Lucille Dixon Robertson (27 February 1923 – 23 September 2004) was a jazz

double-bassist The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or #Terminology, by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched Bow (music), bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox addit ...

. She grew up 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 ...

and she successfully auditioned for the All City High School Orchestra. She studied under

Frederick Zimmermann Frederick Zimmermann (May 18, 1906 – August 3, 1967) was an American double bassist and teacher. He played in the New York Philharmonic from 1930 to 1966 and taught at the Juilliard School, Mannes School of Music, Columbia University, Manhatt ...

of the

New York Philharmonic The New York Philharmonic, officially the Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc., globally known as New York Philharmonic Orchestra (NYPO) or New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, is a symphony orchestra based in New York City. It is ...

for 15 years. Lucille Dixon was born on February 23, 1923 in

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street (Manhattan), 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and 110th Street (Manhattan), ...

. She studied music with

Carmen Velma Shepperd Carmen Velma Shepperd (October 30, 1910 – December 6, 1997) was an American singer, pianist, and educator, born in Jamaica. Early life and education Carmen Velma Shepperd was born in Kingston, Jamaica, the daughter of David N. Shepperd and ...

as a girl. During high school she performed in the All-City High School Orchestra. Beginning in 1941, she was a member of the

National Youth Administration The National Youth Administration (NYA) was a New Deal agency sponsored by Franklin D. Roosevelt during his presidency. It focused on providing work and education for Americans between the ages of 16 and 25. It operated from June 26, 1935 to ...

orchestra. After studying for a year at

Brooklyn College Brooklyn College is a public university in Brooklyn, Brooklyn, New York. It is part of the City University of New York system and enrolls about 15,000 undergraduate and 2,800 graduate students on a 35-acre campus. Being New York City's first publ ...

she performed in the all-women

International Sweethearts of Rhythm The International Sweethearts of Rhythm was the first integrated all-women's band in the United States. During the 1940s the band featured some of the best female musicians of the day. They played swing and jazz on a national circuit that incl ...

. She then joined the band of jazz pianist

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, " ...

in 1943. She continued with Hines' band until 1945 then formed the Lucille Dixon Orchestra, which existed from 1946 to 1960. Through its history, her band included many famous performers, including

Buddy Tate George Holmes "Buddy" Tate (February 22, 1913 – February 10, 2001) was an American jazz saxophonist and clarinetist. Biography Tate was born in Sherman, Texas, United States, and first played the alto saxophone. According to the website All Ab ...

Sonny Payne Sonny Payne (May 4, 1926 – January 29, 1979) was an American jazz drummer, best known for his work with Count Basie and Harry James. Biography Payne's father was Wild Bill Davis's drummer Chris Columbus. After early study with Vic Berton, i ...

Tyree Glenn Tyree Glenn, born William Tyree Glenn (November 23, 1912, Corsicana, Texas, United States, – May 18, 1974, Englewood, New Jersey), was an American trombone and vibraphone player. Biography Tyree played trombone and vibraphone with local Texas ...

George Matthews George Matthews may refer to: * George Matthews (soldier) (1726–1798), soldier and signatory of the 1790 Pennsylvania Constitution * George E. Matthews (1855–1911), American publisher of the ''Buffalo Courier-Express'' * George Matthews (music ...

, and Bill Smith.

References

External links

American Federation of Musicians obituaryinterview in ''Black Perspectives in Music,'' 1975

International Sweethearts of Rhythm Collection Spotlight, Because of Her Story, Smithsonian Institution
1923 births 2004 deaths American jazz bandleaders American jazz double-bassists Bebop double-bassists Musicians from New York City 20th-century American musicians Women double-bassists Jazz musicians from New York (state) 20th-century women musicians 20th-century double-bassists International Sweethearts of Rhythm members Brooklyn College alumni 20th-century African-American musicians 21st-century African-American people {{double-bassist-stub