Cali Posted July 30, 2005 Report Posted July 30, 2005 I'm saddened to report that Al McKibbon, the great bassist, passed away today in Los Angeles. Quote
Free For All Posted July 30, 2005 Report Posted July 30, 2005 Sorry to hear this. He has a lengthy discography as a sideman, many classic sides. RIP One of my favorite McKibbon appearances is on the Black Lion sessions (with Art Blakey) which I believe was among Monk's last recordings as a leader (1971). Very swinging sessions! Quote
BFrank Posted July 30, 2005 Report Posted July 30, 2005 He was all over these sessions, too. Bye, Al. Quote
Kalo Posted July 30, 2005 Report Posted July 30, 2005 He only played with two of the greatest composer/players jazz has known. Goodbye Al. You'll be missed. Quote
cannonball-addict Posted July 30, 2005 Report Posted July 30, 2005 Damn. I enjoyed that last Latin release he did - I think his first as a leader. RIP Al McK..... Quote
Soul Stream Posted July 30, 2005 Report Posted July 30, 2005 There's never enough bass players, and now there's even less. Here's to one of the greats of the music. Quote
sidewinder Posted July 30, 2005 Report Posted July 30, 2005 Very sad news. One of those guys who you assume is always with us. Sadly no more, RIP. Quote
ejp626 Posted July 30, 2005 Report Posted July 30, 2005 cannonball-addict said: Damn. I enjoyed that last Latin release he did - I think his first as a leader. ← Yes, it was called Black Orchid. I was debating whether to bring it along or put it in storage. Now I am doubly glad I brought it with me. A sad day. Quote
Big Al Posted July 30, 2005 Report Posted July 30, 2005 One of my favorite bassists! He tore it up something FIERCE on those Cal Tjader sessions for Fantasy. I'll be spinning those today. RIP to the REAL Big Al! Quote
JSngry Posted July 30, 2005 Report Posted July 30, 2005 You look at a list of the names this guy played with over theyears, and it boggles the mind that he wasn't better known. He took Ray Brown's place in Dizzy's Big Band, he was on The Birth Of The Cool, he was in the forefront of Latin Jazz, he played on seminal recordings by Monk & Herbie Nichols, the list of notable accomplishments goes on and on... Hate to repeat myself, but as with Dom Um Romao, what a life! Quote
Michael Fitzgerald Posted July 30, 2005 Report Posted July 30, 2005 I'm just concerned that up there Mingus has written a new piece for 12 double basses and has already pissed off Blanton, Pettiford, Hinton, Brown, Braud, Chambers, Safranski, Duvivier, Ware, Watkins, LaFaro, Stewart, and Garrison so he's put in requests for Heath, Michelot, Woode, NHOP, and McKibbon. Mike Quote
Swinger Posted July 30, 2005 Report Posted July 30, 2005 BFrank said: He was all over these sessions, too. Bye, Al. ← Bye Al! I have this box set as well and I love his playing on this one. Quote
Guy Berger Posted July 30, 2005 Report Posted July 30, 2005 Thanks for all the great bass playing, Al. Guy Quote
brownie Posted July 30, 2005 Report Posted July 30, 2005 Another good bass player goes away! Very sad news. His playing anchored quite a number of classic sessions! Quote
mikeweil Posted July 30, 2005 Report Posted July 30, 2005 (edited) Oh no !!!!! My favourite of all bebop era bassist, and THE latin jazz pioneer bass player. R.I.P. Like Percy Heath, he recorded his first sessions as a leader very late in his life - they're great expamples of relaxed, groovy latin jazz, and highly recommended. His beat was fantastic. This was the second of his CDs: ... and he played a very old GERMAN Jacob Steiner bass fiddle from 1650: Very nice little web site on Al can be found here. A very sad year for jazz bass. Edited August 1, 2005 by mikeweil Quote
JohnT Posted July 30, 2005 Report Posted July 30, 2005 A very sad year indeed!!! All last week I was listening to Al with Herbie Nichols (in the box set)... hadn't listened to it in a while... little did I know this was on the horizon... ...his lines and sound were perfection... Quote
sidewinder Posted July 31, 2005 Report Posted July 31, 2005 I caught him live just the once - with a Dizzy Gillespie Alumni Big Band, late in life. I know that he made a notable impression over here in the UK when he toured with Gillespie, Stitt, Monk and Blakey as part of that 'Giants of Jazz' package. Indeed a giant.. Quote
Cali Posted July 31, 2005 Author Report Posted July 31, 2005 This is the cover of Al's first album as a leader. Recorded in 1999, it received a grammy nomination. Al was very proud of that. Quote
jazzbo Posted July 31, 2005 Report Posted July 31, 2005 Al. . . crud. . . so many greats gone. . . . RIP big man! Quote
ejp626 Posted August 1, 2005 Report Posted August 1, 2005 I happened to be browsing at emusic and found that while they don't have Black Orchid, they do have two CDs he was involved with called Jazz on the Latin Side Allstars vols. 1 and 2. I'm going to download and give them a listen tonight. Quote
Kalo Posted August 2, 2005 Report Posted August 2, 2005 Dmitry said: I'm endlessly thankful to Cali for introducing me to Al McKibbon 2 years ago. It surely was the most magical hour. He was a mountain of a man [in more than literal sense]. This is a photo that I took at his hosptable home in July of 2003. ← He looks like a king on his throne... And RIGHTFULLY so. I only hope that he knew, in his heart, how important he truly was as a linchpin in this great music we all love. Quote
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