Andrew Simpkins (April 29, 1932 – June 2, 1999) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

bassist. Born in Richmond, Indiana, he first became known as a member of the group

The Three Sounds The Three Sounds (also known as The 3 Sounds) were an American jazz piano trio that formed in 1956 and disbanded in 1973. The band formed in Benton Harbor, Michigan, United States, as the Four Sounds. The original line-up consisted of Gene Harri ...

, with which he performed from 1956 to 1968.

allmusic biography AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

/ref> After that, until 1974, he was a member of pianist

George Shearing Sir George Albert Shearing, (13 August 1919 14 February 2011) was a British jazz pianist who for many years led a popular jazz group that recorded for Discovery Records, MGM Records and Capitol Records. Shearing was the composer of over 300 ...

's group, and from 1979 to 1989 toured with singer Sarah Vaughan. Throughout and after that time, during which he settled in Los Angeles, Simpkins became respected as a top-quality bassist and widely known as a solid and reliable studio musician. He performed with singers

Carmen McRae Carmen Mercedes McRae (April 8, 1920 – November 10, 1994) was an American jazz singer. She is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century and is remembered for her behind-the-beat phrasing and ironic interpre ...

and

Anita O'Day Anita Belle Colton (October 18, 1919 – November 23, 2006), known professionally as Anita O'Day, was an American jazz singer and self proclaimed “song stylist” widely admired for her sense of rhythm and dynamics, and her early big band app ...

, instrumentalists

Gerald Wiggins Gerald Foster Wiggins (May 12, 1922 – July 13, 2008) was an American jazz pianist and organist. Early life Wiggins was born in New York City on May 12, 1922.Vacher, Pete"Wiggins, Gerry" ''The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz'' (2nd edition). G ...

Monty Alexander Montgomery Bernard "Monty" Alexander (born 6 June 1944) is a Jamaican jazz pianist. His playing has a Caribbean influence and bright swinging feeling, with a strong vocabulary of bebop jazz and blues rooted melodies. He was influenced by Louis ...

Buddy DeFranco Boniface Ferdinand Leonard "Buddy" DeFranco (February 17, 1923 – December 24, 2014) was an Italian-American jazz clarinetist. In addition to his work as a bandleader, DeFranco led the Glenn Miller Orchestra for almost a decade in the 1960s and ...

Don Menza Don Menza (born April 22, 1936) is an American jazz saxophonist. Career Menza was born in Buffalo, New York. After serving in the U.S. Army, he was part of the Maynard Ferguson Orchestra from 1960 to 1962 and then briefly worked for Stan Kenton ...

, and

Stéphane Grappelli Stéphane Grappelli (; 26 January 1908 – 1 December 1997, born Stefano Grappelli) was a French jazz violinist. He is best known as a founder of the Quintette du Hot Club de France with guitarist Django Reinhardt in 1934. It was one of the fi ...

, and many others. He recorded three albums as a leader. He also played acoustic bass on the 1997 covers album '' In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy'' by artist

Pat Boone Patrick Charles Eugene Boone (born June 1, 1934) is an American singer and actor. He was a successful pop singer in the United States during the 1950s and early 1960s. He sold more than 45 million records, had 38 Top 40 hits, and appeared in mo ...

. Simpkins died of stomach cancer in Los Angeles."Last Post: Andy Simpkins". (Web site ''Jazz House'')
/ref>

Discography

With

*1958: ''

Introducing the 3 Sounds ''Introducing the 3 Sounds'' is the debut album by jazz group The Three Sounds featuring performances recorded in 1958 and released on the Blue Note label.

'' *1958: '' Branching Out'' with

Nat Adderley Nathaniel Carlyle Adderley (November 25, 1931 – January 2, 2000) was an American jazz trumpeter. He was the younger brother of saxophonist Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, whom he supported and played with for many years. Adderley's composition ...

*1959: ''

Bottoms Up! ''Bottoms Up!'' is the second album by jazz group The Three Sounds featuring performances recorded in 1958 and 1959 and released on the Blue Note label.

'' *1959: ''

LD + 3 ''LD + 3'' is an album by jazz saxophonist Lou Donaldson and The Three Sounds recorded for the Blue Note label and performed by Donaldson with Gene Harris, Andrew Simpkins, and Bill Dowdy.Lou Donaldson Lou Donaldson (born November 1, 1926) is an American retired jazz Alto saxophone, alto saxophonist. He is best known for his soulful, bluesy approach to playing the alto saxophone, although in his formative years he was, as many were of the bebop ...

*1959: ''

Good Deal ''Good Deal'' is the third album by jazz group The Three Sounds featuring performances recorded in 1959 and released on the Blue Note label.

'' *1960: '' Moods'' *1960: ''

Feelin' Good "Feeling Good" (also known as "Feelin' Good") is a song written by English composers Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse for the musical ''The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd''. It was first performed on stage in 1964 by Cy Gr ...

'' *1960: '' Here We Come'' *1960: '' It Just Got to Be'' *1960: ''

Blue Hour The blue hour (from French ; ) is the period of twilight (in the morning or evening, around the nautical stage) when the Sun is at a significant depth below the horizon. During this time, the remaining sunlight takes on a mostly blue shade. T ...

