Gerald Leon Cannon (born 1958) is an American jazz double bassist and visual artist.

Early life

Born in Racine, Wisconsin, he attended The University of Wisconsin at La Crosse where he met jazz player

Milt Hinton Milton John Hinton (June 23, 1910 – December 19, 2000) was an American double bassist and photographer. Regarded as the Dean of American jazz bass players, his nicknames included "Sporty" from his years in Chicago, "Fump" from his time on the ...

. Cannon also studied at the

Wisconsin Conservatory of Music The Wisconsin Conservatory of Music is an independent music school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It teaches classical, jazz, rock, folk, and blues and hosts musical concerts throughout the year. It is housed in a Neoclassical-style mansion built in ...

in Milwaukee.

Biography

Cannon moved to New York City at age 28, and he started to play at the

Blue Note Jazz Club Blue Note Jazz Club is a jazz club and restaurant located at 131 West 3rd Street in Greenwich Village, New York City. The club was opened on September 30, 1981, by owner and founder Danny Bensusan, with the Nat Adderley Quintet being the featured ...

with musicians Winard and Philip Harper and Justin Robinson. From there, he moved to gigs with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers,

Dexter Gordon Dexter Gordon (February 27, 1923 – April 25, 1990) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, bandleader, and actor. He was among the most influential early bebop musicians, which included other greats such as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gi ...

Cedar Walton Cedar Anthony Walton Jr. (January 17, 1934 – August 19, 2013) was an American hard bop jazz pianist. He came to prominence as a member of drummer Art Blakey's band, The Jazz Messengers, before establishing a long career as a bandleader and com ...

Trio with

Billy Higgins Billy Higgins (October 11, 1936 – May 3, 2001) was an American jazz drummer. He played mainly free jazz and hard bop. Biography Higgins was born in Los Angeles, California, United States. Higgins played on Ornette Coleman's first records, be ...

, Jimmy Smith,

Jimmy Scott James Victor Scott (July 17, 1925 – June 12, 2014), known professionally as Little Jimmy Scott or Jimmy Scott, was an American jazz vocalist known for his high natural contralto voice and his sensitivity on ballads and love songs. After ...

, James Williams, Hamiett Bluiett, Ed Thigpen, Frank Foster, John Bunch,

Eddie Harris Eddie Harris (October 20, 1934 – November 5, 1996) was an American jazz musician, best known for playing tenor saxophone and for introducing the electrically amplified saxophone. He was also fluent on the electric piano and organ. His best-k ...

Stanley Turrentine Stanley William Turrentine (April 5, 1934 – September 12, 2000) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. He began his career playing R&B for Earl Bostic and later soul jazz recording for the Blue Note label from 1960, touched on jazz fusion dur ...

and Bunky Green. When trumpeter

Roy Hargrove Roy Anthony Hargrove (October 16, 1969 – November 2, 2018) was an American jazz musician and composer whose principal instruments were the trumpet and flugelhorn. He achieved worldwide acclaim after winning two Grammy Awards for differing styles ...

came to a club where Cannon was working, they met. For the next seven years, Cannon performed as a member of Hargrove's band at major jazz festivals all over the world, including the

North Sea Jazz Festival The North Sea Jazz Festival is an annual festival held each second weekend of July in the Netherlands at the Ahoy venue. It used to be in The Hague but since 2006 it has been held in Rotterdam. This is because the Statenhal where the festival w ...

, Cape Town Jazz Festival,

Montreux Jazz Festival The Montreux Jazz Festival (formerly Festival de Jazz Montreux and Festival International de Jazz Montreux) is a music festival in Switzerland, held annually in early July in Montreux on the Lake Geneva shoreline. It is the second-largest annual ...

Umbria Jazz Festival The Umbria Jazz Festival is one of the most important jazz festivals in the world and has been held annually since 1973, usually in July, in Perugia, and surrounding cities of the region of Umbria Italy. Furthermore, the Umbria Jazz Winter Festi ...

in Perugia, and the

Montreal Jazz Festival The Festival International de Jazz de Montréal ( en, Montreal International Jazz Festival) is an annual jazz festival held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Montreal Jazz Fest holds the 2004 Guinness World Record as the world's largest jazz fest ...

. He also was a part of the award-winning Crisol tour where Cannon played with Cuban musicians like percussionist Jose Luis "Chanquito" Quintana, Miguel "Anga" Diaz, Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez, and Chucho Valdes and studied with bassist Orlando "Cachahito" Lopez and pianist Ruben Gonzalez.

Style

Cannon carries the knowledge passed on to him by bassists Ray Brown, Sam Jones,

Ron Carter Ronald Levin Carter (born May 4, 1937) is an American jazz double bassist. His appearances on 2,221 recording sessions make him the most-recorded jazz bassist in history. He has won three Grammy awards, and is also a cellist who has recorded nu ...

