Earl Theodore Dunbar (January 17, 1937 – May 29, 1998) was an American jazz guitarist, composer, and educator.

Career

Born in Port Arthur, Texas, Dunbar trained as a pharmacist at Texas Southern University, but by the 1970s he only did pharmacy work part-time. He was also a trained numerologist and studied other aspects of mysticism. He became interested in jazz at the age of seven. During the 1950s, he joined several groups while studying pharmacy at

Texas Southern University Texas Southern University (Texas Southern or TSU) is a public historically black university in Houston, Texas. The university is one of the largest and most comprehensive historically black college or universities in the USA with nearly 10,000 ...

. During the 1960s, he worked as a substitute for

Wes Montgomery John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery (March 6, 1923 – June 15, 1968) was an American jazz guitarist. Montgomery was known for an unusual technique of plucking the strings with the side of his thumb and his extensive use of octaves, which gave him a dist ...

. Dunbar collaborated with

Gil Evans Ian Ernest Gilmore Evans (né Green; May 13, 1912 – March 20, 1988) was a Canadian–American jazz pianist, arranger, composer and bandleader. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest orchestrators in jazz, playing an important role ...

Roy Haynes Roy Owen Haynes (born March 13, 1925) is an American jazz drummer. He is among the most recorded drummers in jazz. In a career lasting over 80 years, he has played swing, bebop, jazz fusion, avant-garde jazz and is considered a pioneer of jazz ...

Jimmy Heath James Edward Heath (October 25, 1926 – January 19, 2020), nicknamed Little Bird, was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger, and big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually co ...

Sonny Rollins Walter Theodore "Sonny" Rollins (born September 7, 1930) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist who is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. In a seven-decade career, he has recorded over sixty albums as a ...

McCoy Tyner Alfred McCoy Tyner (December 11, 1938March 6, 2020) was an American jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet (from 1960 to 1965) and his long solo career afterwards. He was an NEA Jazz Masters, NEA ...

, and Tony Williams. In 1972 he became one of the first jazz professors at

Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's ...

and taught

Kevin Eubanks Kevin Tyrone Eubanks (born November 15, 1957) is an American jazz and fusion guitarist and composer. He was the leader of The Tonight Show Band with host Jay Leno from 1995 to 2010. He also led the Primetime Band on the short lived ''The Jay Le ...

Vernon Reid Vernon Alphonsus Reid (born 22 August 1958) is an English-born American guitarist and songwriter. Reid is the founder and primary songwriter of the rock band Living Colour, Reid was named No. 66 on ''Rolling Stone'' magazine's 2003 list of the ...

, and Peter Bernstein. At one point he received accolades from ''

Ebony Ebony is a dense black/brown hardwood, coming from several species in the genus ''Diospyros'', which also contains the persimmons. Unlike most woods, ebony is dense enough to sink in water. It is finely textured and has a mirror finish when pol ...

'' and ''

Down Beat ' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1934 in Chi ...

''. He wrote a series of books on tonal convergence that are inspired and related to the '' Lydian chromatic concept''. The centerpiece of this series is entitled ''A System of Tonal Convergence for Improvisors Composers and Arrangers''. Dunbar died of a stroke in 1998.

Discography

As leader

* '' Opening Remarks'' ( Xanadu, 1978) * ''Secundum Artem'' (Xanadu, 1980) * ''In Tandem'' with

Kenny Barron Kenny Barron (born June 9, 1943) is an American jazz pianist, who has appeared on hundreds of recordings as leader and sideman and is considered one of the most influential mainstream jazz pianists since the bebop era. Biography Born in Philadel ...

(Muse, 1980) * ''Music for Violin & Jazz Quartet'' with NY5 (Jam, 1981) * ''

Jazz Guitarist Jazz guitarists are guitarists who play jazz using an approach to chords, melodies, and improvised solo lines which is called jazz guitar playing. The guitar has fulfilled the roles of accompanist ( rhythm guitar) and soloist in small and large ...

'' (Xanadu, 1982) * ''Gentle Time Alone'' (SteepleChase, 1992) * ''A Tribute to Wes Montgomery Vol. I'' with Project G-7 (Evidence, 1993) * ''A Tribute to Wes Montgomery Vol. II'' with Project G-7 (Evidence, 1993)

As sideman

With Frank Foster * ''Bursting Out!'' (Challenge, 1978) * ''Chiquito Loco'' (Bingow, 1979) * ''Shiny Stockings'' (Challenge, 1979) * ''A Blues Ain't Nothing But a Trip'' (Bingow, 1981) * ''Swing!'' (Challenge, 1998) With others *

Gene Ammons Eugene "Jug" Ammons (April 14, 1925 – August 6, 1974), also known as "The Boss", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. The son of boogie-woogie pianist Albert Ammons, Gene Ammons is remembered for his accessible music, steeped in soul and ...

