James Emory Garrison (March 3, 1934 – April 7, 1976) 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 major ...

double bassist The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox additions such as the octobass). Simila ...

. He is best remembered for his association with

John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of br ...

from 1961 to 1967.

Career

Garrison was raised in both Miami and Philadelphia where he learned to play bass. Garrison came of age in the 1950s Philadelphia jazz scene, which included fellow bassists

Reggie Workman Reginald "Reggie" Workman (born June 26, 1937 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American avant-garde jazz and hard bop double bassist, recognized for his work with both John Coltrane and Art Blakey. Career Early in his career, Workman wo ...

and

Henry Grimes Henry Grimes (November 3, 1935 – April 15, 2020) was an American jazz double bassist and violinist. After more than a decade of activity and performance, notably as a leading bassist in free jazz, Grimes completely disappeared from the music s ...

, pianist

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 trumpeter

Lee Morgan Edward Lee Morgan (July 10, 1938 – February 19, 1972) was an American jazz trumpeter and composer. One of the key hard bop musicians of the 1960s, Morgan came to prominence in his late teens, recording on John Coltrane's '' Blue Train'' (1 ...

. Between 1957 and 1962, Garrison played and recorded with trumpeter

Kenny Dorham McKinley Howard "Kenny" Dorham (August 30, 1924 – December 5, 1972) was an American jazz trumpeter, singer, and composer. Dorham's talent is frequently lauded by critics and other musicians, but he never received the kind of attention or public ...

; clarinetist

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 ...

; drummer

Philly Joe Jones Joseph Rudolph "Philly Joe" Jones (July 15, 1923 – August 30, 1985) was an American jazz drummer. Biography Early career As a child, Jones appeared as a featured tap dancer on ''The Kiddie Show'' on the Philadelphia radio station WIP. He was ...

; and saxophonists Bill Barron,

Lee Konitz Leon Konitz (October 13, 1927 – April 15, 2020) was an American composer and alto saxophonist. He performed successfully in a wide range of jazz styles, including bebop, cool jazz, and avant-garde jazz. Konitz's association with the cool jazz ...

, and

Jackie McLean John Lenwood "Jackie" McLean (May 17, 1931 – March 31, 2006) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader, and educator, and is one of the few musicians to be elected to the ''DownBeat'' Hall of Fame in the year of their deat ...

, as well as

Curtis Fuller Curtis DuBois Fuller (December 15, 1932May 8, 2021) was an American jazz trombonist. He was a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and contributed to many classic jazz recordings. Early life Fuller was born in Detroit on December 15, 1932. ...

Benny Golson Benny Golson (born January 25, 1929) is an American bebop/hard bop jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and arranger. He came to prominence with the big bands of Lionel Hampton and Dizzy Gillespie, more as a writer than a performer, before launch ...

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 ...

, and

Pharoah Sanders Pharoah Sanders (born Ferrell Lee Sanders; October 13, 1940 – September 24, 2022) was an American jazz saxophonist. Known for his overblowing, harmonic, and multiphonic techniques on the saxophone, as well as his use of "sheets of sound", San ...

, among others. In 1961, he recorded with

Ornette Coleman Randolph Denard Ornette Coleman (March 9, 1930 – June 11, 2015) was an American jazz saxophonist, violinist, trumpeter, and composer known as a principal founder of the free jazz genre, a term derived from his 1960 album '' Free Jazz: A Colle ...

, appearing on Coleman's albums '' Ornette on Tenor'' and '' The Art of the Improvisers''. He also worked with

Walter Bishop, Jr. Walter Bishop Jr. (October 4, 1927 – January 24, 1998) was an American jazz pianist. Early life Bishop was born in New York City on October 4, 1927.Greene, Philip; Kernfeld, Barr"Bishop, Walter Jr." ''The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz'' (2nd ed ...

and

Cal Massey Calvin "Cal" Massey (January 11, 1928 – October 25, 1972) was an American jazz trumpeter and composer. Early life Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, Massey studied trumpet under Freddie Webster, and following this played in ...

during the early years of his career. He formally joined Coltrane's quartet in 1962, replacing Workman. The long trio blues "Chasin' the Trane" is one of his first recorded performances with Coltrane and

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 celebrate ...

