Henry Grimes

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Henry Grimes (HotHouse in Chicago, 2005)

Henry Alonzo Grimes (* 3. November 1935 in Philadelphia ; † 17th April 2020 ) was an American jazz - double bass player . He was considered one of the most important representatives of his instrument in free jazz , but surprisingly and so completely withdrew from the music world at the end of the 1960s that he was believed to be dead. His equally surprising comeback after almost three and a half decades in 2003 was considered a sensation in the jazz scene.

Live and act

Grimes grew up in Philadelphia, where he first learned the violin and later the tuba in addition to the double bass . In the early 1950s he began studying music at the renowned Juilliard School in New York and quickly established himself as a sought-after bass player in the metropolis' jazz scene. In addition to engagements with already established musicians such as Benny Goodman or Gerry Mulligan , he worked with the exponents of the then current hard bop such as Sonny Rollins or Thelonious Monk .

When Charles Mingus , himself a double bass player and one of the “intellectual fathers” of the New York jazz avant-garde, was looking for a bass player for his band to play the piano himself in 1962, he turned to Grimes, which for the almost 27-year-old was another resulted in enormous gain in prestige in the scene. As early as 1960, Grimes' sophisticated instrumental technique and his openness to the experimental musical zeitgeist brought him into contact with later pioneers of free jazz such as Cecil Taylor , Steve Lacy , Albert Ayler , Pharoah Sanders and Archie Shepp .

Grimes' play can be heard on several dozen albums that were made between 1957 and 1966. Among these are some recordings that are considered to be “classics” of jazz of the sixties, such as Cecil Taylor's Unit Structures and Conquistador! , Don Cherry's Symphony for Improvisors and Complete Communion or Roy Haynes' Out of the Afternoon in a quartet with Rahsaan Roland Kirk and Tommy Flanagan .

During a tour in 1967 Grimes decided to stay in San Francisco ; probably in 1969 he moved to Los Angeles , where he gave up the bass game, however, after a short time. He sold his badly damaged instrument and lived in the most humble circumstances of odd jobs. His disappearance from the jazz scene was so complete that even close companions knew nothing about his whereabouts. It wasn't until 2002 that a jazz-loving social worker was able to track down the man who had already been believed dead in Los Angeles. With a bass provided by William Parker , Grimes resumed his career within a short time. In addition to his extensive concert activities in Europe and the USA, the bassist became a sought-after lecturer at international jazz workshops because of his charismatic presentation style. He has also been involved in several recordings since his return. The concert, recorded on the Marc Ribot Trio's Live at the Village Vanguard album , was Grimes' first appearance at the Village Vanguard since 1966, when he played with Albert Ayler . In the field of jazz, according to Tom Lord , he was involved in 109 recording sessions from 1957, most recently with Ronnie Burrage (Heal) in 2013 . In 2014 he presented the solo album The Tone of Wonder .

In March 2007, Grimes' first book is signs along the road. poems published by the Cologne publisher buddy's knife jazzedition . During the time he lacked a bass to play, Grimes wrote continuously. In 2015, Barbara Frenz published a biography about Grimes - Music to Silence to Music , with a foreword by Sonny Rollins .

Henry Grimes died of complications from SARS-CoV-2 infection during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States in April 2020 at the age of 84.

Discographic notes

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Obituary. Brooklyn Vegan, April 17, 2020, accessed April 18, 2020 .
  2. ↑ Steven L. Isoardi The Return of Henry Grimes: A Memoir
  3. ↑ Tom Lord : The Jazz Discography (online, accessed April 18, 2020)
  4. ^ Review of the album in London Jazz News
  5. ↑ Music to Silence to Music - A Biography of Henry Grimes on the Northway Books website.
  6. ↑ Nate Chinen: Henry Grimes, Bassist of Avant-Garde Pedigree and a Storied Return, Dies of COVID-19 at 84th WBGO , April 18, 2020, accessed on April 18, 2020 (English).
personal data
SURNAME Grimes, Henry
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Grimes, Henry Alonzo (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American jazz bassist and author
DATE OF BIRTH November 3, 1935
PLACE OF BIRTH Philadelphia
DATE OF DEATH 17th April 2020