Francis Dominic Joseph Dallas (October 27, 1931 – July 22, 2007), also known as Frank "Sonny" Dallas, was an American jazz bassist and singer. Born in Rankin, Pennsylvania, Dallas studied bass with Herman Clements, principal bassist of the Pittsburgh Symphony, who also taught jazz bassists Ray Brown and Paul Chambers,eJazzNews.com
and by the mid 1950s, was working with bandleaders Charlie Spivak, Ray Eberle, and Claude Thornhill. Moving to New York in 1955, he began performing and recording with the likes of

Sal Salvador Sal Salvador (November 21, 1925 – September 22, 1999) was an American bebop jazz guitarist and a prominent music educator. He was born in Monson, Massachusetts, United States, and began his professional career in New York City. He eventually mo ...

Tony Scott Anthony David Leighton Scott (21 June 1944 – 19 August 2012) was an English film director and producer. He was known for directing highly successful action and thriller films such as ''Top Gun'' (1986), ''Beverly Hills Cop II'' (1987), ''Day ...

Chet Baker Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist. He is known for major innovations in cool jazz that led him to be nicknamed the "Prince of Cool". Baker earned much attention and ...

and

Buck Clayton Wilbur Dorsey "Buck" Clayton (November 12, 1911 – December 8, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter who was a member of Count Basie's orchestra. His principal influence was Louis Armstrong, first hearing the record "Confessin' That I Love You" ...

, Lee Konitz, Warne Marsh,

Phil Woods Philip Wells Woods (November 2, 1931 – September 29, 2015) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, bandleader, and composer. Biography Woods was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. After inheriting a saxophone at age 12, he began ...

, Gene Quill,

Zoot Sims John Haley "Zoot" Sims (October 29, 1925 – March 23, 1985) was an American jazz saxophonist, playing mainly tenor but also alto (and, later, soprano) saxophone. He first gained attention in the "Four Brothers" sax section of Woody Herman's big ...

, Al Cohn,

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 celebra ...

, Mary Lou Williams,

Bill Evans William John Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, block ch ...

George Wallington George Wallington (October 27, 1924 – February 15, 1993) was an American jazz pianist and composer. Early life Wallington was born Giacinto Figlia (some sources give "Giorgio") in Sicily, and then moved to the United States (New York) with ...

, Jackie Paris and

Lennie Tristano Leonard Joseph Tristano (March 19, 1919 – November 18, 1978) was an American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and teacher of jazz improvisation. Tristano studied for bachelor's and master's degrees in music in Chicago before moving to New Yo ...

, with whom he was most closely associated. Moving to Long Island in the late 1960s, he obtained a Master of Arts degree in music education and began teaching at both Suffolk County Community College and

Dowling College Dowling College was a private college on Long Island, New York. It was established in 1968 and had its main campus located in Oakdale, New York on the site of William K. Vanderbilt's mansion Idle Hour. Dowling also included a campus in Shirl ...

. '' Down Beat'' listed Sonny Dallas as one of the top ten greatest jazz bassists. Dallas died of heart failure in Long Island, New York. Survived by two daughters, Deborah Marko of North Braddock, Pennsylvania, and Elizabeth Dallas of New York; a son, Robert Dallas of Frederick, Maryland.

Discography

With Lee Konitz

*'' You and Lee'' (Verve, 1959) *''

Motion In physics, motion is the phenomenon in which an object changes its position with respect to time. Motion is mathematically described in terms of displacement, distance, velocity, acceleration, speed and frame of reference to an observer and mea ...

'' (Verve, 1961)

With Phil Woods

*''Phil Talks with Quill''

With Lennie Tristano

*''Descent into the Maelstrom'' *''Note to Note''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dallas, Sonny 1931 births 2007 deaths People from Rankin, Pennsylvania Jazz musicians from Pennsylvania American jazz double-bassists Male double-bassists 20th-century American musicians 20th-century double-bassists 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians