Robert C. Bushnell (1926 – January 31, 2016) was an American bass player and guitarist who has appeared on dozens of albums and singles as a studio musician, including

Bobby Lewis Robert Alan Lewis (February 9, 1925 – April 28, 2020) was an American rock and roll and rhythm and blues singer, best known for his 1961 hit singles "Tossin' and Turnin'" and "One Track Mind". Biography Lewis was born in Indianapolis, Indiana ...

's hit "

Tossin' and Turnin' "Tossin' and Turnin'" is a song written by Ritchie Adams and Malou René, and originally recorded by Bobby Lewis in the fall of 1960. The record was released on the Beltone label in December 1960. It reached number one on both the ''Billboard' ...

" (1961), " My Boyfriend's Back" by The Angels (1963), " Under the Boardwalk" by

The Drifters The Drifters are several American doo-wop and R&B/Soul music, soul vocal groups. They were originally formed as a backing group for Clyde McPhatter, formerly the lead tenor of Billy Ward and his Dominoes in 1953. The second group of Drifters, f ...

(1964) and the remixed hit version of

Simon and Garfunkel Simon & Garfunkel were an American folk rock duo consisting of the singer-songwriter Paul Simon and the singer Art Garfunkel. They were one of the best-selling music groups of the 1960s, and their biggest hits—including the electric remix of " ...

's " The Sound of Silence" (1965). Bushnell was born in

West Philadelphia West Philadelphia, nicknamed West Philly, is a section of the city of Philadelphia. Alhough there are no officially defined boundaries, it is generally considered to reach from the western shore of the Schuylkill River, to City Avenue to the nort ...

and attended Sulzberger Junior High School where he first learned how to play bass fiddle. He graduated from

West Philadelphia High School West Philadelphia High School is a secondary school located in the West Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the intersection of 49th Street and Chestnut Street. History The original West Philadelphia High School (WPHS) building ...

in 1945 and left for New York City shortly thereafter. He played occasionally with

Jimmy Heath James Edward Heath (October 25, 1926 – January 19, 2020), nicknamed Little Bird, was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger, and big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually co ...

's band in the late 1940s, coinciding with

John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of br ...

. He played in the first house band at Philadelphia's Club 421, a lineup led by

Charlie Rice Charles R. Rice (March 1, 1920 – April 22, 2018), better known as Charlie Rice, was an American jazz drummer. Having played with Jimmy Oliver, Rice led the first house band at Philadelphia's Club 421, with a lineup including Vance Wilson, Bob ...

, and featuring

Vance Wilson Vance Allen Wilson (born March 17, 1973) is an American former professional baseball catcher and current coach. He is the third base coach for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played all or parts of eight seasons in MLB. L ...

Red Garland William McKinley "Red" Garland Jr. (May 13, 1923 – April 23, 1984) was an American modern jazz pianist. Known for his work as a bandleader and during the 1950s with Miles Davis, Garland helped popularize the block chord style of playing in jazz ...

, and Johnny Hughes.''Encyclopedia of Jazz Musicians''
Retrieved 29 April 2013. He went on to become a member of

Louis Jordan Louis Thomas Jordan (July 8, 1908 – February 4, 1975) was an American saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and bandleader who was popular from the late 1930s to the early 1950s. Known as " the King of the Jukebox", he earned his high ...

's bands (both the Orchestra and his Tympany Five). In 1952, he married the band's vocalist, Elaine Dash Robinson, with whom he later formed a group.

Discography

As sideman

With

Gene Ammons Eugene "Jug" Ammons (April 14, 1925 – August 6, 1974), also known as "The Boss", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. The son of boogie-woogie pianist Albert Ammons, Gene Ammons is remembered for his accessible music, steeped in soul and ...

* '' The Boss Is Back!'' (Prestige, 1969) * ''

Brother Jug! ''Brother Jug!'' is an album by saxophonist Gene Ammons recorded in 1969 and released on the Prestige label.Billy Butler * ''This Is Billy Butler!'' (Prestige, 1969) * ''

Guitar Soul! ''Guitar Soul!'' is the second album by guitarist Billy Butler which was recorded in 1969 and released on the Prestige label.Casey Anderson, ''The Bag I'm In'' (Atco, 1962) *

Eric Andersen Eric Andersen (born February 14, 1943) is an American folk music singer-songwriter, who has written songs recorded by Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, Linda Ronstadt, the Grateful Dead and many others. Early in his career, in the 1960s, he ...

