Charles "Ike" Isaacs (March 28, 1923 – February 27, 1981) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

bassist from

Greater Cleveland The Cleveland metropolitan area, or Greater Cleveland as it is more commonly known, is the metropolitan area surrounding the city of Cleveland in Northeast Ohio, United States. According to the 2020 United States Census results, the five-county ...

Early life

Born in

Akron, Ohio Akron () is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Summit County. It is located on the western edge of the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau, about south of downtown Cleveland. As of the 2020 Census, the city prop ...

, Isaacs played trumpet and tuba as a child before settling on bass.

Career

Isaacs served in the

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, where he took lessons from Wendell Marshall. Following this he played with

Tiny Grimes Lloyd "Tiny" Grimes (July 7, 1916 – March 4, 1989) was an American jazz and R&B guitarist. He was a member of the Art Tatum Trio from 1943 to 1944, was a backing musician on recording sessions, and later led his own bands, including a rec ...

(1948–50),

Earl Bostic Eugene Earl Bostic (April 25, 1913 – October 28, 1965) was an American alto saxophonist. Bostic's recording career was diverse, his musical output encompassing jazz, swing, jump blues and the post-war American rhythm and blues style, which he ...

(1951–53),

Paul Quinichette Paul Quinichette (May 17, 1916 – May 25, 1983) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. He was known as the "Vice President" or "Vice Prez" for his emulation of the breathy style of Lester Young, whose nickname was "The President", or simply "P ...

(1953), and

Bennie Green Bennie Green (April 16, 1923 – March 23, 1977) was an American jazz trombonist. Born in Chicago, Illinois, United States, Green worked in the orchestras of Earl Hines and Charlie Ventura, and recorded as bandleader through the 1950s and ...

(1956). He led a band locally in Ohio in 1956, then played for two years in the trio of

Carmen McRae Carmen Mercedes McRae (April 8, 1920 – November 10, 1994) was an American jazz singer. She is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century and is remembered for her behind-the-beat phrasing and ironic interpre ...

, whom he married late in the decade. He worked with

Lambert, Hendricks and Ross Lambert, Hendricks & Ross were an American vocalese trio formed by jazz vocalists Dave Lambert, Jon Hendricks and Annie Ross. From 1962 to 1964, Ross was replaced by vocalist Yolande Bavan. History The group formed in 1957 and recorded their f ...

, then with

Count Basie William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and the ...

(1962),

Gloria Lynne Gloria Lynne (born Gloria Wilson; November 23, 1929 – October 15, 2013), also known as Gloria Alleyne, was an American jazz vocalist with a recording career spanning from 1958 to 2007. Career Lynne was born in Harlem in 1929 to John and Mary W ...

(1962–64), and

Erroll Garner Erroll Louis Garner (June 15, 1921 – January 2, 1977) was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his swing playing and ballads. His instrumental ballad " Misty", his best-known composition, has become a jazz standard. It was first r ...

(1966–70), as well as with his own small groups. He recorded only once as a leader, in 1967 for RGB Records. On this recording he plays in a trio with Jack Wilson on piano and

Jimmie Smith James Howard Smith (born January 27, 1938) is an American jazz drummer. Early life and education Smith was born in Newark, New Jersey. He studied at the Al Germansky School for Drummers from 1951 to 1954 and the Juilliard School in 1959 and 196 ...

on drums.

Discography

As leader or co-leader

* ''Maxine Sullivan with the Ike Isaacs Quartet'' (Audiophile, 1981) * ''Enjoy Yourself!'' (Audiophile, 1986) * ''At the Pied Piper'' (RGB, 1992)

As sideman

With

* ''

Back with Basie ''Back with Basie'' (subtitled ''More Hit Performances of the '60s'') is an album released by pianist, composer and bandleader Count Basie featuring tracks recorded in 1962 (with one from 1960) and originally released on the Roulette label.Kitora, ...

'' (Roulette, 1962) * '' Basie in Sweden'' (Roulette, 1962) With

Lambert, Hendricks & Ross Lambert, Hendricks & Ross were an American vocalese trio formed by jazz vocalists Dave Lambert, Jon Hendricks and Annie Ross. From 1962 to 1964, Ross was replaced by vocalist Yolande Bavan. History The group formed in 1957 and recorded their f ...

* ''High Flying'' (Columbia, 1961) * ''Everybody's Boppin'' (Columbia, 1989) * ''

The Hottest New Group in Jazz ''The Hottest New Group in Jazz'', also known by its full title ''Lambert, Hendricks, & Ross!: "The Hottest New Group in Jazz"'' or alternatively considered self-titled, is the fourth album by Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, released in 1960. The titl ...

