Paul Chambers

Continuing my research on jazz bassists I turn my attention to Paul Chambers. Paul was born in Pittsburg Pennsylvania in 1935. He moved to Detroit where he grew up playing in local gigs around the city until he moved to New York at the age of 20. He initially started out on the baritone and followed with the tuba. He picked up a string bass in 1949 and really dug into his bass training in 1952 when he played with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. When he got to New York he played with J.J. Johnson-Kai’s quintet as well as George Wallington.

Growing up he idolized Oscar Pettiford and Ray Brown and later became fans of Charlie Parker and Bud Powell. Jimmy Blanton was probably his all-time favorite. In 1955 he joined Miles Davis’s quintet where he played through 1963. When he left Davis’s group he played with pianist Wynton Kelly as well as some freelance work in New York. He did a little classical work throughout his career. In 1952-1955 he studied off and on at Cass Technical high school. He played the symphony there and even played the baritone saxophone on several occasions. He became known for his ability to perform “bowed” solos. Bowed solos had never really been attempted and his ability to work them in as a solo while keeping tempo and keeping the audience interested was second to none. This was really what painted his mark on the jazz culture. A quote from allaboutjazz.com states that “Chambers holds the unique distinction, along with Coltrane and Wynton Kelly, of participating on two of the most important albums in jazz history: Coltrane's Giant Steps, and Davis' Kind of Blue.”[1] Paul Chambers died in 1969 at the age of 33 from tuberculosis.

The blogger software would not let me post it in a video form so here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0t1-DxX5Ew

The listening selection I have for this week is a piece from Paul Chambers sextet. It is called Whims of Chambers. It appears to be in a 4 beats per measure time form. Also it seems to be in AABA form. Soon after the introduction we hear a bass solo. Chambers is swinging hard! Drum set is in the background with brushes. Next we go into a piano solo followed by a guitar solo all with Chambers hammering out the bass line in the background. We finish off with a quick piano and drum solo and then the original melody of the song comes back in. Truly a very good piece of music to show off Paul Chambers talents on the bass!