Ernest "Bass" Hill (March 14, 1900, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – September 16, 1964, New York City) was an American jazz double-bassist. Hill played from 1924 with Claude Hopkins, and remained with him on a tour of Europe with Josephine Baker the following year. Hill and Hopkins collaborated numerous times over the next few years and again in the 1940s. In 1928 he played with

Leroy Smith LeRoy Victor Smith (August 4, 1933October 25, 2002) was an American former football coach. He coached in four decades, his lifetime record was 106–77–7. Coaching career Mississippi Valley State Smith's first head coaching position was at M ...

& His Orchestra and Bill Brown & His Brownies, and worked in the Eugene Kennedy Orchestra the next year. In the 1930s he played with Willie Bryant,

Bobby Martin Bobby Martin may refer to: *Bobby Martin (American football) (1987–2020), American football player *Bobby Martin (musician) (1903–2001), jazz trumpeter *Bobby Martin, bass player for Canadian country group the James Barker Band *Bobby Martin (p ...

's Cotton Club Serenaders, Benny Carter,

Chick Webb William Henry "Chick" Webb (February 10, 1905 – June 16, 1939) was an American jazz and swing music drummer and band leader. Early life Webb was born in Baltimore, Maryland, to William H. and Marie Webb. The year of his birth is disputed. ...

, and Rex Stewart. Hill was in Europe in the late 1930s when he fled to Switzerland at the outbreak of World War II. There he played with Mac Strittmacher before returning to the United States in 1940. In that year, he recorded with Eddie South and Hot Lips Page. Following this he played with

Maurice Hubbard Maurice may refer to: People * Saint Maurice (died 287), Roman legionary and Christian martyr *Maurice (emperor) or Flavius Mauricius Tiberius Augustus (539–602), Byzantine emperor *Maurice (bishop of London) (died 1107), Lord Chancellor and L ...

, Hopkins again, Zutty Singleton,

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...

(1943), Cliff Jackson,

Herbie Cowens Herbert "Kat" Cowans or Cowens (born May 24, 1904 - Jan. 23rd, 1993) was an American jazz drummer born in Texas. Cowans worked as a shoeshine boy as a child. His first professional engagement as a drummer was with the Satisfied Five, a local Tex ...

, and

Minto Kato Minto may refer to: Places Antarctica *Mount Minto (Antarctica) Australia *Minto, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney ** Minto railway station * Minto County, Western Australia * Parish of Minto, New South Wales Canada * Minto City, British C ...

. In 1949 he returned to Europe, where he played in Switzerland and Italy with Bill Coleman and then in Germany with Big Boy Goudie until 1952. Upon his return to the US he worked in New York City with Happy Caldwell, Henry Morrison, and

Wesley Fagan Wesley may refer to: People and fictional characters * Wesley (name), a given name and a surname Places United States * Wesley, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Wesley, Georgia, an unincorporated community * Wesley Township, Will County, ...

. He worked in the musicians' union in the last decade of his life.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hill, Ernest 1900 births 1964 deaths American jazz double-bassists Male double-bassists Musicians from Pittsburgh 20th-century American musicians Jazz musicians from Pennsylvania 20th-century double-bassists 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians The Chocolate Dandies members