Jimmy Garrison
Jimmy Garrison | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | James Emory Garrison |
Born |
Americus, Georgia, United States | March 3, 1934
Died |
April 7, 1976 42) New York City, New York[1] | (aged
Genres | Jazz |
Occupation(s) | Musician |
Instruments | Double bass |
Associated acts | John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman |
James Emory "Jimmy" Garrison (March 3, 1934 – April 7, 1976)[2] was an American jazz double bassist born in Americus, Georgia. He is best remembered for his association with John Coltrane from 1961 to 1967.[3]
Career
Garrison was raised in both Miami, Florida and Philadelphia where he learned to play bass. Garrison came of age in the midst of a thriving Philadelphia jazz scene that included fellow bassists Reggie Workman and Henry Grimes, pianist McCoy Tyner and trumpeter Lee Morgan. Between 1957 and 1962, Garrison played and recorded with trumpeter Kenny Dorham; clarinetist Tony Scott; drummer Philly Joe Jones; and saxophonists Bill Barron, Lee Konitz, and Jackie McLean, as well as Curtis Fuller, Benny Golson, Lennie Tristano, and Pharoah Sanders, among others.[1] In 1959 he first appeared on record with Ornette Coleman on "Art of the Improvisers" (Atlantic, 1959).[4] He continued to work with many leaders, including Walter Bishop, Jr., Coleman, Dorham, and Cal Massey for the next two years.
He formally joined Coltrane's quartet in 1962, replacing Workman. The long trio blues "Chasin' the Trane" is probably his first recorded performance with Coltrane and Elvin Jones. Garrison performed on many classic Coltrane recordings, including A Love Supreme. In concert with Coltrane, Garrison would often play unaccompanied improvised solos, sometimes as the prelude to a song before the other musicians joined in. After Coltrane's death, Garrison worked and recorded with Hampton Hawes, Archie Shepp, Clifford Thornton and groups led by Elvin Jones.[3]
Garrison also had a long association with Ornette Coleman, first recording with him on Ornette on Tenor andappeared on the outtake compilation Art of the Improvisers. He and drummer Elvin Jones have been credited with eliciting more forceful playing than usual from Coleman on the albums New York is Now and Love Call.
In 1971 and 1972, Garrison taught as a Visiting Artist at Wesleyan University[5] and Bennington College.[6]
Personal life
Jimmy Garrison had four daughters and a son. Garrison and his first wife Robbie had daughters Lori, Joy and Robin. Then later with his second wife, Italy-based dancer and choreographer Roberta Escamilla Garrison, came Maia Claire and Matthew.
Matthew, Joy and Maia Claire are accomplished artists in their own right. Matthew Garrison is a bass guitar player and the founder/ owner of ShapeShifter Lab in Brooklyn, NY. He has performed and recorded with Joe Zawinul, Chaka Khan, The Saturday Night Live Band, John McLaughlin, Joni Mitchell, Herbie Hancock, Steve Coleman, Whitney Houston, Pino Daniele, John Scofield, Paul Simon, Tito Puente and many others.[7] Joy Garrison sang alongside Barney Kessel, Cameron Brown, Tony Scott and many others. Maia Claire (Garrison-Trinn), former soloist with the dance troupe Urban Bush Women, currently works a Dance & Health Educator in Altamonte Springs, Florida.
Jimmy Garrison died of lung cancer on April 7, 1976. His family legacy includes five grandchildren, Keith Owens, Glenda Rose Aiello, Benjamin Garrison, Lucas Garrison and Salif Alessandro Trinn.
Discography
As leader
- 1963: Illumination! (Impulse! Records) – co-leader with Elvin Jones
As sideman
With Bill Barron
- The Tenor Stylings of Bill Barron (Savoy, 1961)
With Walter Bishop Jr.
- Speak Low (Jazztimes, 1961)
With Ornette Coleman
- Ornette on Tenor (Atlantic, 1961)
- The Art of the Improvisers (Atlantic, 1961)
- New York Is Now! (Blue Note, 1968)
- Love Call (Blue Note, 1968)
With John Coltrane
- Live at the Village Vanguard (1961)
- Ballads (1962)
- Coltrane (1962)
- Duke Ellington & John Coltrane (1962)
- John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman (1963)
- Impressions (1963)
- Live at Birdland (1963)
- Crescent (1964)
- A Love Supreme (1964)
- Ascension (1965)
- First Meditations (1965)
- The John Coltrane Quartet Plays (1965)
- Kulu Sé Mama (1965)
- Live at the Half Note: One Down, One Up ([1965)
- Live in Seattle (1965)
- The Major Works of John Coltrane (1965)
- Meditations (1965)
- Transition (1965)
- Sun Ship (1965)
- Live in Japan (1966)
- Live at the Village Vanguard Again! (1966)
- Expression (1967)
- The Olatunji Concert: The Last Live Recording (1967)
- Stellar Regions (1967)
With Ted Curson
- Plenty of Horn (Old Town, 1961)
With Kenny Dorham
- Jazz Contemporary (Time, 1960)
- Show Boat (Time, 1960)
With Curtis Fuller
- Blues-ette (Savoy, 1959)
- Imagination (Savoy, 1959)
- Images of Curtis Fuller (Savoy, 1960)
- The Magnificent Trombone of Curtis Fuller (Epic, 1961)
With Elvin Jones
- Puttin' It Together (Blue Note, 1968)
- The Ultimate (Blue Note, 1968)
With Philly Joe Jones
- Blues for Dracula (Riverside, 1958)
- Drums Around the World (Riverside, 1959)
- Showcase (Riverside, 1959)
With Lee Konitz
- Live at the Half Note (Verve, 1959 [1994])
With Rolf Kühn and Joachim Kühn
- Impressions of New York (Impulse!, 1967)
With Jackie McLean
- Swing, Swang, Swingin' (Blue Note, 1959)
With Sonny Rollins
- East Broadway Run Down (Impulse! 1966)
With Archie Shepp
With Clifford Thornton
- Freedom & Unity (New World Records, 1967)
References
- 1 2 http://www.allmusic.com/artist/jimmy-garrison-mn0000853359/biography
- ↑ Kernfeld, Barry (2002). "Garrison, Jimmy". In Barry Kernfeld. The new Grove dictionary of jazz, vol. 2 (2nd ed.). New York: Grove's Dictionaries Inc. p. 18. ISBN 1561592846.
- 1 2 Kelsey, Chris. "Allmusic Biography". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 2012-06-25.
- ↑ My Favorite Things (album)
- ↑ http://www.jazz.com/encyclopedia/garrison-jimmy-james-emory
- ↑ The Biographical Encyclopedis of Jazz, Feather & Gitlin, 2007, Oxford (p.92)
- ↑ "Matthew Garrison-Bass Guitar". Garrisonjazz.com. Retrieved 2012-06-25.
- Wendell, Eric: Encyclopedia of Jazz Musicians (http://www.jazz.com/encyclopedia/garrison-jimmy-james-emory)