. Garrison performed on many Coltrane recordings, including ''

A Love Supreme ''A Love Supreme'' is an album by American jazz saxophonist John Coltrane. He recorded it in one session on December 9, 1964, at Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, leading a quartet featuring pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Jimmy Ga ...

''. After John Coltrane's death, Garrison worked and recorded with

Alice Coltrane Alice Coltrane (' McLeod; August 27, 1937January 12, 2007), also known by her adopted Sanskrit name Turiyasangitananda, was an American jazz musician and composer, and in her later years a swamini. An accomplished pianist and one of the few har ...

Hampton Hawes Hampton Barnett Hawes Jr. (November 13, 1928 – May 22, 1977) was an American jazz pianist. He was the author of the memoir ''Raise Up Off Me'', which won the Deems-Taylor Award for music writing in 1975. Early life Hampton Hawes was born on ...

Archie Shepp Archie Shepp (born May 24, 1937) is an American jazz saxophonist, educator and playwright who since the 1960s has played a central part in the development of avant-garde jazz. Biography Early life Shepp was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but ...

Clifford Thornton Clifford Edward Thornton III (September 6, 1936 – November 25, 1989) was an American jazz trumpeter, trombonist, activist, and educator. He played free jazz and avant-garde jazz in the 1960s and '70s. Career Clifford was born in Philadelphia. ...

and groups led by

. Garrison also worked with

during the 1960s, first recording with him in 1961 on '' Ornette on Tenor''. He and Elvin Jones recorded with Coleman in 1968, and have been credited with eliciting more forceful playing than usual from Coleman on the albums ''

New York Is Now! __NOTOC__ ''New York Is Now!'' is an album by the American jazz saxophonist and composer Ornette Coleman released on the Blue Note label in 1968.

'' and '' Love Call''. In 1971 and 1972, Garrison taught as a Visiting Artist at

Wesleyan University Wesleyan University ( ) is a Private university, private liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut. Founded in 1831 as a Men's colleges in the United States, men's college under the auspices of the Methodist Epis ...

and

Bennington College Bennington College is a private liberal arts college in Bennington, Vermont. Founded in 1932 as a women's college, it became co-educational in 1969. It claims to be the first college to include visual and performing arts as an equal partner in ...

Personal life

Garrison had four daughters and a son. With his first wife Robbie he had three daughters, Robin, Lori and Italy based jazz vocalist Joy Garrison. With his second wife, dancer and choreographer Roberta Escamilla Garrison, he had Maia Claire, and jazz bassist

Matt Garrison Matthew Justin Garrison (born June 2, 1970) is an American jazz bassist. Since 2011, he has run ShapeShifter Lab in Brooklyn, New York, with Fortuna Sung. Described by ''the New York Times'' as "an electric bass virtuoso", he has toured with H ...

. Jimmy Garrison died of

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissue (biology), tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from tran ...

on April 7, 1976.

Music and playing style

Garrison was known for his inventive and melodic basslines, often using broken time and avoiding straight quarter notes as in a traditional walking bassline, to suggest the time and pulse rather than to outright play it. He was also known for his frequent use of

double stop In music, a double stop is the technique of playing two notes simultaneously on a stringed instrument such as a violin, a viola, a cello, or a double bass. On instruments such as the Hardanger fiddle it is common and often employed. In performin ...

s, and for strumming the strings of the bass with his thumb. Garrison would often play unaccompanied

improvised Improvisation is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. Improvisation in the performing arts is a very spontaneous performance without specific or scripted preparation. The skills of impr ...

solo Solo or SOLO may refer to: Arts and entertainment Comics * ''Solo'' (DC Comics), a DC comics series * Solo, a 1996 mini-series from Dark Horse Comics Characters * Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character * Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ''S ...

s, sometimes as song introductions prior to the other musicians joining in, and occasionally used a bow. Garrison had a uniquely heavy and powerful

gut string Catgut (also known as gut) is a type of cord that is prepared from the natural fiber found in the walls of animal intestines. Catgut makers usually use sheep or goat intestines, but occasionally use the intestines of cattle, hogs, horses, mule ...

tone.

Discography

As leader

*1963: '' Illumination!'' with

(

Impulse! Impulse! Records (occasionally styled as "¡mpulse! Records" and "¡!") is an American jazz record company and label established by Creed Taylor in 1960. John Coltrane was among Impulse!'s earliest signings. Thanks to consistent sales and positiv ...

