Cleveland Eaton: 1939-2020

[Justin V]

Bassist Cleveland Eaton died on July 5th at the age of 80.  I know him mainly from his work with Count Basie.  He is on 88 Basie Street, which is one of my favorite Basie albums.  He is also on Sonny Stitt's Soul Girl (reissued as I Should Care), where he, Muhal Richard Abrams(!) and Wilbur Campbell are the rhythm section on the last 3 tracks.  I haven't heard his work with Ramsey Lewis.

Thank you for the music, Mr. Eaton, and rest in peace.

[Chuck Nessa]

I knew him back in Chicago.

[JSngry]

I heard him at his club in Birmingham, 1982. His house trio was backing Hank Crawford for a week, playing NOTHING  but no-bullshit bebop.

I personally prefer the Ramsey Lewis trio with Eaton & Jennings to that of Young/Holt. Heresy in many quarters, but I know what i like.

oh btw...

 

[Chuck Nessa]

I had something to do with that Chase session with Dex and Jug.

 

[felser]

  On 7/12/2020 at 2:08 AM, JSngry said:

 

I personally prefer the Ramsey Lewis trio with Eaton & Jennings to that of Young/Holt.

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Me too.  "Upendo Ni Pamoja" and "Funky Serenity", especially the first one, are my go-to Ramsey Lewis albums.

Edited July 12, 2020 by felser

[BillF]

In memory Cleveland Eaton

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YHEWFdhEMc

My! i could do with some more of that!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvsAdSxLH2A

[JSngry]

https://www.al.com/news/2020/07/alabama-born-jazz-bassist-cleveland-eaton-dies-at-80.html

https://www.birminghamtimes.com/2020/07/family-remembers-cleve-eaton-80-the-jazz-great-who-died-sun/

[Larry Kart]

  On 7/12/2020 at 2:11 AM, Chuck Nessa said:

I had something to do with that Chase session with Dex and Jug.

 

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I faintly recall Chuck leaping in like Superman to alter an error in Leon Kellert's recording setup.

[mikeweil]

  On 7/12/2020 at 2:58 AM, felser said:

Me too.  "Upendo Ni Pamoja" and "Funky Serenity", especially the first one, are my go-to Ramsey Lewis albums.

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Add me to the club. Both had a groove, but with Eaton it was special, rather powerful.

[HutchFan]

I prefer Eaton & Jennings as well.

Along with the albums felser mentioned, I'd include Them Changes (Cadet, 1970) as one of their finest.

[DMP]

I also put “Upendo...” high on my list, Eaton is particularly strong on it - but part of the reason he stands out is that the recording puts him right up front, he almost dominates! He is also strong on “Dancing in the Streets,” recorded live in San Francisco, which is actually one of the least commercial of Lewis recordings. (I think the original trio was better experienced in person - Young, and especially Holt, were showmen, that was part of the presentation, which doesn’t come across on record.)