If it weren’t for Detroit and Philadelphia, the history of modern jazz
would be a lot shorter and a lot less hip. These two meccas are so
similar in substance, style and the sheer number of musicians that rose from their streets to prominence that they could be twins separated at birth.
But
when you narrow the focus specifically to bass players, the connections
become even more striking. The roll call includes more gods per capita
than from any other city.
“It’s not an accident that almost
all of my favorite bass players are from Detroit or Philadelphia,” says
Christian McBride, the Philadelphia-born bassist who serves as
artist-in-residence at the 29th annual Detroit International Jazz
Festival, which begins Friday and runs through Labor Day. “You take
away Paul Chambers, Ron Carter, Percy Heath, Jimmy Garrison, James
Jamerson, Alphonso Johnson and the others and you’re left with a very
short list.”
Jazz & Bass in Middle America
An extraordinary overview of major bass players from Detroit and Philadelphia, complete with streamed clips. A must read for any jazz (or music) enthusiast.