, ''

My Way "My Way" is a song popularized in 1969 by Frank Sinatra set to the music of the French song "Comme d'habitude" composed by Jacques Revaux with lyrics by Gilles Thibaut and Claude François and first performed in 1967 by Claude François. Its E ...

'' (Prestige, 1971) *

, '' Peruvian Blue'' (Muse, 1974) *

Hamiet Bluiett Hamiet Bluiett (; September 16, 1940 – October 4, 2018) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. His primary instrument was the baritone saxophone, and he was considered one of the finest players of this instrument. A mem ...

, ''Live at the Village Vanguard'' (Soul Note, 1997) *

Zachary Breaux Zachary Charles Breaux (June 26, 1960 – February 20, 1997)Mark Gilbert: 'Breaux, Zachary', ''Grove Music Online'' ed. L. Macy (Accessed November 5, 2007), was an American jazz guitarist who was influenced by George Benson and Wes Montgome ...

, ''Uptown Groove'' (Zebra, 1997) * Earl Coleman, ''There's Something About An Old Love'' with (Xanadu, 1983) *

Norman Connors Norman Connors (born March 1, 1947) is an American jazz drummer, composer, arranger, and producer who has led a number of influential jazz and R&B groups. He also achieved several big R&B hits of the day, especially with love ballads. He is pos ...

, ''Dark of Light'' (Cobblestone, 1973) * Nathan Davis, ''I'm A Fool to Want You'' (Tomorrow, 1995) * Richard Davis, ''

Harvest Harvesting is the process of gathering a ripe crop from the fields. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulse for harvest, typically using a scythe, sickle, or reaper. On smaller farms with minimal mechanization, harvesting is the most labor-i ...

'' (Muse, 1979) *

Lou Donaldson Lou Donaldson (born November 1, 1926) is an American retired jazz Alto saxophone, alto saxophonist. He is best known for his soulful, bluesy approach to playing the alto saxophone, although in his formative years he was, as many were of the bebop ...

, ''

Pretty Things The Pretty Things were an English band formed in September 1963 in Sidcup, Kent. They took their name from Willie Dixon's 1955 song "Pretty Thing". A pure rhythm and blues band in their early years, with several singles charting in the Unit ...

'' (Blue Note, 1970) *

, ''

Svengali Svengali () is a character in the novel ''Trilby'' which was first published in 1894 by George du Maurier. Svengali is a man who seduces, dominates and exploits Trilby, a young half-Irish girl, and makes her into a famous singer. Definition ...

'' (Atlantic, 1973) * Albert Heath, '' Kwanza (The First)'' (Muse, 1974) * Willis Jackson, ''

West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Maurit ...

'' (Muse, 1974) *

J. J. Johnson J.J. Johnson (January 22, 1924 – February 4, 2001), born James Louis Johnson and also known as Jay Jay Johnson, was an American jazz trombonist, composer and arranger. Johnson was one of the earliest trombonists to embrace bebop. Biograph ...

, ''Vivian'' (Concord Jazz, 1992) *

Galt MacDermot Arthur Terence Galt MacDermot (December 18, 1928 – December 17, 2018) was a Canadian-American composer, pianist and writer of musical theater. He won a Grammy Award for the song " African Waltz" in 1960. His most-successful musicals were ''Hai ...

, ''The Nucleus'' (Kilmarnock, 1971) *

Susannah McCorkle Susannah McCorkle (January 1, 1946 – May 19, 2001) was an American jazz singer. Life and career A native of Berkeley, California, McCorkle studied Italian literature at the University of California at Berkeley before dropping out to move to ...

, ''As Time Goes by'' (CBS/Sony, 1987) *

Charles Mingus Charles Mingus Jr. (April 22, 1922 – January 5, 1979) was an American jazz upright bassist, pianist, composer, bandleader, and author. A major proponent of collective improvisation, he is considered to be one of the greatest jazz musicians and ...

, ''Me Myself An Eye'' (Atlantic, 1979) * Charles Mingus, ''

Something Like a Bird ''Something Like a Bird'' is an album by Charles Mingus, released on the Atlantic label in 1981. The album reached a peak position of number 37 on the ''Billboard'' Jazz Albums chart. Mingus is featured as composer and director but does not actual ...

'' (Atlantic, 1980) *

Buddy Montgomery Charles "Buddy" Montgomery (January 30, 1930 – May 14, 2009) was an American jazz vibraphonist and pianist. He was the younger brother of Wes and Monk Montgomery, a guitarist and bassist respectively. Buddy and brother Monk formed The Masters ...

, ''

Ties of Love ''Ties of Love'' is an album by the pianist Buddy Montgomery, released by Landmark in 1987. The album, which was Montgomery's first in a decade, was recorded partly in New York with longtime producer Orrin Keepnews. Reception Scott Yanow of All ...

'' (Landmark, 1987) *

David "Fathead" Newman David "Fathead" Newman (February 24, 1933 – January 20, 2009) was an American jazz and rhythm-and-blues saxophonist, who made numerous recordings as a session musician and leader, but is best known for his work as a sideman on seminal 1950s and ...

, '' House of David'' (Atlantic, 1967) * David "Fathead" Newman, ''

Resurgence! ''Resurgence!'' is an album by saxophonist David "Fathead" Newman recorded in 1981 and released on the Muse label.

'' (Muse, 1981) * Don Patterson, ''

The Return of Don Patterson ''The Return of Don Patterson'' (also released as ''The Genius of the B-3'') is an album by organist Don Patterson recorded in 1972 and released on the Muse label.

'' (Muse, 1974) *

Bernard Purdie Bernard Lee "Pretty" Purdie (born June 11, 1939) is an American drummer, and an influential R&B, soul and funk musician. He is known for his precise musical time keeping and his signature use of triplets against a half-time backbeat: the "Purdie ...

, ''

Purdie Good! ''Purdie Good!'' is an album led by jazz drummer Bernard Purdie which was recorded for the Prestige label in 1971.

'' (Prestige, 1971) * Sam Rivers, '' Sizzle'' (Impulse!, 1976) *

Charlie Rouse Charlie Rouse (April 6, 1924 – November 30, 1988) was an American hard bop tenor saxophonist and flautist. His career is marked by his collaboration with Thelonious Monk, which lasted for more than ten years. Biography Rouse was born in Wash ...

, ''Cinnamon Flower'' (Douglas, 1977) *

David Schnitter David Schnitter (born March 19, 1948, in Newark, New Jersey) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist.Allmusic/ref> Schnitter played clarinet as a youth and switched to tenor sax at age 15. After moving to New York City he played with Ted Dunbar an ...

, ''Thundering'' (Muse, 1979) * David Schnitter, ''Glowing'' (Muse, 1981) *

Janis Siegel Janis Siegel (born July 23, 1952) is an American jazz singer, best known as a member of the vocal group The Manhattan Transfer. Musical career In 1965, Siegel made her recording debut with a group called Young Generation on Red Bird Records. A ...

, ''Experiment in White'' (Wounded Bird, 1982) *

Johnny "Hammond" Smith John Robert "Johnny Hammond" Smith (December 16, 1933 – June 4, 1997) was an American soul jazz and hard bop organist. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, he was a renowned player of the Hammond B-3 organ so earning "Hammond" as a nickname, wh ...

, '' What's Going On'' (Prestige, 1971) *

Billy Taylor Billy Taylor (July 24, 1921 – December 28, 2010) was an American jazz pianist, composer, broadcaster and educator. He was the Robert L. Jones Distinguished Professor of Music at East Carolina University in Greenville, and from 1994 was the ...

, ''The Jazzmobile Allstars'' (Taylor-Made, 1989) *

Mel Torme Mel, Mels or MEL may refer to: Biology * Mouse erythroleukemia cell line (MEL) * National Herbarium of Victoria, a herbarium with the Index Herbariorum code MEL People * Mel (given name), the abbreviated version of several given names (including ...

, ''Night at the Concord Pavilion'' (Concord, 1990) * Mel Torme, ''Recorded Live at the Fujitsu-Concord Jazz Festival in Japan '90'' (Concord Jazz, 1991) *

Mickey Tucker Mickey Tucker (born Michael B. Tucker; April 28, 1941) is an American jazz pianist and organist. Biography Tucker was born in Durham, North Carolina in 1941. He grew up in Rankin, Pennsylvania before moving back to North Carolina aged 12. When h ...

, ''Blues in Five Dimensions'' (SteepleChase, 1990) * Mickey Tucker, '' The Crawl'' (Muse, 1980) *

, '' Asante'' (Blue Note, 1974) *

Frank Wess Frank Wellington Wess (January 4, 1922 – October 30, 2013) was an American jazz saxophonist and flutist. In addition to his extensive solo work, Wess is remembered for his time in Count Basie's band from the early 1950s into the 1960s. Critic ...

, ''Dear Mr. Basie'' (Concord Jazz, 1990) * Frank Wess, ''Entre Nous'' (Concord Jazz, 1991) *

Randy Weston Randolph Edward "Randy" Weston (April 6, 1926 – September 1, 2018) was an American jazz pianist and composer whose creativity was inspired by his ancestral African connection. Weston's piano style owed much to Duke Ellington and Thelonious M ...

, ''Volcano Blues'' (Verve, 1993) * Joe Williams, '' That Holiday Feelin''' (Verve, 1990) * Tony Williams, '' Ego'' (Polydor, 1971)

References

External links

Ted Dunbar discography
at JazzDiscography.com

at Jazzlists {{DEFAULTSORT:Dunbar, Ted 1937 births 1998 deaths American jazz guitarists Guitarists from Texas People from Port Arthur, Texas Texas Southern University alumni Rutgers University faculty Xanadu Records artists 20th-century American guitarists The Tony Williams Lifetime members Jazz musicians from Texas