivier, Wendell Marshall, Jimmy Woode, Joe Benjamin and Arvell Shaw. A chapter on each reveals the various factors that combined to bring about his lasting stylistic achievements.

But more than mere history, this in-depth work is, first and foremost, about the music, whether bebop, hard bop, blues, or standards interpretation. Features include a timeline and biographic overview of each player's professional life and career; a carefully considered listing of each bassist's greatest recorded performances; and reviews of 71 of the artists' finest but little-known solos that never received their due acclaim. Chuck Stewart and Ray Avery shot the full-page portraits of each jazz master.

"Jazz Bass Artists of the 1950s" is for today's jazz bass players as a model for jazz bass artistry. It is also a key resource for devoted jazz listeners seeking to expand their appreciation and enjoyment of the art with invaluable jazz background information.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940016119984
Publisher:	Cranston Publications
Publication date:	12/20/2012
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	282
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

Dave Hunt's intense involvement in jazz dates all the way back to the days when the music he writes about was being created. Not only did he hear the new sounds freshly pressed into vinyl, but he also checked out the major players in person. Today, his exploration of jazz treasures continues, as is obvious on his website, www.davehuntjazz.com.

One result of that early, direct exposure to jazz has been his most recent book, "Jazz Treasures Unearthed: Sax, Trumpet and Drum Artists and Recordings," a listener's guide to the best lost or forgotten jazz and its players. Hunt's track record also includes dozens of articles that appeared in "Coda," "Jazz Journal," "Jazz & Pop" and "Music Journal," along with numerous general jazz pieces on such artists as bassists Paul Chambers, Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen, Oscar Pettiford, Al Stinson, George Tucker and Buster Williams; alto saxists Gary Bartz, Benny Carter, Sonny Simmons and James Spaulding; drummers Jerry Granelli, Elvin Jones and Pete LaRoca; pianists Chick Corea and Phineas Newborn, Jr., and trumpeter Booker Little. He also contributed 4 chapters to the hardcover book "Giants of Black Music," a Da Capo Press anthology edited by Pauline Rivelli and Robert Levin with a foreword by Nat Hentoff.

Hunt has played jazz professionally, taught jazz history and theory at the community college level and appeared as a jazz clinician. From the late '70s to the early '90s, his base of operations was New York City, where he served as the marketing-sales director for the internationally known Jazz Composer's Orchestra Association/New Music Distribution Service. In that role, he participated in the organization's consultation services with up-and-coming musicians, many of whom became successful, known performers.

Editorial Reviews

"Jazz Bass Artists of the 1950s" is a great new source about 15 of the most prominent jazz bassists from that decade. Author Dave Hunt knowledgeably and respectfully presents extensive historical and musical information about the well-known bass giants of that era.... The book's organization is first rate.... This 280-page book is a treasure and will be enjoyed by those who are unfamiliar with the music of these artists and those who have extensive familiarity with them. I am excited about his a

Bass World, Magazine of the International Society of Bassists - Bob Sinicrope, jazz bassist, Milton Academy Jazz Director, a Jazz Education Network board member and ins