Earl May

Biography

Earl Might was probably one of the most prodigious and prolific bassists from the postwar era, financing his rich, circular sound to classes headlined by jazz icons John Coltrane, Chet Baker, and Dizzy Gillespie. Created Sept 17, 1927, in NEW YORK, May 1st gravitated to drums, but at 14 obtained an acoustic bass, later on producing his professional debut in the Bronx’s 845 Golf club. While operating an insurance work by day time, he moonlighted over the New York golf club circuit, eventually getting the eye of drummer Connie Kay, who asked him to sit down in behind the immortal Lester Adolescent at Harlem’s now-legendary Minton’s Playhouse. After his stint with Adolescent, May became a member of pianist Dr. Billy Taylor in 1951, finally giving up his insurance gig to try out music full-time. The Billy Taylor Trio was a fixture at nightspots like the Hickory Home, Birdland, as well as the Downbeat Golf club, so when their notoriety pass on May was also asked to sit along with vocalist Gloria Lynne during her residency in the Copacabana. Through the early ’50s, May researched under pioneering jazz bassist Charles Mingus, an event that greatly extended both his art and vision furthermore to establishing the stage for the 1957 Rudy Vehicle Gelder-produced cooperation with Coltrane and drummer Artwork Taylor that yielded the now-classic Lush Lifestyle. By the finish of the 10 years May ranked one of the busiest bassists in jazz, support Baker (Chet Baker Has the very best of Lerner and Loewe), Herbie Mann (Live on the Community Gate), and Pal Rich (The Drivers). Using the advancement of the 1960s, Might made the change from acoustic to electrical bass, coaxing in the instrument an generally warm and earthy audio. Furthermore to leading his very own Earl Might Quartet, he continued to be a first-call program player, today tailoring his method of match a era of soul-jazz greats like Stanley Turrentine, Shirley Scott, and Lou Donaldson. Within the decades to check out May appreciated significant tenures behind Dizzy Gillespie, Junior Mance, and Barry Harris. He also headlined a small number of periods, including his 2006 swan melody, Swingin’ the Blues. Might continued executing until just times before an enormous heart attack stated his lifestyle on January 4, 2008; he was 80 yrs . old.

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