Earl May R.I.P.

[Peter Friedman]

Just received word that bass player Earl May has died. I have no details at the present time.

[JSngry]

Just received word that bass player Earl May has died. I have no details at the present time.

Read a Cadence interview w/him a few years ago. Had no idea until then that he had remained as active as he had for as long as he did. Quite a career!

RIP.

[GA Russell]

If I recall correctly, I have him on Herbie Mann's Standing Ovation at Newport. What else did he do?

[kh1958]

I saw him with Barry Harris a couple of years ago.

I looked in a couple of discographies and some examples of his work are:

Charlie Rouse--Takin' Care of Business (Jazzland)

Chet Baker Plays the Best of Lerner and Loewe (Riverside)

John Coltrane--trio recording session included in Lush Life and the Last Trane (Prestige)

Stanley Turrentine--A Chip Off the Old Block (Blue Note).

[mikeweil]

R.I.P.

Such sad news - he was one of my favorite bass players. Besides the ones mentioned, he was on a very good Muse LP of pianist Mickey Tucker. Billy Hart was the drummer.

He played the European festival circuit with mainstream trios, but I never had an opportunity to see him. What a pity!

[marcello]

I loved his role in Dizzy Quartet with Al Gafa and Mickey Roker. He made the Fender bass work quite well in that context. Talented man.

[Ted O'Reilly]

One of the few "southpaw" bassists. I only ever saw him play acoustically, but I suppose he played electric bass lefty, too?

[Michael Weiss]

Just saw Earl at a New Years day party - as in four days ago. He seemed totally fine. WTF?

Edited January 6, 2008 by Michael Weiss

[BillF]

I heard a big band led by Phil Woods at the Wigan Jazz Festival a few years ago. Nearly all young guys, with the exception of the bassist, Earl May. The name was familiar. When I got home I realised I'd been listening to the bassist from the Coltrane Lush Life session of almost half a century earlier! I'm very sorry to hear of his passing.

[marcello]

One of the few "southpaw" bassists. I only ever saw him play acoustically, but I suppose he played electric bass lefty, too?

Yes, Ted:

Edited January 6, 2008 by marcello

[Dan Gould]

Sad news; his name was on my mind because I just picked up a Charles Brown LP from the mid-80s with May on bass, along with Billy Butler, Harold Ousley and Kenny Washington. Thought that was an interesting group with him so I snagged it. RIP.

[sidewinder]

Sad news, RIP. I'll dig out the Dizzy Gillespie Pablos a bit later.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Sad news; his name was on my mind because I just picked up a Charles Brown LP from the mid-80s with May on bass, along with Billy Butler, Harold Ousley and Kenny Washington. Thought that was an interesting group with him so I snagged it. RIP.

What WAS that album?

There's some other album with Harold Ousley on it on which Earl plays, but I can't think which.

Earl May was also on the two albums the one and only Herman Foster made for Epic in 1961 - "The explosive piano of Herman Foster" and "Have you heard". He's also (and Herman) on Lou Donaldson's "Coleslaw", from 1964. Foster worked a lot with Gloria Lynne, when he wasn't working for Lou, so maybe more Earl is to be found on her albums.

RIP.

MG

[JohnS]

Sad news. Saw him with Diz, left handed on Fender bass.

[Dan Gould]

Sad news; his name was on my mind because I just picked up a Charles Brown LP from the mid-80s with May on bass, along with Billy Butler, Harold Ousley and Kenny Washington. Thought that was an interesting group with him so I snagged it. RIP.

What WAS that album?

There's some other album with Harold Ousley on it on which Earl plays, but I can't think which.

MG,

its One More For The Road on Demon Records.

[JSngry]

Sad news; his name was on my mind because I just picked up a Charles Brown LP from the mid-80s with May on bass, along with Billy Butler, Harold Ousley and Kenny Washington. Thought that was an interesting group with him so I snagged it. RIP.

What WAS that album?

There's some other album with Harold Ousley on it on which Earl plays, but I can't think which.

MG,

its One More For The Road on Demon Records.

And that is a great record, btw. Hell yeah!

But I think it was also issued with 1 or 2 different songs on Alligator, no?

[ValerieB]

this is extremely sad news. i have enjoyed Earl's playing for many, many decades. heard him a year ago at Walter Booker's memorial. a big loss, to be sure.

my sincere condolences to his family and friends.

valerie bishop

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Sad news; his name was on my mind because I just picked up a Charles Brown LP from the mid-80s with May on bass, along with Billy Butler, Harold Ousley and Kenny Washington. Thought that was an interesting group with him so I snagged it. RIP.

What WAS that album?

There's some other album with Harold Ousley on it on which Earl plays, but I can't think which.

MG,

its One More For The Road on Demon Records.

Never HEARD of that! Must be another, as well...

MG

Oh, I see - that's the Charles Brown...

[paul secor]

Sad news; his name was on my mind because I just picked up a Charles Brown LP from the mid-80s with May on bass, along with Billy Butler, Harold Ousley and Kenny Washington. Thought that was an interesting group with him so I snagged it. RIP.

What WAS that album?

There's some other album with Harold Ousley on it on which Earl plays, but I can't think which.

MG,

its One More For The Road on Demon Records.

And that is a great record, btw. Hell yeah!

But I think it was also issued with 1 or 2 different songs on Alligator, no?

One More For the Road was originally issued on Blue Side Records in 1986. The Alligator issue replaced "He's Got You" and "get Yourself Another Fool" with "I Stepped in Quicksand" and "You Changed My Life". It is a great record - the best I've heard from Charles Brown's comeback years.

Sorry to take any attention from Earl May's passing.

A heartfelt thanks to Mr. May for all of the music he gave us over many years.

As someone (just checked - Jim S.) mentioned earlier, the interview in Cadence is well worth reading.

Edited January 7, 2008 by paul secor

[Dan Gould]

(Now I really need to put on that record soon, if two members give it raves - as well as other Earl May recordings. And I have to take note that on my version, only "You Changed My Life" is missing. The other three tunes Paul mentions as appearing on one release but not on the other are all there.)

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

(Now I really need to put on that record soon, if two members give it raves - as well as other Earl May recordings. And I have to take note that on my version, only "You Changed My Life" is missing. The other three tunes Paul mentions as appearing on one release but not on the other are all there.)

Is that Demon release a UK issue?

MG

[Dan Gould]

Issued under license from Upside Records (could that be what Paul was thinking of instead of Blueside?) and yes, Demon Records is in Brentford, Middx.

[flat5]

I first noticed how good he played from this record. I thought he sounded different than other bass players.

Different choice of notes and time figures.

Charlie Rouse Quintet

Blue Mitchell (tp -1/5) Charlie Rouse (ts) Walter Bishop Jr. (p) Earl May (b) Art Taylor (d)

NYC, May 11, 1960

1. Blue Farouq Jazzland JLP 19

2. 204 -

3. Weirdo Jazzland JLP 19, JLP 1001

4. Upptankt Jazzland JLP 19

5. They Didn't Believe Me -

6. Pretty Strange -

[Dan Gould]

AKA,

Definitely a favorite from years back, I need to revisit it.

[paul secor]

Issued under license from Upside Records (could that be what Paul was thinking of instead of Blueside?) and yes, Demon Records is in Brentford, Middx.

Blue Side Records was evidently a branch of Upside Records. Blue Side is the name on the label & cover. The copyright is Upside records & in small print - "Manufactured and Marketed by Upside records, Inc.".