, ''More Hits from Tin Can Alley'' (Vanguard, 1968) *

George Benson George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist. A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the 1960s, pla ...

, '' Tell It Like It Is'' (A&M, 1969) *

Rusty Bryant Royal Gordon "Rusty" Bryant (November 25, 1929 – March 25, 1991) was an American jazz tenor and alto saxophonist. Biography Bryant was born in Huntington, West Virginia, and grew up in Columbus, Ohio, becoming a fixture of the local jazz scene ...

, '' Rusty Bryant Returns'' (Prestige, 1969) *

Solomon Burke Solomon Vincent McDonald Burke (born James Solomon McDonald, March 21, 1936 or 1940 – October 10, 2010) was an American singer who shaped the sound of rhythm and blues as one of the founding fathers of soul music in the 1960s. He has been ...

, ''If You Need Me'' (Atlantic, 1963) * Solomon Burke, ''King Solomon'' (Atlantic, 1968) *

Lincoln Chase Lincoln R. Chase (June 29, 1926 – October 6, 1980) was an American songwriter and occasional recording artist. As a writer, his most notable songs were "Such a Night", " Jim Dandy", and several of Shirley Ellis' hits in the early 1960s incl ...

, ''Lincoln Chase 'n You'' (Paramount, 1973) *

King Curtis Curtis Ousley (born Curtis Montgomery; February 7, 1934 – August 13, 1971), known professionally as King Curtis, was an American saxophonist who played rhythm and blues, jazz, and rock and roll. A bandleader, band member, and session musicia ...

, ''Old Gold'' (Tru-Sound, 1961) *

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy Eldridge but addi ...

, ''

It's My Way ''It's My Way!'' is the first album by folk musician and songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie. It was released in April 1964 by Vanguard Records. It was later released in Britain in the spring of 1965 by Fontana Records. Though the album did not chart, ...

'' ( Solid State, 1969) *

Tim Hardin James Timothy Hardin (December 23, 1941 – December 29, 1980) was an American folk and blues musician and composer. As well as releasing his own material, several of his songs, including " If I Were a Carpenter" and "Reason to Believe", becam ...

, ''

Tim Hardin 1 ''Tim Hardin 1'' is the debut album by folk artist Tim Hardin, released in 1966 on Verve Records. History ''Tim Hardin 1'' contains one of his most well-known and frequently covered songs, " Reason to Believe"a notable hit for Rod Stewart in 1971 ...

'' (Verve, 1966) *

Johnny Hodges Cornelius "Johnny" Hodges (July 25, 1907 – May 11, 1970) was an American alto saxophonist, best known for solo work with Duke Ellington's big band. He played lead alto in the saxophone section for many years. Hodges was also featured on soprano ...

Wild Bill Davis Wild Bill Davis (November 24, 1918 – August 17, 1995) was the stage name of American jazz pianist, organist, and arranger William Strethen Davis. He is best known for his pioneering jazz electric organ recordings and for his tenure with t ...

, '' Joe's Blues'' (Verve, 1965) * Johnny Hodges & Wild Bill Davis, '' Blue Pyramid'' (Verve, 1966) *

Ian & Sylvia Ian & Sylvia were a Canadian folk and country music duo which consisted of Ian and Sylvia Tyson, née Fricker. They began performing together in 1959 (full-time in 1961), married in 1964, and divorced and stopped performing together in 1975. Hi ...

, ''So Much for Dreaming'' (Vanguard, 1967) *

Janis Ian Janis Ian (born Janis Eddy Fink; April 7, 1951) is an American singer-songwriter who was most commercially successful in the 1960s and 1970s. Her signature songs are the 1966/67 hit " Society's Child (Baby I've Been Thinking)" and the 1975 Top T ...

, '' Who Really Cares'' (Verve Forecast, 1969) *

The Insect Trust The Insect Trust was an American jazz-based rock band that formed in New York, United States, in 1967. Background The members of the band were Nancy Jeffries on vocals, Bill Barth on guitar, Luke Faust, formerly of the Holy Modal Rounders, on gu ...

