Harold Ashby (March 27, 1925, in

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

, United States – June 13, 2003, in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. He worked with

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1923 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was based ...

's band, replacing

Jimmy Hamilton Jimmy Hamilton (May 25, 1917 – September 20, 1994) was an American jazz clarinetist and saxophonist, who was a member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra. Biography Hamilton was born in Dillon, South Carolina, United States, and grew up in Phi ...

in 1968. In 1959, he recorded backing

Willie Dixon William James Dixon (July 1, 1915January 29, 1992) was an American blues musician, vocalist, songwriter, arranger and record producer. He was proficient in playing both the upright bass and the guitar, and sang with a distinctive voice, but he ...

on the latter's first album, ''

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''. After leaving the Duke Ellington Orchestra in 1975, Ashby worked as a freelance musician and took part in various reunions of Ellington alumni, as well as recording and gigging with his own bands. Ashby suffered a heart attack in May 2003, and was hospitalized before dying at the age of 78, on June 13 that year.

Discography

As leader

* ''Born to Swing: Introducing The Compulsive Tenor Saxophone of Harold Ashby'' (Columbia, 1960) * '' Tenor Stuff'' with Paul Gonsalves (Metronome, 1961) * ''Scufflin (Black and Blue, 1978) * ''Presenting Harold Ashby'' (Progressive, 1981) * ''I'm Old Fashioned'' (Stash, 1991) * ''What Am I Here For?'' with Mulgrew Miller, Rufus Reid, Ben Riley (Criss Cross, 1992) * ''On the Sunny Side of the Street'' (Timeless, 1992) * ''Out of Nowhere'' with Wild Bill Davis (Black and Blue, 1993) * ''Just for You'' (Mapleshade)

As sideman

Eugenie Baird Eugenie Baird (November 19, 1923 – June 12, 1988) was an American big-band, jazz, and radio singer. Career Baird was from Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania. She was the daughter of Eugene Baird, whose obituary described him as a construction foreman ...

, ''Eugenie Baird Sings, Duke's Boys Play Ellington'' (Stereo Spectrum, Design 1959) * Lawrence Brown, ''

Inspired Abandon ''Inspired Abandon'' is an album by American jazz trombonist Lawrence Brown with Johnny Hodges featuring performances recorded in 1965 for the Impulse! label.

'' (Impulse!, 1965) *

Benny Golson Benny Golson (born January 25, 1929) is an American bebop/hard bop jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and arranger. He came to prominence with the big bands of Lionel Hampton and Dizzy Gillespie, more as a writer than a performer, before launch ...

, '' Tenor Legacy'' (Arkadia Jazz, 1998) * Scott Hamilton, ''Skyscrapers'' (Concord Jazz, 1980) *

Earl Hines Earl Kenneth Hines, also known as Earl "Fatha" Hines (December 28, 1903 – April 22, 1983), was an American jazz pianist and bandleader. He was one of the most influential figures in the development of jazz piano and, according to one source, " ...

, ''

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'' (Impulse!, 1966) *

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 ...

, ''Laughing at Life'' (Columbia, 1994) *

Butch Miles Butch Miles (born Charles J. Thorton, Jr. on July 4, 1944) is an American jazz drummer. He has played with the Count Basie Orchestra, Dave Brubeck, Ella Fitzgerald, Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra, Lena Horne and Tony Bennett Career Miles, who ci ...

, ''Butch's Encore'' (Famous Door, 1979) *

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, ''This One's a Good 'Un'' (Blue Horizon, 1969) *

Bennie Wallace Bennie Wallace (born November 18, 1946) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Biography He was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States. Wallace began playing in local clubs with the encouragement of East Ridge, Tennessee High School band ...

, ''The Art of the Saxophone'' (Denon, 1987) *

Ben Webster Benjamin Francis Webster (March 27, 1909 – September 20, 1973) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Career Early life and career A native of Kansas City, Missouri, he studied violin, learned how to play blues on the piano from ...

, '' The Soul of Ben Webster'' (Verve, 1960)

References

1925 births 2003 deaths 20th-century saxophonists African-American jazz musicians Duke Ellington Orchestra members Jazz musicians from Missouri Jazz tenor saxophonists Musicians from Kansas City, Missouri Black & Blue Records artists Mapleshade Records artists Criss Cross Jazz artists Timeless Records artists {{US-jazz-musician-stub