Curley Russell

Dillon "Curley" Russell[1] (19 March 1917 – 3 July 1986) was an American jazz double-bassist, who played bass on many bebop recordings.

A member of the Tadd Dameron Sextet, in his heyday he was in demand for his ability to play at the rapid tempos typical of bebop, and appears on several key recordings of the period. He left the music business in the late 1950s.

According to jazz historian Phil Schaap the classic bebop tune "Donna Lee", a contrafact on "Back Home Again In Indiana", was named after Curley's daughter.[2][3]

Discography

As sideman

Notes

  1. ^ Woideck, Carl Charlie Parker: his music and life University of Michigan Press, 1998 ISBN 0472085557, 9780472085552 at Google Books
  2. ^ Schaap learned this from saxophonist and music historian Allen Lowe, who was a friend of Russell's.
  3. ^ "Donna Lee" @ jazzstandards.com. Accessed 2009-07-26