)

As sideman

With

Lorez Alexandria Lorez Alexandria (born Dolorez Alexandria Turner; August 14, 1929 – May 22, 2001). was an American jazz singer, described as "one of the most gifted and underrated jazz singers of the twentieth century". She became established in the midwest b ...

* '' For Swingers Only'' (Argo, 1963) With Bill Barron * ''

The Tenor Stylings of Bill Barron ''The Tenor Stylings of Bill Barron'' is the debut album by saxophonist Bill Barron which was recorded in 1961 and first released on the Savoy label. The album was reissued on CD combined with ''Modern Windows'' in 2000. Reception In his rev ...

'' (Savoy, 1961) With Walter Bishop Jr. * ''

Speak Low "Speak Low" (1943) is a popular song composed by Kurt Weill, with lyrics by Ogden Nash. Background It was introduced by Mary Martin and Kenny Baker in the Broadway musical '' One Touch of Venus'' (1943). The 1944 hit single was by Guy Lombardo ...

'' (Jazztime, 1961) With

Benny Carter Bennett Lester Carter (August 8, 1907 – July 12, 2003) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. With Johnny Hodges, he was a pioneer on the alto saxophone. From the beginning of his career ...

* '' Further Definitions'' (

, 1961) With

* '' Ornette on Tenor'' (Atlantic, 1961) * ''

New York Is Now! __NOTOC__ ''New York Is Now!'' is an album by the American jazz saxophonist and composer Ornette Coleman released on the Blue Note label in 1968.

'' (

Blue Note In jazz and blues, a blue note is a note that—for expressive purposes—is sung or played at a slightly different pitch from standard. Typically the alteration is between a quartertone and a semitone, but this varies depending on the musical co ...

, 1968) * '' Love Call'' (Blue Note, 1968) * '' The Art of the Improvisers'' (Atlantic, 1970) With

* ''

A Monastic Trio ''A Monastic Trio'' is the first solo album by Alice Coltrane. It was recorded in 1968 at the John Coltrane Home in Dix Hills, New York, and was released later that year by Impulse! Records. On the album, Coltrane appears on piano and harp, and is ...

'' (Impulse!, 1968) * ''

Cosmic Music ''Cosmic Music'' is a jazz album by John Coltrane and Alice Coltrane released after John Coltrane's death. John Coltrane only plays on two tracks, "Manifestation" and "Reverend King". Background In late January 1966, Coltrane and his group, which ...

'' (Impulse!, 1968) * ''

Universal Consciousness ''Universal Consciousness'' is the fifth solo album by Alice Coltrane. It was recorded from April to June, 1971, in New York City and at the John Coltrane Home, Coltrane home studios in Dix Hills, New York, and was released later that year by Impul ...

'' (Impulse!, 1971) * ''

Carnegie Hall '71 ''Carnegie Hall '71'' is a live album by Alice Coltrane. It was recorded at Carnegie Hall in New York City on February 21, 1971, and was released in 2018 by the Hi Hat label. On the album, Coltrane appears on piano and harp, and is joined by saxop ...

'' (Hi Hat, 2018) With

* '' Live at the Village Vanguard'' (1961) * ''

Ballads A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or '' ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

'' (1962) * '' Coltrane'' (1962) * '' Duke Ellington & John Coltrane'' (1962) * ''

John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman ''John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman'' is a studio album by John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman which was released by Impulse! Records in July or August 1963. It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2013. Background Although it is often repor ...

'' (1963) * '' Impressions'' (1963) * '' Live at Birdland'' (1963) * ''

Crescent A crescent shape (, ) is a symbol or emblem used to represent the lunar phase in the first quarter (the "sickle moon"), or by extension a symbol representing the Moon itself. In Hinduism, Lord Shiva is often shown wearing a crescent moon on his ...

'' (1964) * ''

'' (1964) * '' Ascension'' (1965) * ''

First Meditations ''First Meditations (for quartet)'' is an album by John Coltrane recorded on September 2, 1965 and posthumously released in 1977. It is a quartet version of a suite Coltrane would record as ''Meditations'' two months later with an expanded group. ...

