Occupation(s) Musician Role Musician Instruments Bass Genres Jazz | Years active 1937-1960 Children Sue Simmons Name John Simmons | |
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Born June 11, 1918
Haskell, Oklahoma ( 1918-06-11 ) Associated acts Nat King Cole, Jimmy Bell, King Kolax, Floyd Campbell, Johnny Letman, Roy Eldridge, Benny Goodman, Cootie Williams, and Louis Armstrong Died September 19, 1979, Orange, New York, United States Albums Art Tatum - Roy Eldridge Quartet Similar People Alvin Stoller, Shadow Wilson, Roy Eldridge, Harry Edison, Jimmy Rowles | ||
John simmons classical 1
John Simmons (June 14, 1918 in Haskell, Oklahoma – September 19, 1979 in Orange, New York) was an American jazz bassist.
Contents
Life
Simmons played trumpet at first, but a sports injury prevented him from continuing on the instrument. He picked up bass instead, landing his first professional gigs a mere four months after starting on the instrument. Early on he played with Nat King Cole and Teddy Wilson (1937), then moved to Chicago, where he played with Jimmy Bell, King Kolax, Floyd Campbell, and Johnny Letman. He played with Roy Eldridge in 1940 and spent 1941-42 playing at various times with Benny Goodman, Cootie Williams, and Louis Armstrong. In 1942-43 he played in the CBS Blue Network Orchestra, then played with Duke Ellington (1943), Eddie Heywood (1945), and Illinois Jacquet (1946), in addition to doing much studio work.
He continued to work as a studio musician for much of the 1950s, and also played with Erroll Garner (1950–52), Harry "Sweets" Edison (1955), Art Tatum (1955), and the Rolf Ericson/Duke Jordan band (1956). One of his last associations was with Phineas Newborn in 1960; ill health forced his retirement not long afterwards.
In addition to the above, Simmons also recorded with Lester Young, James P. Johnson, Hot Lips Page, Ben Webster, Billie Holiday, Sidney DeParis, Sid Catlett, Coleman Hawkins, Don Byas, Benny Carter, Bill DeArango, Al Casey, Ella Fitzgerald, Charles Thompson, Thelonious Monk, and Erroll Garner.
He is the father of Joan Simmons, Kathleen Simmons, Addie Simmons, and NBC New York newscaster Sue Simmons.
Discography
With Louis Bellson
With Tadd Dameron
With Roy Eldridge and Benny Carter
With Maynard Ferguson
With Matthew Gee
With Milt Jackson
With Phineas Newborn, Jr.
With Buddy Rich