Bruce Lawrence (bass player)
Bruce Lawrence (born 1926 or 1927 in New York City ; † August 31, 2015 in Bothell ) was an American double bass player who made a name for himself in both jazz and classical music .
Live and act
Lawrence, who grew up in Harlem's Sugar Hill neighborhood , first learned the piano before switching to bass. He attended the High School of Music & Art in New York before studying double bass at the Juilliard School for two years . He began his professional career as a jazz musician; first recordings were made in 1948 with pianist Dave Martin and with Milt Buckner , in 1949 with Babs Gonzales and Wynonie Harris . In the 1950s he played a. a. as companion of Ella Fitzgerald , John Coltrane , Rose Murphy and Mary Lou Williams ("Chuck-a-Lunk" 1959). In the field of jazz he was involved in nine recording sessions between 1948 and 1959.
In the following years he worked in the field of classical music with the Ottawa Symphony, the studio orchestra of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and the Syracuse (NY) Symphony. After moving to Seattle, he became the first African American musician in the Seattle Symphony . After retiring in 2005 he worked as a music teacher at the Leschi Elementary School in Seattle; he also worked at Garfield High School and with students at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute in Seattle.
Web links
- Bruce Lawrence at Allmusic (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Obituary in the Seattle Times
- ↑ a b Tom Lord : The Jazz Discography (online, accessed September 13, 2015)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Lawrence, Bruce |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American double bass player |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1926 or 1927 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | New York City |
| DATE OF DEATH | August 31, 2015 |
| Place of death | Bothell |