, ''Hoboken Saturday Night'' (Atco, 1970) * Willis Jackson, ''

Smoking with Willis ''Smoking with Willis'' is an album by saxophonist Willis Jackson which was recorded in New York City in 1965 and released on the Cadet label.Soul Grabber ''Soul Grabber'' is an album by saxophonist Willis Jackson which was recorded in 1967 and released on the Prestige label.

'' (Prestige, 1967) *

Etta Jones Etta Jones (November 25, 1928 – October 16, 2001) was an American jazz singer. Her best-known recordings are "Don't Go to Strangers" and "Save Your Love for Me". She worked with Buddy Johnson, Oliver Nelson, Earl Hines, Barney Bigard, Gene A ...

, '' From the Heart'' (Prestige, 1962) *

Galt MacDermot Arthur Terence Galt MacDermot (December 18, 1928 – December 17, 2018) was a Canadian-American composer, pianist and writer of musical theater. He won a Grammy Award for the song " African Waltz" in 1960. His most-successful musicals were ''Hai ...

, ''Galt MacDermot Conducts Two Gentlemen of Verona'' (Kilmarnock, 1972) *

The Manhattan Transfer The Manhattan Transfer is a Grammy award–winning vocal group founded in 1969 that has explored a cappella, vocalese, swing, standards, Brazilian jazz, rhythm and blues, and pop music. There have been two editions of the Manhattan Transfer, ...

, ''

Jukin' ''Jukin' '' is the debut album by The Manhattan Transfer. Released on Capitol Records in 1971, it was also the only album by the first version of the group, which consisted of Tim Hauser, Erin Dickins, Marty Nelson, Gene Pistilli, and Pat Rosal ...

'' (Capitol, 1971) *

Gary McFarland Gary Robert McFarland (October 23, 1933 – November 3, 1971) was an American composer, arranger, vibraphonist and vocalist. He recorded for the jazz imprints Verve and Impulse! Records during the 1960s. '' Down Beat magazine'' said he made "one ...

, '' The In Sound'' (Verve, 1966) * Gary McFarland, '' Tijuana Jazz'' (Impulse!, 1966) *

Jimmy McGriff James Harrell McGriff (April 3, 1936 – May 24, 2008) was an American hard bop and soul-jazz organist and organ trio bandleader. Biography Early years and influences Born in Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Germantown, Pennsylvania, Uni ...

, '' The Worm'' (Solid State, 1968) *

Van Morrison Sir George Ivan Morrison (born 31 August 1945), known professionally as Van Morrison, is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose recording career spans seven decades. He has won two Grammy Awards. As a teenager in t ...

, ''

T.B. Sheets "T.B. Sheets" is a blues-influenced song written and recorded by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. Bang Records issued the song on his first solo album, '' Blowin' Your Mind!'' (1967). It later appeared on the Bang compilation '' T.B. ...

'' (Bang, 1973) *

Houston Person Houston Person (born November 10, 1934) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist and record producer. Although he has performed in the hard bop and swing genres, he is most experienced in and best known for his work in soul jazz. He received the ...

, '' Goodness!'' (Prestige, 1969) * Houston Person, ''Truth!'' (Prestige, 1970) *

Bernard Purdie Bernard Lee "Pretty" Purdie (born June 11, 1939) is an American drummer, and an influential R&B, soul and funk musician. He is known for his precise musical time keeping and his signature use of triplets against a half-time backbeat: the "Purdie ...

, ''

Soul Drums ''Soul Drums'' is the debut album by drummer Bernard "Pretty" Purdie, recorded for the Date label in 1967. The single "Funky Donkey" reached No. 87 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in 1967.Tom Rush Thomas Walker Rush (born February 8, 1941) is an American folk and blues singer, guitarist and songwriter who helped launch the careers of other singer-songwriters in the 1960s and has continued his own singing career for 60 years. Life and ...

, '' The Circle Game'' (Elektra, 1968) *

Jimmy Rushing James Andrew Rushing (August 26, 1901 – June 8, 1972) was an American singer and pianist from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S., best known as the featured vocalist of Count Basie's Orchestra from 1935 to 1948. Rushing was known as " Mr. Five by ...

