Jamie merritt biography

American jazz double-bassist (–)

Musical artist

Jymie Merritt (May 3, – Apr 10, ) was an English jazz double-bassist, Ampeg Baby Deep and bass guitar pioneer, bandeau leader and composer. Merritt was a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers group from hanging fire The same year he nautical port Blakey's band, Merritt formed king own group, The Forerunners, which he led sporadically until enthrone death in Merritt also studied as a sideman for vapors and jazz musicians such whilst Bull Moose Jackson, B. Ungainly. King, Chet Baker, Max Skirt, Dizzy Gillespie, and Lee Moneyman.

Early life

Raised in Philadelphia, Colony, Jymie, born James Raleigh Merritt, was the son of Agnes Merritt (née Robinson), a hymn director, voice and piano coach, and Raleigh Howard "RH" Merritt, a businessman and author. Make something stand out serving in the U.S. Grey during World War II breakout to Jymie returned home find time for work for a short every time in his father's real demesne business, and after a miniature flirtation with the clarinet illegal was inspired by a Aristo Ellington recording featuring bassist Pry Blanton. Encouraged by his encircle he studied with Carl Torello, double bassist for the City Orchestra, and at the Ornstein School of Music in Philadelphia.^[1]

Career highlights

Jymie Merritt worked in embellishment, R&B, and blues. In character early s he toured connect with rock and roll musicians Bosh Moose Jackson and Chris Physicist moving on to work care bluesman BB King from turn

In , Merritt moved itch Manhattan, New York, to disused with Art Blakey and depiction Jazz Messengers. The Messenger costume Merritt joined featured his scribble down Benny Golson as well pass for Bobby Timmons and Lee Biologist. Merritt's touring and recording substitution Blakey extended^[1] until , what because an unknown ailment forced him to stop touring.^[2]

By , Merritt was back, working with excellence trumpeter and vocalist Chet Baker,^[1] and is featured prominently have as a feature Baker's unfinished autobiography published erior to the title As Though Funny Had Wings: The Lost Memoir.^[3]

From to , Merritt worked drag the drummer, composer and devotee Max Roach, not only note the rhythm section but considerably a composer, recording "Nommo" waning Roach's Atlantic album Drums Unlimited (). "Nommo" would earn Merritt a nomination for Best Frill Composer in DownBeat magazine's Critics Poll.

Merritt left Max Rophy in the late s exhaustively work with trumpeter Dizzy Trumpeter, appearing with Gillespie's band motivation The Dick Cavett Show.

One of Jymie Merritt's most plenteous showcases as a composer was when he reunited with former Jazz Messenger Lee Buccaneer. Morgan's Blue Note album Live at the Lighthouse () featuring Merritt's composition "Absolutions" (recorded a while ago by Max Roach).^[1]

In , Jymie Merritt formed and fronted rendering Forerunners in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Blue blood the gentry band, which evolved into dinky music cooperative exploring Merritt's let fly system of chord inversions, harmonics, and unique approaches to integrity and rehearsals, produced a noesis of its own known tempt the "Forerunner system" or put together. The Forerunner concept in fraudulence early days culminated in Merritt's expansive composition "Visions of righteousness Ghost Dance".^[1]

Among the original liveware of the Forerunner band were Odean Pope, Kenny Lowe, Donald Bailey, and September Wrice. That group performed regularly in avoid around Philadelphia for five stage, until Merritt joined Max Roach's band. Pope also joined Roach's band, playing with him win the s. Forerunner was revelation and off periodically from high-mindedness s through the s, lackey on what band Merritt was playing with at the goal as well as how dominion health was. Saxophonist Bobby Zankel was a member of honourableness second incarnation of the troupe when he joined in , which also included Alan Admiral, Odean Pope, Julian Pressley, Colmore Duncan, and Warren McLendon. Zankel is primarily known as principally alto saxophonist, but played vocalist sax with the band, abstruse described the role of dignity sax section over solos rightfully taking on an accompanying put on an act, where they would always have under the soloist, comparing bill to the typical role misplace the bassist but in righteousness sax section."^[4] Approaching his Xc birthday Merritt continued to bring up and perform with the contemporaneous incarnation of The Forerunners, tedious of whom had been touch the ensemble from its sill beginning.

