Leonard Gaskin (August 25, 1920 – January 24, 2009) 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 m ...

bassist born in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

. Gaskin played on the early

bebop Bebop or bop is a style of jazz developed in the early-to-mid-1940s in the United States. The style features compositions characterized by a fast tempo, complex chord progressions with rapid chord changes and numerous changes of key, instrumen ...

scene at

Minton's Minton's Playhouse is a jazz club and bar located on the first floor of the Cecil Hotel at 210 West 118th Street in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City. It is a registered trademark of Housing and Services, Inc. a New York City nonprofit provider ...

and Monroe's in New York in the early 1940s. In 1944 he took over

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 ...

's spot in Dizzy Gillespie's band, and followed it with stints in bands led by Cootie Williams,

Charlie Parker Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz saxophonist, band leader and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of bebop, a form ...

Don Byas Carlos Wesley "Don" Byas (October 21, 1912 – August 24, 1972) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, associated with swing and bebop. He played with Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Art Blakey, and Dizzy Gillespie, among others, and also led ...

, Eddie South,

Charlie Shavers Charles James Shavers (August 3, 1920 – July 8, 1971) was an American jazz trumpeter who played with Dizzy Gillespie, Nat King Cole, Roy Eldridge, Johnny Dodds, Jimmie Noone, Sidney Bechet, Midge Williams, Tommy Dorsey, and Billie Holiday ...

, and

Erroll Garner Erroll Louis Garner (June 15, 1921 – January 2, 1977) was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his swing playing and ballads. His instrumental ballad " Misty", his best-known composition, has become a jazz standard. It was first r ...

. In the 1950s, he played with Eddie Condon's

Dixieland Dixieland jazz, also referred to as traditional jazz, hot jazz, or simply Dixieland, is a style of jazz based on the music that developed in New Orleans at the start of the 20th century. The 1917 recordings by the Original Dixieland Jass Band ...

band, and played with

Ruby Braff Reuben "Ruby" Braff (March 16, 1927 – February 9, 2003) was an American jazz trumpeter and cornetist. Jack Teagarden was once asked about him on the Garry Moore television show and described Ruby as "the Ivy League Louis Armstrong". Braff ...

Bud Freeman Lawrence "Bud" Freeman (April 13, 1906 – March 15, 1991) was an American jazz musician, bandleader, and composer, known mainly for playing tenor saxophone, but also the clarinet. Biography In 1922, Freeman and some friends from high sc ...

Rex Stewart Rex William Stewart Jr. (February 22, 1907 – September 7, 1967) was an American jazz cornetist who was a member of the Duke Ellington orchestra. Career As a boy he studied piano and violin; most of his career was spent on cornet. Stewart drop ...

, Cootie Williams,

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop s ...

, Stan Getz, J.J. Johnson, and

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of musi ...

. In the 1960s he became a studio musician, playing on numerous

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...

and pop records. In the 1970s and 1980s he returned to jazz, playing with

Sy Oliver Melvin James "Sy" Oliver (December 17, 1910 – May 28, 1988) was an American jazz arranger, trumpeter, composer, singer and bandleader. Life Sy Oliver was born in Battle Creek, Michigan, United States. His mother was a piano teacher, and his ...

Panama Francis David Albert "Panama" Francis (December 21, 1918 – November 13, 2001) was an American swing jazz drummer who played on numerous hit recordings in the 1950s. Early life Francis was born in Miami, Florida, on December 21, 1918. His father was ...

, and

The International Art of Jazz ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

. Gaskin became involved in educating young people later in his life. He performed and shared his knowledge with elementary students with the Good Groove Band (Leonard Gaskin, Melissa Lovaglio, Bob Emry, Michael Howell) at Woodstock Elementary School in

Woodstock, New York Woodstock is a town in Ulster County, New York, United States, in the northern part of the county, northwest of Kingston, NY. It lies within the borders of the Catskill Park. The population was 5,884 at the 2010 census, down from 6,241 in 20 ...

in 2003. Gaskin died of natural causes on January 24, 2009.