, and

Buster Williams Charles Anthony "Buster" Williams (born April 17, 1942) is an American jazz bassist. Williams is known for his membership in pianist Herbie Hancock's early 1970s group, working with guitarist Larry Coryell from the 1980s to present, working in th ...

and continues the legacy by conducting master classes throughout the U.S. and Europe. He taught at the

Oberlin Conservatory The Oberlin Conservatory of Music is a private music conservatory in Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio. It was founded in 1865 and is the second oldest conservatory and oldest continually operating conservatory in the United States. It is one of t ...

in 2014, the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music in Milwaukee, and the New School in New York and at Long Island University. He also gave a number of master classes at the University of Wisconsin in Whitewater and Eau Claire, at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia and at the Conservatory of Amsterdam. Cannon was also a faculty member of the Conservatory of Maastricht, Holland. Cannon is currently Jazz Bass Instructor at JUILLIARD School (New York), Associate Professor of Jazz Bass at OBERLIN College & Conservatory (Ohio),and on the Board of the Directors at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music. After leaving Hargrove, Cannon held the bass chair for drummer

Elvin Jones Elvin Ray Jones (September 9, 1927 – May 18, 2004) was an American jazz drummer of the post-bop era. Most famously a member of John Coltrane's quartet, with whom he recorded from late 1960 to late 1965, Jones appeared on such widely celebrate ...

until his passing in 2004. Since then, Cannon has worked with Wynton and

Branford Marsalis Branford Marsalis (born August 26, 1960) is an American 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 brass. As with all single-reed inst ...

Pat Martino Pat Martino (born Patrick Carmen Azzara; August 25, 1944 – November 1, 2021) was an American jazz guitarist and composer. Biography Martino was born Patrick Carmen Azzara in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, to father Carmen "Mickey" ...

Louis Hayes Louis Hayes (born May 31, 1937) is an American jazz drummer and band leader. He was with McCoy Tyner's trio for more than three years. Since 1989 he has led his own band, and together with Vincent Herring formed the Cannonball Legacy Band. He i ...

, The Cannonball Legacy, Ernestine Anderson, Carmen Lundy,

Abbey Lincoln Anna Marie Wooldridge (August 6, 1930 – August 14, 2010), known professionally as Abbey Lincoln, was an American jazz vocalist, songwriter, and actress. She was a civil rights activist beginning in the 1960s. Lincoln made a career out of deli ...

Gary Bartz Gary Bartz (born September 26, 1940) is an American jazz saxophonist. He has won two Grammy Awards. Biography Bartz studied at the Juilliard School. In the early 1960s, he performed with Eric Dolphy and McCoy Tyner in Charles Mingus' Jazz Works ...

Joe Lovano Joseph Salvatore Lovano (born December 29, 1952)"Joe Lovano." ''Contemporary Musicians''. Vol. 13. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 1994. Retrieved via ''Biography in Context'' database, May 5, 2017. is an American jazz saxophonist, alto clarin ...

Monty Alexander Montgomery Bernard "Monty" Alexander (born 6 June 1944) is a Jamaican jazz pianist. His playing has a Caribbean influence and bright swinging feeling, with a strong vocabulary of bebop jazz and blues rooted melodies. He was influenced by Louis ...

Larry Willis Lawrence Elliott Willis (December 20, 1942 – September 29, 2019) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He performed in a wide range of styles, including jazz fusion, Afro-Cuban jazz, bebop, and avant-garde jazz, avant-garde. Willis was b ...

, Eddie Henderson,

Steve Turre Stephen Johnson Turre (born September 12, 1948, in Omaha, Nebraska) is an American jazz trombonist and a pioneer of using Conch (instrument), seashells as instruments, a composer, arranger, and educator at the collegiate-conservatory level. For ...

, Eric Reed, the Dexter Gordon Legacy Ensemble, and many other combinations, as well as with his own quartet. He continues to conduct Master classes around the world and remains the Musical Director for the

McCoy Tyner Alfred McCoy Tyner (December 11, 1938March 6, 2020) was an American jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet (from 1960 to 1965) and his long solo career afterwards. He was an NEA Jazz Masters, NEA ...

Trio.

Discography

As leader

* 2003: ''Gerald Cannon'' (Woodneck Records) - Gerald Cannon * 2017: ''Combinations'' (Woodneck Records) - Gerald Cannon

As sideman

* 1965: ''I'm going on'' The Gospel Expressions * 1995: ''Quick Pick'' Shingo Okudaira (King) * 1995: ''Kilifi'' Shingo Okudaira (King) * 1995: ''Fire'' Tim Armacost (Concord) * 1996: ''Maconde'' Shingo Okudaira (King) * 1998: ''Live at Smalls'' Tim Armacost (Double Time Records) * 1998: ''Big Mama's Biscuits'' Sherman Irby (Blue Note) * 1998: ''Invitation'' Anthony Wonsey * 1998: ''Big Bertha'' Anthony Wonsey * 1999: ''Straight Swinging vol.1''

Willie Jones III Willie Jones III (born June 8, 1968 in Los Angeles, California) is a jazz drummer. He has played, toured, and recorded with Horace Silver, Roy Hargrove, Hank Jones, Cedar Walton, and Herbie Hancock. He played on Arturo Sandoval's Grammy-winn ...

