American jazz double b*ist (1918–1942)Musical artist

James Blanton (October 5, 1918 – July 30, 1942) was an American jazz double b*ist. Blanton is credited with being the originator of more complex pizzicato and arco b* solos in a jazz context than previous b*ists. Nicknamed "Jimmie," Blanton's nickname is usually misspelled as "Jimmy," including by Duke Ellington.

Contents

• 1 Early life
• 2 Later life and career
• 3 Playing style and influence
• 4 Discography
• 5 References
• 6 Sources

Early life

Blanton was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He originally learned to play the violin, but took up the b* while at Tennessee State University, performing with the Tennessee State Collegians from 1936 to 1937, and during the vacations with Fate Marable.: 121 

Later life and career

Blanton left university in 1938 to play full-time in St Louis with the Jeter-Pillars Orchestra.: 121  Blanton joined Duke Ellington's band in 1939.: 121  On November 22 of that year, Blanton and Ellington recorded two tracks – "Blues" and "Plucked Again" – which were the first commercially recorded piano–b* duets.: 122  Further duet recordings were made in 1940, and Blanton was also featured in orchestra tracks.: 122  "Blanton also took part in a few of the informal jam sessions at Minton's Playhouse in New York that contributed to the genesis of the bop style." He had to leave Ellington's band near the end of 1941, because of poor health.

Ellington put Blanton front-and-center on the bandstand nightly, unheard of for a b*ist at the time. Such was his importance to Ellington's band at the time, together with tenor saxophonist Ben Webster, that it became known as the Blanton–Webster band.: 121  Blanton also played in the "small group" sessions led by Barney Bigard, Rex Stewart, Johnny Hodges, and Cootie Williams in 1940-41.

In 1941, Blanton was diagnosed with tuberculosis. Blanton died on July 30, 1942, at a sanatorium in Duarte, California, aged 23.

Playing style and influence

When with the Jeter-Pillars Orchestra, Blanton added cl*ical music pizzicato and arco techniques to jazz b*, making it into more of a solo instrument.: 121  While with Ellington, Blanton revolutionized the way the double b* was used in jazz. His virtuosity placed him in a different cl* from his predecessors, making him the first master of the jazz b* and demonstrating its potential as a solo instrument. "He possessed great dexterity and range, roundness of tone, accurate intonation, and above all an unprecedented sense of swing." He added "many non-harmonic p*ing notes in his accompaniment lines, giving them a contrapuntal flavour and stimulating soloists to their own harmonic explorations." His originality was developed by others into the foundations of the bebop rhythm section. His importance was such that, "until the advent of the styles of Scott LaFaro and Charlie Haden in the 1960s all modern b* players drew on his innovations."

Discography

• Never No Lament (Jazz: Bluebird, 2003)
• Things Ain't What They Used To Be (Jazz: RCA Victor, 1966)

References

Sources

• "Jimmy Blanton". African American Almanac. 9th ed. Gale, 2003. Student Resource Center. Thomson Gale. 11 April 2006

Orchestra
members

• Hayes Alvis
• Cat Anderson
• Ivie Anderson
• Harold Ashby
• Alice Babs
• Shorty Baker
• Butch Ballard
• Art Baron
• Aaron Bell
• Louie Bellson
• Joe Benjamin
• Barney Bigard
• Lou Blackburn
• Jimmy Blanton
• Wellman Braud
• Lawrence Brown
• Harry Carney
• Johnny Coles
• Willie Cook
• Buster Cooper
• Kay Davis
• Wild Bill Davis
• Wilbur de Paris
• Bobby Durham
• Mercer Ellington
• Rolf Ericson
• Jimmy Forrest
• Victor Gaskin
• Peter Giger
• Tyree Glenn
• Paul Gonsalves
• Sonny Greer
• Fred Guy
• Jimmy Hamilton
• Otto Hardwick
• Shelton Hemphill
• Rick Henderson
• Al Hibbler
• Johnny Hodges
• Major Holley
• Charlie Irvis
• Quentin Jackson
• Hilton Jefferson
• Herb Jeffries
• Freddie Jenkins
• Money Johnson
• Herbie Jones
• Wallace Jones
• Taft Jordan
• Al Killian
• Queen Esther Marrow
• Wendell Marshall
• Murray McEachern
• Louis Metcalf
• James "Bubber" Miley
• Harold "Geezil" Minerve
• Ray Nance
• Tricky Sam Nanton
• Oscar Pettiford
• Eddie Preston
• Russell Procope
• Junior Raglin
• Betty Roché
• Ernie Royal
• Al Sears
• Joya Sherrill
• Willie Smith
• Elmer Snowden
• Rex Stewart
• Billy Strayhorn
• Billy Taylor
• Clark Terry
• Juan Tizol
• Norris Turney
• Ben Webster
• Arthur Whetsel
• Cootie Williams
• Nelson Williams
• Skippy Williams
• Booty Wood
• Jimmy Woode
• Britt Woodman
• Sam Woodyard

Related

• Mercer Ellington (son)
• Duke Ellington Bridge
• Duke Ellington Circle
  • Duke Ellington Memorial
• Duke Ellington House
• Duke Ellington School of the Arts
• Luther Henderson
• Irving Mills
• Sophisticated Ladies
• Play On!
• Sacred Concerts
• Jam Session