, ''Every Day I Have the Blues'' (Impulse!, 1967) * Jimmy Rushing, ''Livin' the Blues'' (BluesWay, 1968) *

Archie Shepp Archie Shepp (born May 24, 1937) is an American jazz saxophonist, educator and playwright who since the 1960s has played a central part in the development of avant-garde jazz. Biography Early life Shepp was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but ...

, '' For Losers'' (Impulse!, 1970) * Archie Shepp, ''

Kwanza The kwanza (sign: Kz; ISO 4217 code: ) is the currency of Angola. Four different currencies using the name kwanza have circulated since 1977. The currency derives its name from the Kwanza River (Cuanza, Coanza, Quanza). Overview First kwanza ...

'' (Impulse!, 1974) *

Nina Simone Eunice Kathleen Waymon (February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003), known professionally as Nina Simone (), was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and civil rights activist. Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blues, ...

, ''

Nina Simone Sings the Blues ''Sings the Blues'' is an album by singer/pianist/songwriter Nina Simone. This was Simone's first album for RCA Records after previously recording for Colpix Records and Philips Records. The album was also reissued in 2006 with bonus tracks, and ...

'' (RCA Victor, 1967) * Jimmy Smith, '' Any Number Can Win'' (Verve, 1963) * Jimmy Smith, ''Respect'' (Verve, 1967) *

Johnny "Hammond" Smith John Robert "Johnny Hammond" Smith (December 16, 1933 – June 4, 1997) was an American soul jazz and hard bop organist. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, he was a renowned player of the Hammond B-3 organ so earning "Hammond" as a nickname, whi ...

, '' Soul Talk'' (Prestige, 1969) *

Johnny Smith Johnny Henry Smith II (June 25, 1922 – June 11, 2013) was an American cool jazz and mainstream jazz guitarist. He wrote "Walk, Don't Run" in 1954. In 1984, Smith was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame. Early life During the Great D ...

, ''Phase II'' (Verve, 1968) *

Sonny Stitt Edward Hammond Boatner Jr. (February 2, 1924 – July 22, 1982), known professionally as Sonny Stitt, was an American jazz saxophonist of the bebop/hard bop idiom. Known for his warm tone, he was one of the best-documented saxophonists of his ...

, ''Little Green Apples'' (Solid State, 1969) * Gabor Szabo, ''

Jazz Raga ''Jazz Raga'' is an album by Hungarian guitarist Gábor Szabó featuring performances recorded in 1966 for the Impulse! label.

'' (Impulse!, 1966) * Gábor Szabó, '' Simpático'' (Impulse!, 1966) *

Toots Thielemans Jean-Baptiste Frédéric Isidor, Baron Thielemans (29 April 1922 – 22 August 2016), known professionally as Toots Thielemans, was a Belgian jazz musician. He was mostly known for his chromatic harmonica playing, as well as his guitar and whistl ...

, ''Yesterday & Today'' (Universal, 2012) *

Cal Tjader Callen Radcliffe Tjader Jr. ( ; July 16, 1925 – May 5, 1982) was an American Latin Jazz musician, known as the most successful non-Latino Latin musician. He explored other jazz idioms, even as he continued to perform music of Afro-Jazz, ...

, ''

Soul Sauce ''Soul Sauce'' is an album by Latin jazz vibraphonist Cal Tjader recorded in late 1964 and released on the Verve label.

'' (Verve, 1965) *

Big Joe Turner Joseph Vernon "Big Joe" Turner Jr. (May 18, 1911 – November 24, 1985) was an American singer from Kansas City, Missouri. According to songwriter Doc Pomus, "Rock and roll would have never happened without him." His greatest fame was due to ...

, ''

Singing the Blues "Singing the Blues" is a popular song written by Melvin Endsley and published in 1956. The song was first recorded and released by Marty Robbins in 1956. It is not related to the 1920 jazz song "Singin' the Blues" recorded by Frank Trumbauer ...

'' (BluesWay, 1967) *

Kai Winding Kai Chresten Winding ( ; May 18, 1922 – May 6, 1983) 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 Ca ...

, '' Rainy Day'' (Verve, 1965)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bushnell, Bob 1926 births 2016 deaths American jazz double-bassists Male double-bassists Prestige Records artists 21st-century double-bassists 21st-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians