Herman Wright was a jazz bassist. He was born in

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

in 1932, and, in 1960, moved to New York City, where he resided until his death in 1997. He began on drums as a teen before ultimately settling on upright bass. He worked with

Dorothy Ashby Dorothy Jeanne Thompson (August 6, 1932 – April 13, 1986), better known as Dorothy Ashby, was an American jazz harpist, singer and composer. Hailed as one of the most "unjustly under loved jazz greats of the 1950s" and the "most accomplished ...

Terry Gibbs Terry Gibbs (born Julius Gubenko; October 13, 1924) is an American jazz vibraphonist and band leader. He has performed or recorded with Tommy Dorsey, Chubby Jackson,Theroux, Gary"Gibbs, Terry".''Grove Music Online''. Oxford University Press. R ...

, beat poet

Allen Ginsberg Irwin Allen Ginsberg (; June 3, 1926 – April 5, 1997) was an American poet and writer. As a student at Columbia University in the 1940s, he began friendships with William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac, forming the core of the Beat Gener ...

Yusef Lateef Yusef Abdul Lateef (born William Emanuel Huddleston; October 9, 1920 – December 23, 2013) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer, and prominent figure among the Ahmadiyya Community in America. Although Lateef's main instruments ...

George Shearing Sir George Albert Shearing, (13 August 1919 14 February 2011) was a British jazz pianist who for many years led a popular jazz group that recorded for Discovery Records, MGM Records and Capitol Records. Shearing was the composer of over 300 ...

Doug Watkins Douglas Watkins (March 2, 1934 – February 5, 1962) was an American jazz double bassist. He was best known for being an accompanist to various hard bop artists in the Detroit area, including Donald Byrd and Jackie McLean. Biography Watkins ...

and on one occasion substituted Charles Mingus when the latter wanted to play piano. He can also be heard on

's ''Ginsberg Sings Blake.''U of Pennsylvania
/ref> He had three sons, Herman Wright Jr. (brass and woodwinds), Paris Wright (drums), and Dewayne Wright (piano).

Discography

As sideman

With

*''

Hip Harp ''Hip Harp'' (also released as ''The Best of Dorothy Ashby'') is an album by jazz harpist Dorothy Ashby recorded in 1958 and released on the Prestige label.

'' (Prestige, 1958) *'' In a Minor Groove'' (New Jazz, 1958) *''

'' (Argo, 1961) *'' Soft Winds'' (Jazzland, 1961) With Chet Baker *'' Smokin' with the Chet Baker Quintet'' (Prestige, 1965) *'' Groovin' with the Chet Baker Quintet'' (Prestige, 1965) *'' Comin' On with the Chet Baker Quintet'' (Prestige, 1965) *'' Cool Burnin' with the Chet Baker Quintet'' (Prestige, 1965) *'' Boppin' with the Chet Baker Quintet'' (Prestige, 1965) With

*''

Songs of Innocence and Experience ''Songs of Innocence and of Experience'' is a collection of illustrated poems by William Blake. It appeared in two phases: a few first copies were printed and illuminated by Blake himself in 1789; five years later, he bound these poems with a ...

'' (MGM, 1970) With

Al Grey Al Grey (June 6, 1925 – March 24, 2000) was an American jazz trombonist who was a member of the Count Basie orchestra. He was known for his plunger mute technique and wrote an instructional book in 1987 called ''Plunger Techniques''. Care ...

*'' Snap Your Fingers'' (Argo, 1962) *'' Having a Ball'' (Argo, 1963) With

*'' Cry! - Tender'' (New Jazz, 1959) *'' The Three Faces of Yusef Lateef'' (Riverside, 1960) *'' Into Something'' (New Jazz, 1961) *'' The Golden Flute'' (Impulse!, 1966) With

Billy Mitchell William Lendrum Mitchell (December 29, 1879 – February 19, 1936) was a United States Army officer who is regarded as the father of the United States Air Force. Mitchell served in France during World War I and, by the conflict's end, command ...

*'' This Is Billy Mitchell'' (Smash, 1962) *'' A Little Juicy'' (Smash, 1963) With

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 ...

* ''

Lover Man "Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be?)" (often called simply "Lover Man") is a 1941 popular song written by Jimmy Davis, Roger ("Ram") Ramirez, and James Sherman. It is particularly associated with Billie Holiday, for whom it was written, and her ...

'' (Timeless, 1989) With Sonny Stitt *'' Pow!'' (Prestige, 1965 967 With

*''

Soulnik ''Soulnik'' is the second of two albums led by American jazz bassist Doug Watkins featuring tracks recorded in 1960 and released on the New Jazz label.American jazz musicians Musicians from Detroit Year of birth missing American double-bassists Male double-bassists Year of death missing Jazz musicians from Michigan American male jazz musicians {{US-jazz-musician-stub