Joe Comfort (July 18, 1917 – October 29, 1988) was an American jazz double bassist.

Biography

His mother was born in Mississippi and played the organ during black and white silent movies. His father, George Comfort from Natchez Mississippi taught music at Alcorn State University and composed the school's theme played today and made sure all his children could read music. Joe's older brother George was a singer, a music teacher, and actor who performed with

Dorothy Dandridge Dorothy Jean Dandridge (November 9, 1922 – September 8, 1965) was an American actress, singer and dancer. She is the first African-American film star to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress, which was for her performance in '' C ...

in ''

Porgy and Bess ''Porgy and Bess'' () is an English-language opera by American composer George Gershwin, with a libretto written by author DuBose Heyward and lyricist Ira Gershwin. It was adapted from Dorothy Heyward and DuBose Heyward's play '' Porgy'', it ...

''. A native of Los Angeles who was raised in Watts, Joe Comfort was taught trombone by his father and began his musical career with the Woodman Brother's who like Joe were also from Watts. Joe and the Woodman's used to toss their instruments in the air catching each other's woods and reeds performing extensively all over Los Angeles. In the 1940s Joe played bass in the Lionel Hampton band up until Joe was drafted for war, training at Fort Rucker, Alabama and then serving in the US Army band that went to France. Upon return, Joe worked with

Nat King Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's music career began after he dropped out of school at the age of 15, and continued f ...

which included extensive travel across the US and in Europe and featured on many recordings including Nat's iconic hit, Nature Boy. Joe also worked separately with Cole's guitarist,

Oscar Moore Oscar Frederic Moore (December 25, 1916 – October 8, 1981) was an American jazz guitarist with the Nat King Cole Trio. Career The son of a blacksmith, Moore was born in Austin, Texas, United States. The Moore family moved to Phoenix, Ariz ...

. Beginning in the 1950s, he was a

studio musician Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a t ...

who recorded soundtracks and pop music with Nelson Riddle, Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald He was a sideman in the 1941

Fred Astaire Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, choreographer, actor, and singer. He is often called the greatest dancer in Hollywood film history. Astaire's career in stage, film, and tele ...

movie ''

You'll Never Get Rich ''You'll Never Get Rich'' is a 1941 Hollywood musical comedy film with a wartime theme directed by Sidney Lanfield and starring Fred Astaire, Rita Hayworth, Robert Benchley, Cliff Nazarro, with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The title stems f ...

''. He is featured on a "March Milastaire (A-Stairable Rag)", a Porter song that contrasts march and jazz rhythm. Comfort played at many night clubs in Los Angeles. He died in Los Angeles. Charles Mingus, in his autobiography '' Beneath the Underdog'', wrote that when he was a child in the Watts section of Los Angeles, Joe Comfort taught him how to play double bass. Joe's wife, Mattie, was the inspiration for Duke Ellington's "

Satin Doll "Satin Doll" is a jazz standard written by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. Written in 1953, the song has been recorded by Ella Fitzgerald, 101 Strings, Terry Callier, and Nancy Wilson. Its chord progressio ...

Discography

As sideman

With Rosemary Clooney * 1961 '' Rosie Solves the Swingin' Riddle!'' * 1963 ''

Love Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of meanings is that the love o ...

'' With

Buddy Collette William Marcel "Buddy" Collette (August 6, 1921 – September 19, 2010) was an American jazz flutist, saxophonist, and clarinetist. He was a founding member of the Chico Hamilton Quintet. Early life William Marcel Collette was born in L ...

* 1956 ''

Man of Many Parts ''Man of Many Parts'' is an album by multi-instrumentalist and composer Buddy Collette recorded at sessions in 1956 and released on the Contemporary label.

'' (Contemporary) * 1958 '' Buddy Collette's Swinging Shepherds'' (EmArcy) With

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...

* 1963 '' Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Jerome Kern Song Book'' * 1984 '' The Stockholm Concert, 1966'' with Duke Ellington With

Gerald Wiggins Gerald Foster Wiggins (May 12, 1922 – July 13, 2008) was an American jazz pianist and organist. Early life Wiggins was born in New York City on May 12, 1922.Vacher, Pete"Wiggins, Gerry" ''The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz'' (2nd edition). G ...

* 1953 ''Gerald Wiggins Trio'' * 1957 ''Wiggin' with Wig'' * 1961 ''Relax and Enjoy It'' With Nancy Wilson * 1960 '' Something Wonderful'' * 1963 ''

Broadway – My Way ''Broadway – My Way'' is a studio album by Nancy Wilson released in March 1963 on Capitol Records. The album reached No. 18 on the Billboard 200 chart. Track listing # "A Lot of Livin' to Do" (Lee Adams, Charles Strouse) – 2:08 # "You Ca ...

'' With others * 1954 ''Musical Sounds Are the Best Sounds'', Mel Tormé * 1954 ''The Oscar Moore Quartet with Carl Perkins'',

* 1955 '' In the Land of Hi-Fi with Georgie Auld and His Orchestra'',

Georgie Auld Georgie Auld (May 19, 1919 – January 8, 1990) was a jazz tenor saxophonist, clarinetist, and bandleader. Early years Auld was born John Altwerger in Toronto, Canada, and moved to Brooklyn, New York, in 1929. Before the family left Canada, Au ...

(EmArcy) * 1955 ''

It's All Over but the Swingin' ''It's All Over but the Swingin'' is a 1957 album by Sammy Davis Jr., arranged by Jack Pleis and Morty Stevens. Track listing # "Guess I'll Hang My Tears out to Dry" (Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne) – 4:43 # "But Not for Me (song), But Not for Me" (Ge ...

'',

Sammy Davis Jr. Samuel George Davis Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an American singer, dancer, actor, comedian, film producer and television director. At age three, Davis began his career in vaudeville with his father Sammy Davis Sr. and the ...

(Decca) * 1956 ''More Harry James in Hi-Fi'',

Harry James Harry Haag James (March 15, 1916 – July 5, 1983) was an American musician who is best known as a trumpet-playing band leader who led a big band from 1939 to 1946. He broke up his band for a short period in 1947 but shortly after he reorganized ...

* 1957 ''Ernie Andrews'',

Ernie Andrews Ernest Mitchell Andrews Jr. (December 25, 1927 – February 21, 2022) was an American jazz, blues, and pop singer. Life and career Andrews was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but grew up in Los Angeles, and is said to have been discovered by ...

* 1958 '' Aspects'',

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 ...

* 1959 '' Jump for Joy'', Peggy Lee * 1959 ''T-Bone Blues'',

T-Bone Walker Aaron Thibeaux "T-Bone" Walker (May 28, 1910 – March 16, 1975) was an American blues musician, composer, songwriter and bandleader, who was a pioneer and innovator of the jump blues, West Coast blues, and electric blues sounds. In 2018 ''R ...

(Atlantic) * 1960 ''First'',

Oscar Pettiford Oscar Pettiford (September 30, 1922 – September 8, 1960) was an American jazz double bassist, cellist and composer. He was one of the earliest musicians to work in the bebop idiom. Biography Pettiford was born in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, United ...

* 1961 ''Al Hibbler Sings the Blues: Monday Every Day'', Al Hibbler (Reprise) * 1962 '' Sarah + 2'', Sarah Vaughan (Roulette) * 1962 ''Warm & Wild'',

Vic Dana Samuel Mendola (born August 26, 1942, Buffalo, New York, United States), known professionally as Vic Dana, is an American dancer and singer. Biography Discovered by Sammy Davis Jr., Dana was an excellent male dancer, particularly in tap, and ...

* 1964 '' Sweets for the Sweet Taste of Love'',

Harry Edison Harry "Sweets" Edison (October 10, 1915 – July 27, 1999) was an American jazz trumpeter and a member of the Count Basie Orchestra. His most important contribution was as a Hollywood studio musician, whose muted trumpet can be heard backi ...

(Vee-Jay) * 1964 '' Kenton / Wagner'',

Stan Kenton Stanley Newcomb Kenton (December 15, 1911 – August 25, 1979) was an American popular music and jazz artist. As a pianist, composer, arranger and band leader, he led an innovative and influential jazz orchestra for almost four decades. Though K ...

(Capitol) * 1964 '' Get Ready, Set, Jump!!!'',

Junior Mance Julian Clifford Mance, Jr. (October 10, 1928 – January 17, 2021), known as Junior Mance, was an American jazz pianist and composer. Biography Early life (1928–1947) Mance was born in Evanston, Illinois. When he was five years old, Mance st ...

(Capitol) * 1965 ''

L-O-V-E "L-O-V-E" is a song written by Bert Kaempfert and Milt Gabler, recorded by Nat King Cole for his 1965 studio album '' L-O-V-E''. Composition and background The song was composed by Bert Kaempfert with lyrics by Milt Gabler, and produced by Lee ...

'',

(Capitol) * 1967 ''That Man, Robert Mitchum, Sings'',

Robert Mitchum Robert Charles Durman Mitchum (August 6, 1917 – July 1, 1997) was an American actor. He rose to prominence with an Academy Award nomination for the Best Supporting Actor for ''The Story of G.I. Joe'' (1945), followed by his starring in ...

(Monument) * 1976 ''Memoirs'', Irving Ashby (Accent)

Posthumous

* 2003 ''Harry Edison Quartet at the Haig 1953'',

(Fresh Sound)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Comfort, Joe 1917 births 1988 deaths 20th-century American musicians American jazz double-bassists Male double-bassists 20th-century double-bassists 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians King Cole Trio members