'' with

Stanley Turrentine Stanley William Turrentine (April 5, 1934 – September 12, 2000) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. He began his career playing R&B for Earl Bostic and later soul jazz recording for the Blue Note label from 1960, touched on jazz fusion ...

*1961: ''

Hey There "Hey There" is a show tune from the musical play ''The Pajama Game,'' written by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. It was published in 1954. It was introduced by John Raitt in the original production. In the show, Sid sings it to a recording dev ...

'' *1961: '' Babe's Blues'' *1962: '' Out of This World'' *1962: '' Black Orchid'' *1959/62: '' Standards'' released 1998 *1962: '' Blue Genes'' *1962: '' Anita O'Day & the Three Sounds'' with

*1963: '' The Three Sounds Play Jazz on Broadway'' *1963: '' Some Like It Modern'' *1964: '' Live at the Living Room'' *1964: '' Three Moods'' *1965: '' Beautiful Friendship'' *1966: '' Today's Sounds'' *1966: ''

Vibrations Vibration is a mechanical phenomenon whereby oscillations occur about an equilibrium point. The word comes from Latin ''vibrationem'' ("shaking, brandishing"). The oscillations may be periodic, such as the motion of a pendulum—or random, such ...

'' *1967: '' Live at the Lighthouse'' *1968: '' Coldwater Flat'' *1968: '' Elegant Soul'' With

*'' In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy'' (Hip-O,1997) With

Kenny Burrell Kenneth Earl Burrell (born July 31, 1931) is an American jazz guitarist known for his work on numerous top jazz labels: Prestige, Blue Note, Verve, CTI, Muse, and Concord. His collaborations with Jimmy Smith were notable, and produced the 1965 ...

*'' Up the Street, 'Round the Corner, Down the Block'' (Fantasy, 1974) *''

Heritage Heritage may refer to: History and society * A heritage asset is a preexisting thing of value today ** Cultural heritage is created by humans ** Natural heritage is not * Heritage language Biology * Heredity, biological inheritance of physica ...

'' (AudioSource, 1980) With

Benny Carter Bennett Lester Carter (August 8, 1907 – July 12, 2003) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. With Johnny Hodges, he was a pioneer on the alto saxophone. From the beginning of his career ...

*'' My Kind of Trouble'' (Pablo, 1989) With

Natalie Cole Natalie Maria Cole (February 6, 1950 – December 31, 2015) was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She was the daughter of American singer and jazz pianist Nat King Cole. She rose to success in the mid-1970s as an R&B singer with the h ...

* '' Unforgettable... with Love'' (Elektra, 1991) With Teddy Edwards *'' Blue Saxophone'' (Verve/Gitanes, 1992 993 With

Victor Feldman Victor Stanley Feldman (7 April 1934 – 12 May 1987) was an English jazz musician who played mainly piano, vibraphone, and percussion. He began performing professionally during childhood, eventually earning acclaim in the UK jazz scene as ...

*'' Merry Olde Soul'' (Riverside, 1961) With Robert Palmer * '' Ridin' High'' (EMI, 1992) With Lalo Schifrin *'' Ins and Outs'' (Palo Alto, 1982) With

and

*'' The Reunion'' (MPS, 1976) With

Mary Stallings Mary Stallings (born August 16, 1939) is an American jazz vocalist and mother of soul singer Adriana Evans. Biography One of eleven children, Mary Stallings was born in San Francisco, California. She grew up in the neighborhood of Laurel Hei ...

*''Spectrum'' (Concord, 1996) With

Toni Tennille Cathryn Antoinette "Toni" Tennille (born May 8, 1940) is an American singer-songwriter and keyboardist, best known as one-half of the 1970s duo Captain & Tennille with her former husband Daryl Dragon; their signature song is " Love Will Keep Us ...

*''More Than You Know'' (Mirage, 1984) *''Do It Again'' (USA Music Group, 1988) With Sarah Vaughan *''

The Duke Ellington Songbook, Vol. 1 ''The Duke Ellington Songbook, Vol. 1'' is an album of Duke Ellington standards performed by Sarah Vaughan. It was recorded in 1979 and released on the Pablo label. Track listing # " In a Sentimental Mood" (Duke Ellington, Manny Kurtz, Irving ...

'' (Pablo, 1979) *'' Copacabana'' (Pablo, 1979) *'' Send in the Clowns'' (Pablo, 1981) *'' Crazy and Mixed Up'' (Pablo, 1982) *''

Gershwin Live! ''Gershwin Live!'' is a 1982 live album by Sarah Vaughan, of music composed by George Gershwin, accompanied by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas. The album was arranged by Marty Paich. Vaughan's performance won he ...

'' (Columbia, 1982) With Joe Williams and

*'' The Heart and Soul of Joe Williams and George Shearing'' (Sheba, 1971)

References

External links

Lees, Gene. "Andy Simpkins". (Web site ''all about jazz'')
* Yanow, Scott. "Andy Simpkins". (Web site ''allmusic'') American jazz double-bassists Male double-bassists 1932 births 1999 deaths Deaths from stomach cancer Musicians from Richmond, Indiana Musicians from Indiana Deaths from cancer in California 20th-century American musicians 20th-century double-bassists 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians The Three Sounds members {{US-jazz-musician-stub