Al McKibbon has left us.

[mikeweil]

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.

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I think he did - and he was humble enough to make no big deal about it. He may have made more record dates in L.A. than any other jazz bassist.

[Kalo]

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.

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I think he did - and he was humble enough to make no big deal about it. He may have made more record dates in L.A. than any other jazz bassist.

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That's good to hear.

I just looked at that photo once more and it knocked me out all over again. Not just for capturing the man, but compositionally as well. That's a very good photograph, Dmitry. Great colors, nicely balanced. I like the way the red of the conga drum on the left is echoed by the reflection of the dining room walls on the right. And then there's that big blue mountain of a man smack dab in the center, but the direction of his head (almost exactly counterpoised to the window behind him) offsets the centering perfectly...

Nice.

[Adam]

RIP Al. Saw him in 2001 at the Bebop convention in Los Angeles - a delightful person & player.

And that CD of his from 1999 is good as well.

[JamesJazz]

Al was a member in 1941-42 of a remarkable Detroit band, the Club Congo Orchestra. Led by drummer Kelly Martin, the band contained at different points during its one year existence Howard McGhee, Wardell Gray, Teddy Edwards, Big Nick Nicholas and of course Al and Kelly.

Al was married to JC Heard's sister for a time - Al and JC went to Cass Tech at the same time.

[mrjazzman]

another one of my dads gillespie bandmates have gone to that big band in the sky. i THINK joe gayles and dave burns are the only ones left...........

[baryshnikov]

Not forgetting his contribution on two early Cal Tjader recordings, with the modern mambo quintet, excellent stuff, paul london rip