'' (1965) * ''

The John Coltrane Quartet Plays '' The John Coltrane Quartet Plays'' (full title ''The John Coltrane Quartet Plays Chim Chim Cheree, Song of Praise, Nature Boy, Brazilia'') is an album by jazz musician John Coltrane, recorded in February and May 1965, shortly after the release of ...

'' (1965) * ''

Kulu Sé Mama '' Kulu Sé Mama'' is an album by jazz musician John Coltrane. Recorded during 1965, it was released in January 1967 as Impulse! A-9106 (AS-9106 for the stereo version), and was the last album released during Coltrane's lifetime. Background The t ...

'' (1965) * ''

The New Wave in Jazz ''The New Wave in Jazz'' is a live album recorded on March 28, 1965 at the Village Gate in New York City. It features groups led by major avant-garde jazz artists performing at a concert for the benefit of The Black Arts Repertory Theater/School fo ...

'' (Impulse!, 1965) * '' Live at the Half Note: One Down, One Up'' (1965 005 * '' Live in Seattle'' (1965) * ''

The Major Works of John Coltrane ''The Major Works of John Coltrane'' is a compilation album by jazz musician John Coltrane, released in 1992 by GRP Records. It features extended compositions, all recorded in 1965 with expanded ensembles, and originally released by Impulse! Reco ...

'' (1965) * ''

Meditations ''Meditations'' () is a series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor from AD 161 to 180, recording his private notes to himself and ideas on Stoic philosophy. Marcus Aurelius wrote the 12 books of the ''Meditations'' in Koine ...

'' (1965) * '' Transition'' (1965) * ''

Sun Ship ''Sun Ship'' is a posthumously released jazz album by tenor saxophonist John Coltrane recorded on August 26, 1965. Along with ''First Meditations'', recorded a week later, it was one of the last recording dates for Coltrane's "Classic Quartet" wit ...

'' (1965) * '' Live in Antibes'' (1965) * '' Live in Japan'' (1966) * '' Live at the Village Vanguard Again!'' (1966) * ''

Expression Expression may refer to: Linguistics * Expression (linguistics), a word, phrase, or sentence * Fixed expression, a form of words with a specific meaning * Idiom, a type of fixed expression * Metaphorical expression, a particular word, phrase, o ...

'' (1967) * '' The Olatunji Concert: The Last Live Recording'' (1967) * '' Stellar Regions'' (1967) * '' Both Directions at Once: The Lost Album'' (2018) * '' Blue World (album)'' (2019) With

Ted Curson Theodore Curson (June 3, 1935 – November 4, 2012) was an American jazz trumpeter. Life and career Curson was born in Philadelphia. He became interested in playing trumpet after watching a newspaper salesman play a silver trumpet. Curson's fath ...

* '' Plenty of Horn'' (Old Town, 1961) With Nathan Davis * ''Rules of Freedom'' (Polydor, 1969) With Bill Dixon * ''

Intents and Purposes ''Intents and Purposes'' is an album by American jazz trumpeter Bill Dixon, which was released in 1967 on RCA Victor. Despite critical acclaim at the time, it was soon out of print except for appearances in 1972 on Japanese RCA and later in 197 ...

'' (RCA Victor, 1967) With

* ''

Jazz Contemporary ''Jazz Contemporary'' is an album by American jazz trumpeter Kenny Dorham featuring performances recorded in 1960 and released on the Time label.

'' (Time, 1960) * ''

Show Boat ''Show Boat'' is a musical with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It is based on Edna Ferber's best-selling 1926 novel of the same name. The musical follows the lives of the performers, stagehands and dock worke ...

'' (Time, 1960) With

* ''

Blues-ette ''Blues-ette'' is an album by American trombonist Curtis Fuller recorded in 1959 and released on the Savoy label.Imagination Imagination is the production or simulation of novel objects, sensations, and ideas in the mind without any immediate input of the senses. Stefan Szczelkun characterises it as the forming of experiences in one's mind, which can be re-creations ...

'' (Savoy, 1959) * ''

Images of Curtis Fuller ''Images of Curtis Fuller'' is an album by jazz trombone, trombonist Curtis Fuller, released in 1960 on the Savoy Records, Savoy label.