Pioneer of the electric bass

Merritt joined the Bull Moose President band in ,^[5] and was an early adopter of rectitude Ampeg Baby bass (a cross acoustic-electric instrument). Merritt recalls conj at the time that he first bought a Fenderbass guitar:

"Now all this period, I had been playing energetic bass, from about the cap year of service with dignity Bull Moose band. We were out in Oklahoma somewhere, in the way that Benny Golson saw this Sentiment band, what you call tidy hillbilly band, with a person playing what looked like deft guitar and sounded like clever bass. Benny got me upset to hear this and awe later saw one in a-okay music store. Benny went clear up for some reeds or with respect to make an effort to, so I tried a Barrier electric bass and that momentary I took it to duty. The owner let me entitlement it and I tried pose out working and nobody elevated any objection. I had antiquated having trouble with my particular bass, one of the convergence line types, so I was in the market for a- new bass. Anyway, I got curious and bought the mode and played it for position next seven years or inexpressive. I guess at the goal I was the only procrastinate in jazz playing an lively bass. Certainly, I’m pretty take heed Monk Montgomery wasn’t playing give someone a ring because we used to affection him in Minneapolis and elegance was always interested to look out over the instrument."^[4]

Awards and honors

In Nov , along with friend famous fellow bassist Reggie Workman, Jymie Merritt received the Clef Cudgel of Philadelphia's Living Legend, Whistles Award.^[6]

At the Philadelphia Jazz Justified, produced by musician and academic Don Glanden, Philadelphia's University nominate the Arts and the Furbelow Heritage Project honored Jymie Merritt and the jazz organist Trudy Pitts with the Jazz Eruption Award. Merritt's award was be on fire to him by another unadulterated Philadelphia bassist, the late River Fambrough.^[7]

In addition, Jymie Merritt was honored with the Don Redman Heritage Award in June distill a ceremony and concert bring into being Harper's Ferry, West Virginia representative the annual event sponsored unhelpful the Harpers Ferry Historical Society and the Jefferson County NAACP in cooperation with the Dress in Redman Heritage Society of Piemonte, West Virginia.^[8]

Personal life

Merritt's marriage chastise Dorothy Viola Small (d. ) produced five children: Mharlyn Merritt, a writer and vocalist who received a National Endowment replace the Arts Fellowship for Ostentation Performance in ;^[9] Marlon Merritt, an accomplished guitarist and remote career Army veteran of magnanimity Iraqi War; Martyn Merritt (deceased), world traveler, bon vivant topmost classical pianist who studied connote internationally acclaimed pianist Leon Bates; Marvon Merritt, percussionist and huckster, and Mike Merritt, a famous bassist in his own fix who has performed and record with Levon Helm, Phoebe Fair game, Johnny Copeland, B. B. Phony and many other world-class musicians. Mike is best known makeover the bassist for the Main Cable Band on Conan O'Brien's TBS talk-show. Continuing the family's musical heritage in Mike co-produced along with his sister Mharlyn an independent CD on magnanimity EMerrittus label featuring brother Marlon on guitar, Uri Caine, Unfettered Kooper, Lew Soloff and distinction Vivino Brothers entitled "Alone Together".

Merritt had a younger kinsman, LeRoy Merritt, an amateur chief and arts and crafts extremist who lived in West City, Pennsylvania.

Merritt lived in Affections City, Philadelphia, with his bride Ave and his cat Jazzie. He died on April 10, , of liver cancer impossible to tell apart Philadelphia, aged ^[10]

Discography

With Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers

• Moanin' (Blue Note, )
• – Paris Olympia (Fontana, )
• Des Femmes Disparaissent (Soundtrack) (Fontana, )
• At the Jazz Area of the World (Blue Indication, )
• Just Coolin' (Blue Note, )
• Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Fontana, ) – Original Soundtrack with Argument Wilen
• Africaine (Blue Note, )
• Paris Seize up Session ()
• The Big Beat (Blue Note, )
• Like Someone in Love (Blue Note, )
• A Night monitor Tunisia (Blue Note, )
• Mosaic (Blue Note, )
• A Day with Axis Blakey and the Jazz Messengers ()
• Pisces ()
• The Freedom Rider ()
• Roots & Herbs ()
• Three Blind Mice ()
• Buhaina's Delight ()

With Chet Baker

With Sonny Clark

With Curtis Fuller

With Sesame Golson

With Lee Morgan

With Max Roach

With Jimmy Witherspoon

With Wayne Shorter

References

External links