Aaron Bell (musician)
Samuel Aaron Bell (April 24, 1921 – July 28, 2003) was an American jazz double-bassist.
Career
Bell was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, on April 24, 1921. He played piano as a child and learned to play brass instruments in high school. He attended Xavier University, where he began playing double bass, and graduated in 1942. He served in a Navy band during World War II, completing his service in 1946.
Bell was a member of Andy Kirk's band in 1946 but left to enroll in graduate school at New York University in 1947. After completing his master's degree, he joined Lucky Millinder's band and gigged with Teddy Wilson. He later received a doctorate in education from Teachers College at Columbia University.
In the 1950s, Bell appeared on Billie Holiday's album Lady Sings the Blues, and played with Lester Young, Stan Kenton, Johnny Hodges, Cab Calloway, Carmen McRae, and Dick Haymes. In 1960, he left Haymes' band after being offered a position in Duke Ellington's orchestra opposite drummer Sam Woodyard. He left Ellington's orchestra in 1962, and went on to play with Dizzy Gillespie before taking a series jobs on Broadway as a pit musician. He and Ellington collaborated again in 1967 on a tribute album dedicated to Billy Strayhorn.
Bell was a resident artist at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in New York City from 1969 to 1972. At La MaMa, he wrote music for Ed Bullins' one-act plays, produced as Short Bullins in 1972,[1] and for William Mackey's Family Meeting.[2] His music for Bullins' plays toured with the Jarboro Company, named after Caterina Jarboro and directed by Hugh Gittens, on their 1972 Italy tour. During this tour, the company performed Bullins' one-acts and Richard Wesley's Black Terror in Milan and Venice.[3]
Bell gave a performance of his original compositions, including the pieces he wrote for those plays, on March 19, 1972, as part of the Music at La MaMa concert series.[4] He also wrote the music for the Cotton Club Gala, which was originally produced at La MaMa in 1975[5] and was revived and directed by Ellen Stewart in 1985.[6]
He taught at Essex County College in Newark, New Jersey from 1970 until 1990. In the 1970s, he toured with Norris Turney, Harold Ashby, and Cat Anderson. In the 1980s, he returned to the piano. Bell retired from active performance in 1989 and died in 2003, at the age of 82, in the Bronx.[7]
Discography
As leader
- After the Party's Over (RCA Victor, 1958)
- Music from 77 Sunset Strip (Lion, 1959)
- Richard Rodgers' Victory at Sea in Jazz (Lion, 1959)
- Music from Peter Gunn (Lion, 1959)
As sideman
With Buck Clayton
- Buck Meets Ruby with Ruby Braff (Vanguard, 1954)
- Buckin' the Blues (Vanguard, 1957)
With Cy Coleman
- Cool Coleman (Westminster, 1958)
- Flower Drum Song (Westminster, 1958)
- Why Try to Change Me Now (Westminster, 1959)
With Duke Ellington
- Hot Summer Dance (Red Baron, 1960 [1991])
- The Nutcracker Suite (Columbia, 1960)
- Swinging Suites by Edward E. and Edward G. (Columbia, 1961)
- Piano in the Foreground (Columbia, 1961)
- First Time! The Count Meets the Duke (Columbia, 1961)
- Paris Blues (Columbia, 1961)
- Midnight in Paris (Columbia, 1962)
- Duke Ellington Meets Coleman Hawkins (Impulse!, 1963)
- Duke Ellington & John Coltrane (Impulse!, 1963)
- ...And His Mother Called Him Bill (RCA, 1968)
With Earl Hines
- Up to Date with Earl Hines (RCA Victor, 1965)
- Once Upon a Time (Impulse!, 1966)
With Johnny Hodges
- Johnny Hodges with Billy Strayhorn and the Orchestra (Verve, 1962)
- Triple Play (RCA Victor, 1967)
With Friedrich Gulda
- Friedrich Gulda at Birdland (RCA Victor, 1957)
- A Man of Letters (Decca, 1957)
With Sonny Stitt
- A Little Bit of Stitt (Roost, 1959)
- Sonny Side Up (Roost, 1960)
- Stitt in Orbit (Roost, 1963)
With Charles Thompson
- Sir Charles Thompson and His Band Starring Coleman Hawkins (Vanguard, 1954)
- Sir Charles Thompson Trio (Vanguard, 1955)
- Rockin' Rhythm (Columbia, 1961)
- Sir Charles Thompson Sextet and Band (Vanguard, 1973)
With others
- Mose Allison, Takes to the Hills (Epic, 1961)
- Harold Ashby, Tenor Stuff (Metronome, 1961)
- Mae Barnes, Mae Barnes (Vanguard, 1959)
- Vic Dickenson, Slidin' Swing (Jazztone 1957)
- Don Elliott, Doubles in Brass (Vanguard, 1955)
- Johnny Griffin, Soul Groove (Atlantic, 1963)
- Urbie Green, Old Time Modern (Vanguard, 1973)
- Billie Holiday, Lady Sings the Blues (Clef, 1956)
- Junior Mance, The Good Life (Tuba, 1965)
- Carmen McRae, Birds of a Feather (Decca, 1958)
- Sam Most, Sam Most Sextet (Vanguard, 1955)
- Seldon Powell, Seldon Powell Sextet Featuring Jimmy Cleveland (Sonet, 1956)
- Jimmy Rushing, If This Ain't the Blues (Vanguard, 1958)
- Charlie Shavers, Horn O' Plenty (Bethlehem, 1954)
- Lou Stein, Eight for Kicks Four for Laughs (Jubilee, 1956)
- Buddy Tate, Swinging Like Tate (Felsted, 1958)
- Norris Turney, I Let a Song (Black and Blue, 1978)
- Randy Weston, Highlife (Colpix, 1963)
- Joe Williams, A Night at Count Basie's (Vanguard, 1956)
- Lester Young, Pres Is Blue (Charlie Parker 1963)
References
- ^ La MaMa Archives Digital Collections. "Production: Short Bullins (1972)".
- ^ La MaMa Archives Digital Collections. "Production: Family Meeting (1972)".
- ^ La MaMa Archives Digital Collections. "Tour: Jarboro Company in Italy (1972)".
- ^ La MaMa Archives Digital Collections. "Production: 'Music at La MaMa: Aaron Bell & His Group' (1972)".
- ^ La MaMa Archives Digital Collections. "Production: Cotton Club Gala (1975a)".
- ^ La MaMa Archives Digital Collections. "Production: Cotton Club Gala (1985)".
- ^ Pace, Eric (2003-07-31). "Aaron Bell, 82, Ellington Bassist". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-04-03.
External links
- Aaron Bell at Allmusic
- Aaron Bell biography on Jazzhouse.org
- Bell's page on La MaMa Archives Digital Collections
- v
- t
- e
- Harlem Jazz, 1930
- Ellingtonia, Vol. One
- Ellingtonia, Vol. Two
- Braggin' in Brass: The Immortal 1938 Year
- The Blanton–Webster Band
- Never No Lament: The Blanton-Webster Band
- Smoke Rings
- Liberian Suite
- Great Times!
- Masterpieces by Ellington
- Ellington Uptown
- The Duke Plays Ellington
- Ellington '55
- Dance to the Duke!
- Ellington Showcase
- Historically Speaking
- Duke Ellington Presents...
- The Complete Porgy and Bess
- A Drum Is a Woman
- Studio Sessions, Chicago 1956
- Such Sweet Thunder
- Studio Sessions 1957 & 1962
- Ellington Indigos
- Black, Brown and Beige
- Duke Ellington at the Bal Masque
- The Cosmic Scene
- Happy Reunion
- Jazz Party
- Anatomy of a Murder
- Festival Session
- Blues in Orbit
- The Nutcracker Suite
- Piano in the Background
- Swinging Suites by Edward E. and Edward G.
- Unknown Session
- Piano in the Foreground
- Paris Blues
- Featuring Paul Gonsalves
- Midnight in Paris
- Studio Sessions, New York 1962
- Afro-Bossa
- The Symphonic Ellington
- Duke Ellington's Jazz Violin Session
- Studio Sessions New York 1963
- My People
- Ellington '65
- Duke Ellington Plays Mary Poppins
- Ellington '66
- Concert in the Virgin Islands
- The Popular Duke Ellington
- Far East Suite
- The Jaywalker
- Studio Sessions, 1957, 1965, 1966, 1967, San Francisco, Chicago, New York
- ...And His Mother Called Him Bill
- Second Sacred Concert
- Studio Sessions New York, 1968
- Latin American Suite
- The Pianist
- New Orleans Suite
- Orchestral Works
- The Suites, New York 1968 & 1970
- The Intimacy of the Blues
- The Afro-Eurasian Eclipse
- Studio Sessions New York & Chicago, 1965, 1966 & 1971
- The Intimate Ellington
- The Ellington Suites
- This One's for Blanton!
- Up in Duke's Workshop
- Duke's Big 4
- Mood Ellington
- Duke Ellington at Fargo, 1940 Live
- Black, Brown, and Beige
- The Carnegie Hall Concerts: January 1943
- The Carnegie Hall Concerts: December 1944
- The Carnegie Hall Concerts: January 1946
- The Carnegie Hall Concerts: December 1947
- Ellington at Newport
- Dance Concerts, California 1958
- Dance Dates, California 1958
- Newport 1958
- Jazz at the Plaza Vol. II
- Duke Ellington at the Alhambra
- Live at the Blue Note
- Hot Summer Dance
- The Great Paris Concert
- A Concert of Sacred Music
- In the Uncommon Market
- Soul Call
- Yale Concert
- 70th Birthday Concert
- Togo Brava Suite
- Live at the Whitney
- Third Sacred Concert
- Eastbourne Performance
- Blue Rose
- Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Song Book
- Side by Side
- Back to Back
- The Great Summit
- First Time! The Count Meets the Duke
- Duke Ellington Meets Coleman Hawkins
- Money Jungle
- Duke Ellington & John Coltrane
- Serenade to Sweden
- Ella at Duke's Place
- The Stockholm Concert, 1966
- Ella and Duke at the Cote D'Azur
- Francis A. & Edward K.
- It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing
- "African Flower"
- "All Too Soon"
- "Azure"
- "Black and Tan Fantasy"
- "Black, Brown and Beige"
- "C Jam Blues"
- "Come Sunday"
- "Cotton Tail"
- "Creole Love Call"
- "Day Dream"
- "Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue"
- "Do Nothing Till You Hear from Me"
- "Don't Get Around Much Anymore"
- "Drop Me Off in Harlem"
- "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo"
- "Echoes of Harlem"
- "Everything but You"
- "I Ain't Got Nothin' but the Blues"
- "I Didn't Know About You"
- "I Got It Bad (and That Ain't Good)"
- "I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart"
- "I'm Beginning to See the Light"
- "I'm Just a Lucky So-and-So"
- "In a Mellow Tone"
- "In a Sentimental Mood"
- "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)"
- "Just A-Sittin' and A-Rockin'"
- "Just Squeeze Me (But Please Don't Tease Me)"
- "The Mooche"
- "Mood Indigo"
- " Prelude to a Kiss"
- "Rocks in My Bed"
- "(In My) Solitude"
- "Sophisticated Lady"
- Queenie Pie (unfinished opera)
by Billy Strayhorn |
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by Juan Tizol |
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members
- Hayes Alvis
- Cat Anderson
- Ivie Anderson
- Harold Ashby
- Alice Babs
- Shorty Baker
- Butch Ballard
- Art Baron
- Aaron Bell
- Louie Bellson
- Joe Benjamin
- Barney Bigard
- Lou Blackburn
- Jimmy Blanton
- Wellman Braud
- Lawrence Brown
- Harry Carney
- Johnny Coles
- Willie Cook
- Buster Cooper
- Kay Davis
- Wild Bill Davis
- Wilbur de Paris
- Bobby Durham
- Mercer Ellington
- Rolf Ericson
- Jimmy Forrest
- Victor Gaskin
- Peter Giger
- Tyree Glenn
- Paul Gonsalves
- Sonny Greer
- Fred Guy
- Jimmy Hamilton
- Otto Hardwick
- Shelton Hemphill
- Rick Henderson
- Al Hibbler
- Johnny Hodges
- Major Holley
- Charlie Irvis
- Quentin Jackson
- Hilton Jefferson
- Herb Jeffries
- Freddie Jenkins
- Money Johnson
- Herbie Jones
- Wallace Jones
- Taft Jordan
- Al Killian
- Queen Esther Marrow
- Wendell Marshall
- Murray McEachern
- Louis Metcalf
- James "Bubber" Miley
- Harold "Geezil" Minerve
- Ray Nance
- Tricky Sam Nanton
- Oscar Pettiford
- Eddie Preston
- Russell Procope
- Junior Raglin
- Betty Roché
- Ernie Royal
- Al Sears
- Joya Sherrill
- Willie Smith
- Elmer Snowden
- Rex Stewart
- Billy Strayhorn
- Billy Taylor
- Clark Terry
- Juan Tizol
- Norris Turney
- Ben Webster
- Arthur Whetsel
- Cootie Williams
- Nelson Williams
- Skippy Williams
- Booty Wood
- Jimmy Woode
- Britt Woodman
- Sam Woodyard