'' (Savoy, 1960) * ''

The Magnificent Trombone of Curtis Fuller ''The Magnificent Trombone of Curtis Fuller'' is an album by jazz trombonist Curtis Fuller, released in 1961 on the Epic label.Fitzgerald, MCurtis Fuller Leader Entry accessed October 22, 2019 Reception Allmusic awarded the album 4 stars with i ...

'' (Epic, 1961) With

Beaver Harris William Godvin "Beaver" Harris (April 20, 1936 – December 22, 1991) was an American jazz drummer who worked extensively with Archie Shepp. Early life Harris was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Coming from an athletic family, he played basebal ...

* ''From Ragtime to No Time'' (360 Records, 1975) With

* ''

Puttin' It Together ''Puttin' It Together'' is an album by American jazz drummer Elvin Jones. It is his first effort for Blue Note Records, Blue Note as a leader, and the first to feature his trio with saxophonist/flautist Joe Farrell and bassist Jimmy Garrison. It w ...

'' (Blue Note, 1968) * '' The Ultimate'' (Blue Note, 1968) With

* ''

Blues for Dracula ''Blues for Dracula'' is the debut album by American jazz drummer Philly Joe Jones which was recorded in 1958 for the Riverside label. Reception The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow described it as a "worthwhile but not overly essential release".Y ...

'' (Riverside, 1958) * ''

Drums Around the World ''Drums Around the World'' (subtitled ''Philly Joe Jones Big Band Sounds'') is the second album led by American jazz drummer Philly Joe Jones. It was recorded in 1959 and released on the Riverside label.Showcase Showcase or vitrine may refer to: *Cabinet (furniture) *Display case Music * ''Showcase'' (Bill Anderson album), 1964 * ''Showcase'' (Patsy Cline album), 1961 * ''Showcase'' (Buddy Holly album), 1964 * ''Showcase'' (Philly Joe Jones album), 1959 ...

'' (Riverside, 1959) With

* '' Live at the Half Note'' (Verve, 1959

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 ...

With

Rolf Kühn Rolf Kühn (29 September 1929 – 18 August 2022) was a German jazz clarinetist and saxophonist. He was the older brother of the pianist Joachim Kühn. He lived in the United States from 1956 to 1959. John Hammond favourably compared him with ...

and

Joachim Kühn Joachim Kurt Kühn (born 15 March 1944) is a German jazz pianist. Biography He was born in Leipzig, Germany. Kühn was a musical prodigy and made his debut as a concert pianist, having studied classical piano and composition, with Arthur Schmid ...

* '' Impressions of New York'' (Impulse!, 1967) With

* ''Blues to Coltrane'' (Candid, 1961 987 With

* '' Swing, Swang, Swingin''' (Blue Note, 1959) With J. R. Monterose * ''Straight Ahead'' (Jaro, 1959, also issued as ''The Message'') With Robert Pozar * ''Good Golly Miss Nancy'' (Savoy, 1967) With

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 ...

* '' East Broadway Run Down'' (Impulse!, 1966) With

* ''Golden Moments'' (Muse, 1959

982 Year 982 ( CMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Summer – Emperor Otto II (the Red) assembles an imperial expeditionary force at Tar ...

* ''I'll Remember'' (Muse, 1959

984 Year 984 ( CMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Spring – German boy-king Otto III (4-years old) is seized by the deposed Henry II ...

With

* ''Life at the Donaueschingen Music Festival'' (SABA, 1967) * '' Attica Blues'' (Impulse!, 1972) * '' The Cry of My People'' (Impulse!, 1972) * ''

There's a Trumpet in My Soul ''There's a Trumpet in My Soul'' is an album by avant-garde jazz saxophonist Archie Shepp released in 1975 on the Arista Freedom label. Reception The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow states: "Two vocals and a poem recitation weigh down the music ...

'' (Freedom, 1975) With

* '' Freedom & Unity'' (New World Records, 1967) With

* '' Today and Tomorrow'' (Impulse!, 1963) * '' McCoy Tyner Plays Ellington'' (Impulse!, 1964)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Garrison, Jimmy 1933 births 1976 deaths Musicians from Miami Post-bop jazz musicians American jazz double-bassists Male double-bassists Jazz musicians from Pennsylvania Wesleyan University faculty 20th-century American musicians Deaths from lung cancer in New York (state) 20th-century double-bassists American male jazz musicians The 360 Degree Music Experience members 20th-century American male musicians