(WJ3 Records) * 1999: ''Moment to Moment''

(Verve) * 1999: ''Triangular 2'' Cannon/

Ralph Peterson, Jr. Ralph Peterson Jr. (May 20, 1962 – March 1, 2021) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. Early life Four of Peterson's uncles and his grandfather were drummers. Peterson himself began on percussion at age three. He was raised in Pleasan ...

David Kikoski Dave Kikoski (born September 29, 1961) is an American jazz pianist and keyboardist. Biography Born in New Brunswick, New Jersey New Brunswick is a city (New Jersey), city in and the county seat, seat of government of Middlesex County, ...

(Sirocco) * 2001: ''Don't Knock the Swing Vol. 2''

(WJ3 Records) * 2002: ''Profile'' Jeremy Pelt (Fresh Sounds) * 2004: ''Intuition''

Wayne Escoffery Wayne Escoffery (born 23 February 1975) is an American jazz saxophonist. Performing history Since 2000, he has been working in New York City with Carl Allen, Eric Reed, and the Mingus Big Band. Other musicians performed with include Ralph Pet ...

(Nagel Heyer Records) * 2004: ''Faith'' Sherman Irby (Black Warrior) * 2005: ''You Tell Me'' Rick Germanson * 2005: ''Slim Goodie'' Derrick Gardner and the Prophets * 2006: ''

Keep Searchin' "Keep Searchin' (We'll Follow the Sun)" is a song written by the American rock-and-roll musician Del Shannon. It was written, recorded, and released in 1964.Young, Brian. "Del Shannon Biography." ''DelShannon.com.'' Web. 31 Jul 2016. Young, Brian ...

(HighNote) * 2006: ''Black Warrior'' Sherman Irby (Black Warrior) * 2008: ''What's Your Story''

Roberta Donnay Roberta Donnay is an American jazz singer, musician, composer, and producer. She has released nine studio albums and has shared the stage with such artists as Booker T. Jones, Dr. John, David Grisman, John P. Hammond, Elvis Costello, Leon Russel ...

* 2009: ''Off the Cuff'' Rick Germanson * 2009: ''Echoes of Ethnicity'' Derrick Gardner and the Prophets * 2009: ''Open the Gates'' Anthony Wonsey (Criss Cross Jazz) * 2011: ''Compare to What'' Derrick Gardner and the Prophets * 2013: ''On the Waves'' Dmitry Mospan * 2015: ''Love Looks Good on You''

Russell Malone Russell Malone (born November 8, 1963) is an American jazz guitarist. He began working with Jimmy Smith in 1988 and went on to work with Harry Connick, Jr. and Diana Krall throughout the 1990s.Neuroth, Matt. (2008). ''Bio: Russell Malone.'' Retr ...

* 2015: ''Spiritman''

* 2016: ''Routes'' The Stryker/Slagle band expanded * 2016: ''Alto Manhattan''

Steve Slagle Steve Slagle (born September 18, 1951) is an American jazz saxophonist. Biography Slagle was born in Los Angeles and grew up in suburban Philadelphia. He received a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music and received a master's degree in M ...

(Panorama Records) * 2016: ''FE'' Francisco Mela and the Crash Trio * 2017: ''Cerulean Canvas'' Sherman Irby & Momentum * 2017: ''All These Hands''

Michael Dease Michael Patrick Dease (born August 25, 1982) is an American jazz tenor and bass trombonist, composer and producer. He also plays saxophone, trumpet, flugelhorn, bass and piano. Biography Michael Dease was born in Augusta, Georgia and attende ...

Posi-Tone Records * 2018: ''Duane Eubanks Quintet: Live at Smalls''

Duane Eubanks Duane Eubanks (born January 24, 1969 in Philadelphia) is an American jazz trumpeter and flugelhornist,Ralph Moore Ralph Moore (born 24 December 1956) is an English jazz saxophonist. Early life Moore was born in Brixton, London, England. His mother was the dancer Josie Woods, and his father was in the US military. He spent his childhood in Brixton, and afte ...

WJ3 Records * 2019: ''Turquoise Twice'' Rick Germanson WJ3 Records * 2020: ''Shuffle and Deal'' Eddie Henderson, Donald Harrison, Kenny Barron, Gerald Cannon, Mike Clark (SMOKE SESSIONS Records) * 2021: ''Fallen Heroes''

,Willie Jones, Jeremy Pelt, Sherman Irby, George Cables, Gerald Cannon, Steve Davis, Justin Robinson, Isaiah Thompson, Renee Neufville, WJ3 Records

References

* * * * * * * * *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cannon, Gerald L. 1958 births Living people American jazz double-bassists Male double-bassists African-American jazz musicians Wisconsin Conservatory of Music alumni 21st-century double-bassists 21st-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians 21st-century African-American musicians 20th-century African-American people