Discography

As leader

* 1961 – ''Leonard Gaskin at the Jazz Band Ball'', (Swingville) * 1962 – ''Darktown Strutter's Ball'', (Swingville)

As sideman

* 1945 –

: ''First Miles'' (Savoy) * 1946 –

: ''1946'' (Classics) * 1949 – J. J. Johnson / Kai Winding /

Bennie Green Bennie Green (April 16, 1923 – March 23, 1977) was an American jazz trombonist. Born in Chicago, Illinois, United States, Green worked in the orchestras of Earl Hines and Charlie Ventura, and recorded as bandleader through the 1950s and ...

: ''Trombone by Three'' (OJC) * 1949 – J. J. Johnson: ''

J. J. Johnson's Jazz Quintets ''J. J. Johnson's Jazz Quintets'' is a studio album by jazz trombonist J. J. Johnson, released by Savoy Records, containing material from three different recording sessions in 1946, 1947 and 1949. Material from the first two sessions had been p ...

'' (Savoy) * 1950 –

: ''Charlie Parker All Stars – Charlie Parker at Birdland and Cafe Society'' (Cool & Blue, 1950–52) * 1950 – Stan Getz: ''

The Complete Roost Recordings ''The Complete Roost Recordings'' is a 1997 compilation 3-CD set of sessions led by saxophonist and bandleader Stan Getz recorded for the Roost Records label between 1950 and 1954. The compilation includes material previously released on Getz's R ...

'' (Roost, 1950–54) * 1951 –

Illinois Jacquet Jean-Baptiste "Illinois" Jacquet (October 30, 1922 – July 22, 2004) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, best remembered for his solo on " Flying Home", critically recognized as the first R&B saxophone solo. Although he was a pioneer of ...

: ''Jazz Moods'' (Verve) * 1953 – Miles Davis: '' Miles Davis with Horns'' (Prestige/OJC) * 1955 –

: ''Lady Sings the Blues'' (Verve) * 1955 – Sonny Terry /

Brownie McGhee Walter Brown "Brownie" McGhee (November 30, 1915 – February 16, 1996) was an American folk music and Piedmont blues singer and guitarist, best known for his collaboration with the harmonica player Sonny Terry. Life and career McGhee was ...

: ''Back Country Blues'' * 1956 – Jimmy Scott: ''If Only You Knew'' (Savoy) * 1956 – Big Maybelle: ''Candy'' (Savoy) * 1956 –

Sammy Price Samuel Blythe Price (October 6, 1908 – April 14, 1992) was an American jazz, boogie-woogie and jump blues pianist and bandleader. Price's playing is dark, mellow, and relaxed rather than percussive, and he was a specialist at creating the ...

: ''Rock'' (Savoy) * 1957 –

: ''Chicago / Austin High School Jazz in HiFi'' (RCA) * 1957 – Eddie Condon: ''The Roaring Twenties'' (Columbia) * 1958 –

: ''Easy Now'' (RCA) * 1958 –

: ''

Rendezvous with Rex ''Rendezvous with Rex'' is an album by cornetist Rex Stewart which was recorded in 1958 and released on the Felsted label.Dicky Wells William Wells (June 10, 1907 – November 12, 1985), known professionally as Dicky Wells (sometimes Dickie Wells), was an American jazz trombonist. Career Dickie Wells is believed to have been born on June 10, 1907 in Centerville, Tennessee, Un ...

: '' Chatter Jazz'' (RCA Victor) * 1959 – Marion Williams: ''O Holy Night'' (Savoy) * 1960 –

Lightnin' Hopkins Samuel John "Lightnin" Hopkins (March 15, 1912 – January 30, 1982) was an American country blues singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional pianist from Centerville, Texas. In 2010, ''Rolling Stone'' magazine ranked him No. 71 on its list ...

: ''

Last Night Blues ''Last Night Blues'' is an album by the blues musician Lightnin' Hopkins, with Sonny Terry, recorded in 1960 and released on the Bluesville label the following year.961 Year 961 (Roman numerals, CMLXI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * March 6 – Siege of Chandax: Byzantine forces under Nikephoro ...

* 1960 – Arbee Stidham: '' Tired of Wandering'' (Bluesville,

961 Year 961 (Roman numerals, CMLXI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * March 6 – Siege of Chandax: Byzantine forces under Nikephoro ...

* 1960 – Sonny Terry: '' Sonny Is King'' (Bluesville 963 * 1960 – Al Smith: '' Midnight Special'' (Bluesville,

* 1960 – Roosevelt Sykes: '' The Honeydripper'' (Bluesville,

* 1960 –

Sunnyland Slim Albert Luandrew (September 5, 1906March 17, 1995), "Blues pianist and singer Sunnyland Slim was born Albert Luandrew in Vance, Mississippi, September 5, 1906 (most sources say 1907, but the Social Security Death Index and 1920 census data give t ...

: '' Slim's Shout'' (Bluesville,

* 1960 – Lightnin' Hopkins: '' Lightnin''' (Bluesville,

* 1960 – Curtis Jones: '' Trouble Blues'' (Bluesville) * 1960 – Shakey Jake: '' Mouth Harp Blues'' (Bluesville,

* 1960 – Mildred Anderson: '' No More in Life'' (Bluesville,

* 1962 –

Rhoda Scott Rhoda Scott (born July 3, 1938) is an American soul jazz organist. Scott was first attracted to the organ in her father’s church at age seven. "It's really the most beautiful instrument in the world", she stated in a 2002 interview. "The firs ...

: ''Hey! Hey! Hey!'' (Tru-Sound) * 1962 –

Odetta Odetta Holmes (December 31, 1930 – December 2, 2008), known as Odetta, was an American singer, actress, guitarist, lyricist, and a civil rights activist, often referred to as "The Voice of the Civil Rights Movement". Her musical repertoire co ...

: '' Sometimes I Feel Like Cryin''' (RCA Victor) * 1963 – Willis Jackson: '' Grease 'n' Gravy'', '' The Good Life'' (Prestige) * 1963 – Lightnin' Hopkins: '' Goin' Away'' (Bluesville) * 1963 –

Red Holloway James Wesley "Red" Holloway (May 31, 1927 – February 25, 2012) was an American jazz saxophonist. Biography Born in Helena, Arkansas,Daniel E. Slotnik"Red Holloway, Swinger of the Sax, Dies at 84" ''The New York Times'', February 28, 2012 ...

: '' The Burner'' (Prestige) * 1963 –

Jimmy Witherspoon James Witherspoon (August 8, 1920 – September 18, 1997) was an American jump blues singer. Early life, family and education Witherspoon was born in Gurdon, Arkansas. His father was a railroad worker who sang in local choirs, and his mot ...

: '' Blues Around the Clock'' (Prestige) * 1963 –

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

: ''

The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan ''The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan'' is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on May 27, 1963 by Columbia Records. Whereas his self-titled debut album ''Bob Dylan'' had contained only two original songs, this album ...

'' (Columbia) * 1964 – Lightnin' Hopkins: '' Down Home Blues'' (Bluesville) * 1964 – Lightnin' Hopkins: ''

Soul Blues Soul blues is a style of blues music developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s that combines elements of soul music and urban contemporary music. Origin African American singers and musicians who grew up listening to the electric blues by ar ...

'' (Prestige 965 * 1964 – Sonny Stitt: ''Primitivo Soul'' (Prestige) * 1965 –

: ''

Spectrum A spectrum (plural ''spectra'' or ''spectrums'') is a condition that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary, without gaps, across a continuum. The word was first used scientifically in optics to describe the rainbow of colors ...

'' (Argo) * 1968 – Solomon Burke: ''King Solomon'' (Atlantic) * 2001 – Richard Negri: ''Meditations on a Downbeat, Words Spoken through Jazz'' (LightMoose)

References

;Footnotes ;General references * Leonard Gaskinat

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

External links

‘I’ll Be Seeing You’Reminiscences
Allegro at Local 802 ( AFM) {{DEFAULTSORT:Gaskin, Leonard 1920 births 2009 deaths American jazz double-bassists Male double-bassists Musicians from New York City 20th-century American musicians Jazz musicians from New York (state) 20th-century double-bassists 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians Savoy Records artists