'' (Columbia, 1996) With others * Roy Brown, ''Laughing But Crying'' (Route 66, 1977) * Roy Brown, ''Good Rocking Tonight'' (Route 66, 1978) *

Ray Bryant Raphael Homer "Ray" Bryant (December 24, 1931 – June 2, 2011) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. Early life Bryant was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on December 24, 1931. His mother was an ordained minister who had tau ...

, ''Piano Piano Piano Piano'' (Prestige, 1957) *

Harry Edison Harry "Sweets" Edison (October 10, 1915 – July 27, 1999) was an American jazz trumpeter and a member of the Count Basie Orchestra. His most important contribution was as a Hollywood studio musician, whose muted trumpet can be heard backi ...

Eddie Lockjaw Davis Eddie or Eddy may refer to: Science and technology * Eddy (fluid dynamics), the swirling of a fluid and the reverse current created when the fluid flows past an obstacle *Eddie (text editor), a text editor originally for BeOS and now ported to Lin ...

, ''

Jawbreakers Gobstoppers, also known as jawbreakers in the United States, are a type of hard candy. They are usually round, and usually range from across; though gobstoppers can be up to in diameter. The term ''gobstopper'' derives from "gob", which is sl ...

'' (Riverside, 1962) *

Pee Wee Erwin George "Pee Wee" Erwin (May 30, 1913 – June 20, 1981) was an American jazz trumpeter. Biography He was born in Falls City, Nebraska, United States. Erwin started on trumpet at age four. He played in several territory bands before joining the gr ...

, ''Swingin' That Music'' (Jazzology, 1980) *

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...

, Billie Holiday & Carmen McRae, '' At Newport'' (Verve, 2000) *

, ''Up in Erroll's Room'' (MGM, 1968) * Erroll Garner, ''Erroll Garner Plays Gershwin and Kern'' (EmArcy, 1985) *

, ''Blow Your Horn'' (Decca, 1956) * Bennie Green, ''

Soul Stirrin' ''Soul Stirrin'' is an album by American trombonist Bennie Green, recorded in 1958 and released on the Blue Note label.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 ...

, ''

Boss Bone ''Boss Bone'' is an album by trombonist Al Grey recorded in late 1963 and released on the Argo label.Jon Hendricks John Carl Hendricks (September 16, 1921 – November 22, 2017), known professionally as Jon Hendricks, was an American jazz lyricist and singer. He is one of the originators of vocalese, which adds lyrics to existing instrumental songs and re ...

, '' A Good Git-Together'' (World Pacific 1959) * Jon Hendricks, ''Fast Livin' Blues'' (Columbia, 1962) *

, ''A New Voice in Jazz'' (Brunswick, 1958) * Carmen McRae, '' Mad About the Man'' (Decca, 1958) *

Big Miller Big or BIG may refer to: * Big, of great size or degree Film and television * ''Big'' (film), a 1988 fantasy-comedy film starring Tom Hanks * '' Big!'', a Discovery Channel television show * ''Richard Hammond's Big'', a television show present ...

, ''Revelations and the Blues'' (Columbia, 1961) *

Esther Phillips Esther Phillips (born Esther Mae Jones; December 23, 1935 – August 7, 1984) was an American singer, best known for her R&B vocals.Santelli, Robert (2001). ''The Big Book of Blues: A Biographical Encyclopedia''. Penguin Books. p. 376. . She ...

, ''Burnin'' (Atlantic, 1970) * Esther Phillips, ''Confessin' the Blues'' (Atlantic, 1976) *

Dan Wall Daniel Lee Wall, Jr. (born September 7, 1953, Atlanta, Georgia, US) is an American jazz organist and pianist. Wall was leading his own small group at Atlanta club the Carousel while still in high school. He attended the Berklee College of Music, ...

, ''The Trio'' (Audiophile, 1982) * Jack Wilson, '' Song for My Daughter'' (Blue Note, 1969) * Joe Williams, '' Joe Williams Live! A Swingin' Night at Birdland'' (Roulette, 1962)

References

* Scott Yanow, Ike Isaacsat

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Isaacs, Ike 1923 births 1981 deaths American jazz double-bassists Male double-bassists 20th-century American musicians Jazz musicians from Ohio 20th-century double-bassists 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians People from Akron, Ohio Musicians from Akron, Ohio