Gary Crosby (bassist)

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b. 26 January 1955, London, England. Born in London of Jamaican parents, and nephew of the unjustly-neglected guitarist Ernest Ranglin, Crosby was (along with a few others, like the fine tenor saxophonist Ray Carless) one of the pioneer black British jazz talents, making his reputation before the scene blossomed so dramatically in the mid-80s. He began to study trumpet at the age of 13, although he had played around on various other instruments at home. He took trumpet lessons at a community centre in Fulham for a couple of years, but subsequently switched to bass, studying with Peter Ind between the ages of 19 and 23. His first gig was with Ed Bentley alongside Carless. Later on, he was an original member of the Jazz Warriors. He has established a group of his own which is designed to give young musicians space for a year or two so they can develop themselves, strike out on their own and be replaced by other young musicians, generally from the Warriors circle. The band played regular sessions at London's Jazz Café. Like most bass players he gets far less of the limelight than the saxophonists, pianists and drummers, and certainly far less than his talent deserves. An excellent, thoroughly dependable bass player, he has worked with, amongst many others, Steve Williamson and John Stevens.