Chris White (bassist)

Chris White (July 6, 1936 − December 2, 2014) was an American jazz bassist.

Chris White
Background information
BornJuly 6, 1936
New York City, US
DiedNovember 2, 2014 (aged 78)[1]
Occupation(s)Bass player, arranger, producer and teacher of music
InstrumentsDouble bass
Websitewww.chriswhitebass.com

Early life and education

Christopher Wesley White was born in Harlem, New York, and grew up in Brooklyn.[2] He graduated in 1956 from City College of New York, and in 1968 from the Manhattan School of Music. In the 1960s and 1970s, Chris lived on the Upper Westside of Manhattan and is largely considered to be the inventor and first manufacturer of the now commonly used "bow caddie" for a string bassists bow. A close friend of mine and Mr White's boarder at the time, cut the leather and hand stitched the first several hundred ever made. In 1974, he earned his Master of Education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. In 1994, he did postgraduate Advanced Computer Study at Berklee College Of Music.[2]

Career

White was an occasional member of Cecil Taylor's band in the 1950s, credited on the 1959 Love for Sale album.[3] From 1960 to 1961 he accompanied Nina Simone; subsequently he was a member of Dizzy Gillespie's ensemble until 1966.[4]

He later founded the band The Jazz Survivors and was a member of the band Prism.[4] In addition to this, he collaborated with Billy Taylor, Eubie Blake, Earl Hines, Chick Corea, Teddy Wilson, Kenny Barron, Mary Lou Williams, Duke Ellington, Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McRae and Billy Cobham.

White was on the creative arts and technology faculty at Bloomfield College in New Jersey.[1][5][6]

Awards
  • 1993-94 Bloomfield College, Award Of Acknowledgment
  • 1990, 1984, 1982 National Endowment for the Arts, Inter-Arts Program, Jazz Composition
  • 1990 New Jersey State Council On The Arts, Fellowship, Jazz
  • 1979 Consortium Of Jazz Organizations And Artists, Outstanding Musicianship Award
  • 1976 Professor Of The Year, Rutger's Newark Jazz Society
  • 1968 Record World, New Star Best Jazz Bassist (Winner)
  • 1963 Playboy Reader's Poll, Best Jazz Bassist (4th Place)
  • 1961-64 Downbeat Reader's Poll, Best Bassist (3rd & 4th place)

Discography

As leader
  • The Chris White Project (Muse) with Cassandra Wilson (vocals); Marvin Horne, Jimmy Ponder (guitar); Grachan Moncur III (trombone); Michael Raye (synthesizer); Steve Nelson (vibraphone); Keith Copeland (drums); Steve Kroon (percussion)

Interface recorded 2010 Lou Caputo/Chris White co leaders with Warren Smith Vibs Payton Crosley Drums Don Stein piano Leopoldo Fleming percussion

As sideman

With Kenny Barron

With Nina Simone

With Dizzy Gillespie

With Ramsey Lewis

With James Moody

With Jimmy Owens

With Dave Pike

With Lalo Schifrin

With Quincy Jones

References
  1. "Bassist and Educator Chris White Dies at 78". jazztimes.com. December 3, 2014. Archived from the original on March 26, 2016.
  2. "White, Chris (Christopher Wesley)" Archived September 5, 2015, at the Wayback Machine, Encyclopedia of Jazz Musicians, Jazz.com.
  3. Nat Hentoff (1975), sleevenotes to Cecil Taylor in Transition.
  4. Kelsey, Chris. "Chris White: Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-09-05.
  5. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-05-27. Retrieved 2012-04-03.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. "CAT International". Bloomfield College. Archived from the original on August 19, 2010. Retrieved 2010-09-05.
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