Bill Crow | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | William Orval Crow |
| Born | December 27, 1927 Othello, Washington, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupations | Musician, author |
| Instruments | Bass, tuba |
| Years active | 1950s–present |
| Labels | Venus |
| Website | www |
William Orval Crow (born December 27, 1927) is an American jazz bassist. Among other work, Crow was the long-term bassist in saxophonist Gerry Mulligan's bands in the 1950s and 1960s.
Crow was born on December 27, 1927, in Othello, Washington, but spent his childhood in Kirkland, Washington. [1] In fourth grade, he took up the trumpet and in the sixth grade he switched to baritone horn. He played drums in his high school swing band. [2] He joined the Army in 1946, where he played the baritone horn in the 2nd Army Band and drums in a Service Club band. He remained in the army until 1949. [1] After leaving the Army, he played drums and valve trombone while a student at the University of Washington. [1]
In 1950, Crow moved to New York City, playing the valve trombone and drums. On a summer job in Tupper Lake NY at the Altamont Hotel he taught himself to play the string bass. [1] Within two years of starting to play the bass, he played with Teddy Charles and was with Stan Getz from October 1952 to April of the following year. He joined the Claude Thornhill band for the summer of 1953, moved to the Terry Gibbs Quartet that fall, and in 1954 he moved to the Marian McPartland Trio at the Hickory House in NYC, with Joe Morello at the drums. He was the bassist with Gerry Mulligan's sextet and quartet during the mid to late 1950s and early 1960s. While with Mulligan, he studied the bass with Fred Zimmerman, of the New York Philharmonic. In 1956 he was with Jay and Kai (J.J. Johnson and Kai Winding) for several engagements including the Newport Jazz Festival. And in 1962 he joined the Benny Goodman band for a summer tour of the Soviet Union.
"Crow joined the house band at Eddie Condon's club in 1965 and then played with Walter Norris’s small group, which was one of the house bands at the Playboy Club in New York (1965–71)." [1] "In 1972 and 1973 he played Fender bass on society club dates with Peter Duchin's band and played occasional bookings with the Bob Brookmeyer/Clark Terry Quintet. From 1975 into the late 1990s he worked in theater orchestras for Broadway shows (where he sometimes played tuba) and during that time he also played engagements with Al Cohn and Zoot Sims." In 1983 he was elected to the Executive Board of Local 802, the musicians' union of Greater New York, where he served for twenty years.
He wrote a book called Jazz Anecdotes that was published by Oxford University Press in 1991. [1] A revised paperback edition of Jazz Anecdotes was published in 2005 with over 100 added stories. It is titled Jazz Anecdotes, Second Time Around. [3]
His autobiography, From Birdland to Broadway, was released by the same publisher two years later. [1]
With Gerry Mulligan
With Stan Getz
with Zoot Sims
With Bob Brookmeyer
With Al Cohn
with Clark Terry
with Marian McPartland
With J. J. Johnson
With Al Haig
With Jimmy Cleveland
With Milt Jackson
With others
Broadway Shows
Kai Chresten Winding was a Danish-born American trombonist and jazz composer. He is known for his collaborations with fellow trombonist J. J. Johnson. His version of "More", the theme from the movie Mondo Cane, reached in 1963 number 8 in the Billboard Hot 100 and remained his only entry here.
Robert Edward "Bob" Brookmeyer was an American jazz valve trombonist, pianist, arranger, and composer. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Brookmeyer first gained widespread public attention as a member of Gerry Mulligan's quartet from 1954 to 1957. He later worked with Jimmy Giuffre, before rejoining Mulligan's Concert Jazz Band. He received eight Grammy Award nominations during his lifetime.
Gerald Joseph Mulligan, also known as Jeru, was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, composer and arranger. Though primarily known as one of the leading jazz baritone saxophonists—playing the instrument with a light and airy tone in the era of cool jazz—Mulligan was also a significant arranger working with Claude Thornhill, Miles Davis, Stan Kenton, and others. His piano-less quartet of the early 1950s with trumpeter Chet Baker is still regarded as one of the best cool jazz ensembles. Mulligan was also a skilled pianist and played several other reed instruments. Several of his compositions including "Walkin' Shoes" and "Five Brothers", have become standards.
Leroy Vinnegar was an American jazz bassist. Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, the self-taught Vinnegar established his reputation in Los Angeles, California, during the 1950s and 1960s. His trademark was the rhythmic "walking" bass line, a steady series of ascending or descending notes, and it brought him the nickname "The Walker". Besides his jazz work, he also appeared on a number of soundtracks and pop albums, notably Van Morrison's 1972 album, Saint Dominic's Preview.
Melvin Sokoloff, known professionally as Mel Lewis, was an American jazz drummer, session musician, professor, and author. He received fourteen Grammy Award nominations.
James George Hunter, known professionally as Jimmy Rowles, was an American jazz pianist, vocalist, and composer. As a bandleader and accompanist, he explored multiple styles including swing and cool jazz.
Adolph Stanley Levey known professionally as Stan Levey was an American jazz drummer. He was known for working with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie in the early development of bebop during the 1940s, and in the next decade had a stint with bandleader Stan Kenton. Levey retired from music in the 1970s to work as a photographer.
Al Cohn was an American jazz saxophonist, arranger and composer. He came to prominence in the band of clarinetist Woody Herman and was known for his longtime musical partnership with fellow saxophonist Zoot Sims.
James "Osie" Johnson was a jazz drummer, arranger and singer.
Gus Johnson was an American swing drummer in various jazz bands, born in Tyler, Texas, United States. After learning to play drums from his next-door neighbor, Johnson occasionally played professionally at the age of ten in the Lincoln Theater, and performed in various local groups, most notable McDavid's Blue Rhythm Band. Upon graduating from Booker T. Washington High School, Johnson moved to Kansas City, where he took up drumming full-time. He joined Jay McShann's Orchestra in 1938, with his music career being interrupted by his conscription into the military in 1943.
Richie Kamuca was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.
Edward Joseph Bertolatus, also known as Eddie Bert, was an American jazz trombonist.
Lawrence Benjamin Bunker was an American jazz drummer, vibraphonist, and percussionist. A member of the Bill Evans Trio in the mid-1960s, he also played timpani with the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra.
Nick Travis was an American jazz trumpeter.
Elmer "Mousey" Alexander was an American jazz drummer.
Samuel David Bailey was an American jazz drummer.
Eugene Valentino Cherico was an American jazz double-bassist.
The recordings of American jazz saxophonist Stan Getz from 1944 to 1991.
Jim Hall was an American jazz guitarist, composer, and arranger. His discography consists of 39 studio albums, 10 live albums, 1 EP, 1 single, 10 videos, and 22 compilations, all released between 1957 and 2016. In addition, he was a sideman on numerous albums by other artists.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Academics | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |
