Walter Solomon Buchanan Jr. (June 26, 1914 – May 1988), also known as "Little Man" Buchanan, was an American jazz bassist known for his work in the late 1940s-early 1950s as a member of various line-ups led by saxophonist Arnett Cobb. Buchanan was born in

Huntsville, Alabama Huntsville is a city in Madison County, Limestone County, and Morgan County, Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Madison County. Located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama, Huntsville is the most populous city in ...

on June 26, 1914 to Walter Buchanan Sr. (1882–1954) and Ida Councill (1889–1947). His father came from

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...

, and was President of

Alabama A&M University Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University (Alabama A&M) is a public historically black land-grant university in Normal, Huntsville, Alabama. Founded in 1875, it took its present name in 1969. AAMU is a member-school of the Thurgood Marsh ...

from 1909 to 1920, before switching career to become a real estate broker. In April 1944, he was playing in a band led by Jesse Miller at Joe's Deluxe Club, in Chicago, with Albert Atkinson (sax),

Ike Day Isaac Day Jr. (1925 – 1958), better known as Ike Day, was a Chicago-based hard bop and bebop jazz drummer. Life Referred to as “legendary” by many jazz musicians, including Andrew Hill, very little is known about Day except for a few spe ...

, Argonne Thornton (piano), and

Kermit Scott Theodore Kermit Scott Jr. (October 18, 1936 – May 26, 2008) was an American Licensed Professional Counselor, counselor and professor of philosophy, was a childhood friend of The Muppets, Muppets creator Jim Henson who was incorrectly presumed to ...

.Campbell, Robert L. and Robert Pruter, George R. White, Tom Kelly, George Paulus “The Aristocrat Label”
Retrieved 8 July 2013. On January 12, 1949 he recorded with Milt Larkin's band for Savoy Records together with

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" ...

Hal Singer Harold Joseph Singer (October 8, 1919 – August 18, 2020), also known as Hal "Cornbread" Singer, was an American Rhythm and blues, R&B and jazz bandleader and saxophonist. Early life Harold Joseph Singer was born in Greenwood District, Tul ...

, George Rhodes on piano, and Joe Harris on drums. In February 1949 he recorded again for Savoy, as a member of the Hal Singer Sextet, comprising

Tate Houston Tate Houston (November 30, 1924 – October 18, 1974) was a Detroit-based American baritone and tenor saxophonist. He played with Lionel Hampton's band and in 1946, he recorded with the Billy Eckstine band. In 1947, he played with Sonny Sti ...

, Buchanan, Butch Ballard, George Rhodes, Chippy Outcalt and Willie Moore, and on the same session, the same line-up recorded another track backing Chicago Davis. An August 1949 issue of ''

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 ...

'' features a photograph by William P. Gottlieb showing Buchanan onstage with Cobb at the Apollo Theater, New York. In October 1950, he married

Dinah Washington Dinah Washington (born Ruth Lee Jones; August 29, 1924 – December 14, 1963) was an American singer and pianist, who has been cited as "the most popular black female recording artist of the 1950s songs". Primarily a jazz vocalist, she performe ...

, in

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

. His brother, Councill, acted as best man. Their marriage broke up only a few months later. In February 1951 he is credited as backing Washington on four tracks for

Mercury Records Mercury Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. It had significant success as an independent operation in the 1940s and 1950s. Smash Records and Fontana Records were sub labels of Mercury. In the United States, it i ...

. The line-up is unknown except for

Wynton Kelly Wynton Charles Kelly (December 2, 1931 – April 12, 1971) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He is known for his lively, blues-based playing and as one of the finest accompanists in jazz. He began playing professionally at the age of ...

. Due to the imminent breakup of their marriage, however, some sources suggest that Buchanan would probably not have attended the recording session. Buchanan then recorded on a series of sessions with different line-ups led by Cobb and, in August 1951, with a septet comprising Cobb, Willie Moore, Dickie Harris,

Johnny Griffin John Arnold Griffin III (April 24, 1928 – July 25, 2008) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Nicknamed "the Little Giant" for his short stature and forceful playing, Griffin's career began in the mid-1940s and continued until the month of ...

, George Rhodes, Buchanan, and Al Walker on drums. In June 1953 he recorded again with Cobb, this time billed as Arnett Cobb and His Orchestra, with Ed "Tiger" Lewis (trumpet), Dickie Harris (trombone), Cobb, Charlie Ferguson (tenor, baritone saxophone), George Rhodes (piano), Walter Buchanan (bass), and Al Walker (drums). Arnett Cobb & His Orchestra recorded again, on an unknown date, with a different line-up, this time comprising Buchanan, George Jones on drums, George Rhodes, Cobb, Michael "Booty" Wood and David Page on trumpet. Buchanan died in Pittsburgh in May 1988, at the age of 73.

Discography

With Arnett Cobb *'' Arnett Blows for 1300'' (Delmark, 1947

994 Year 994 ( CMXCIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * September 15 – Battle of the Orontes: Fatimid forces, under Turkish gener ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Buchanan, Walter 1914 births 1988 deaths 20th-century African-American people African-American jazz musicians American jazz double-bassists American male jazz musicians Male double-bassists