Bob Cranshaw (1932-2016), a Chicago-born jazz bassist who began recording in 1957 and became a significant force in the 1960s starting with Sonny Rollins' seminal album, The Bridge, in 1962, died on Nov. 2. He was 83.
At a time when even the best jazz bassists seemed interchangeable to the average listener, Bob's playing stood out with sensitivity and grace. It has been said that while jazz groups play for audiences, bassists play for the soloist, serving largely as inventive time-keepers. This was true of Bob as well. But he also gave songs a congenial benchmark, leading the ear without crowding it with information.
Bob remained with Sonny over the decades, but in 1963 he recording a number of important albums with the tenor saxophonist, including several live recordings in New York and Sonny Meets Hawk! At the end of 1963, Bob began recording as a sideman on major recordings for Blue Note. These included Grant Green's Idle Moments and Matador, Lee Morgan's Tom Cat and The Sidewinder (on which he created perhaps his most famous jazz-funk bassline, depsite having his name misspelled on the cover), Bobby Hutcherson's The Kicker and Stanley Turrentine's The Hustler. This is just a sampling of his recordings between late '63 and late '64.
As evidenced by 1963 alone, Bob was tireless during this period. In '64, he was on Wes Montgomery's Movin' Wes for Verve, and then he was back at Blue Note for Duke Pearson's Wahoo! and Joe Henderson's Inner Urge. From 1965 on, Bob seemed to be recording every five days. His energy and tenderness on the bass were in steady demand, perhaps rivaled only by Ron Carter and George Duvivier in terms of the sheer number of sessions recorded.
Three recording that stand out for me:
Here's Bob on Where Are You from Sonny Rollins' The Bridge...
Here's Bob on Jean De Fleu from Grant Green's Idle Moments. Dig Bob's rock solid yet caressing bass line, setting the pace and pulling you forward...
Here's Bob on Lee Morgan's The Sidewinder...
And here's what Bob told Bret Primack in 2010 about his groovy bassline on a song that would become a jazz classic...
Kay Starr (1922-2016), a pop singer with a taut, conversational singing voice who could bend notes, add humor and pain to renditions, and cross virtually all genres in the 1940s and '50s, died on Nov. 3. She was 94.
In many respects, Starr was at heart a proto-country singer dressed up in jazz and pop trimmings. When Starr was coming up as a solo pop artist in the early 1950s, the female country voice had not yet evolved to a point where emotions and perspective were being expressed. Instead, Starr was pitted against Dinah Washington initially in the early LP era.
Remarkably, the two had many vocal traits in common, including power on the drawl, a refined tremolo on held notes, a sighing heartbreak feel, and a take-charge style on songs. But the admiration ran two ways. For example, Washington's Wheel of Fortune in 1952 was actually a cover of Starr's version in 1951 (which, in turn, was a cover, of Johnny Hartman's original that same year).
Of course, no one could touch Washington on the blues. But Starr's vocal style was so popular and iconic that it launched a forceful sound that other gifted female vocalists capitalized on, including Teresa Brewer and Brenda Lee. Much of Starr's catalog consisted of pop fare for Capitol with a jazzy flare in the arrangements. But she also had astonishing moments.
For example, perhaps Starr's finest album is I Cry By Night, recorded for Capitol in October 1961 that instantly erased any notion that the singer was a jazz dilettante. On this sublime album, Starr was joined by Ben Webster (ts), Gerald Wiggins (p), Al Hendrickson (g), Joe Comfort (b) and Lee Young (d). Her taste and soul here put her in league with any jazz singer of the day.
JazzWax tracks: You'll find Kay Starr's I Cry By Night here.
JazzWax clips: Here's Starr in 1947 recording Then I'll Be Tired of You with Arnold Ross (p) Dan Lube (vln) George Van Eps (g) Billy Hadnott (b) Lee Young (d)...
Here's Starr in 1947 recording I Haven't Changed a Thing with Dick Anderson (cl), Dave Cavanaugh (ts), Red Norvo (vib), Arnold Ross (p), Jack Marshall (g), Red Callender (b) and Jack Turner (d)...
Here's My Kind of Love from I Cry By Night...
And here's Starr singing The Good Life...
from JazzWax http://ift.tt/2eE7MhN
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