Edward Rudolph "Butch" Warren Jr. (August 9, 1939 – October 5, 2013) was an American jazz bassist who was active during the 1950s and 1960s.

Biography

Warren's mother was a typist at the CIA. His father, Edward Sr., was an electronics technician who played piano and organ part-time in clubs in Washington, D.C; his uncle, Quentin — actually the same age as Butch — played guitar. The Warren home was often visited by jazz musicians

Billy Hart Billy Hart (born November 29, 1940) is an American jazz drummer and educator. He is known internationally for his work with Herbie Hancock's " Mwandishi" band in the early 1970s, as well with Shirley Horn, Stan Getz, and Quest, among others. B ...

, Jimmy Smith, and

Stuff Smith Hezekiah Leroy Gordon Smith (August 14, 1909 – September 25, 1967), better known as Stuff Smith, was an American jazz violinist. He is well known for the song " If You're a Viper" (the original title was "You'se a Viper"). Smith was, al ...

. The first time Butch Warren played bass was at home on an instrument left by Billy Taylor, who had played bass for

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1923 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was ba ...

. Warren has cited Jimmy Blanton, the innovative and virtuoso bassist with Ellington from 1939 to 1941, as his biggest inspiration. Warren began playing professionally at age 14 in a Washington, D.C. band led by his father. He later worked with other local groups, including that of Stuff Smith, as well as with altoist and bandleader Rick Henderson at the Howard Theatre. When he was 19, he sat in with

Kenny Dorham McKinley Howard "Kenny" Dorham (August 30, 1924 – December 5, 1972) was an American jazz trumpeter, singer, and composer. Dorham's talent is frequently lauded by critics and other musicians, but he never received the kind of attention or public ...

to substitute for an absent bassist. A few days later, Dorham invited him to New York City, where he spent the next six months as a sideman at a club in Brooklyn. He appeared on his first recording in January 1960 with Dorham, saxophonist Charles Davis, pianist

Tommy Flanagan Thomas Lee Flanagan (March 16, 1930 – November 16, 2001) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He grew up in Detroit, initially influenced by such pianists as Art Tatum, Teddy Wilson, and Nat King Cole, and then by bebop musicians. ...

, and drummer Buddy Enlow. Through his friendship with

Sonny Clark Conrad Yeatis "Sonny" Clark (July 21, 1931 – January 13, 1963) was an American jazz pianist and composer who mainly worked in the hard bop idiom. Early life Clark was born and raised in Herminie, Pennsylvania, a coal mining town east of Pi ...

, he recorded for

Blue Note Records Blue Note Records is an American jazz record label owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Capitol Music Group. Established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis, it derived its name from the blue notes of jazz and the blues. Or ...

in 1961 on Clark's album ''Leapin' and Lopin''. Alfred Lion, producer at Blue Note, hired Warren to fill the vacancy of staff bassist. During this job he played on " Watermelon Man" with

Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and composer. Hancock started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. He shortly thereafter joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he hel ...

. As sideman, he also recorded with

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of musi ...

Hank Mobley Henry "Hank" Mobley (July 7, 1930 – May 30, 1986) was an American hard bop and soul jazz tenor saxophonist and composer. Mobley was described by Leonard Feather as the "middleweight champion of the tenor saxophone", a metaphor used to des ...

Donald Byrd Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II (December 9, 1932 – February 4, 2013) was an American jazz and rhythm & blues trumpeter and vocalist. A sideman for many other jazz musicians of his generation, Byrd was one of the few hard bop m ...

Dexter Gordon Dexter Gordon (February 27, 1923 – April 25, 1990) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, bandleader, and actor. He was among the most influential early bebop musicians, which included other greats such as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gi ...

, Joe Henderson,

Jackie McLean John Lenwood "Jackie" McLean (May 17, 1931 – March 31, 2006) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader, and educator, and is one of the few musicians to be elected to the ''DownBeat'' Hall of Fame in the year of their dea ...

, and Stanley Turrentine. Mental illness and heroin addiction created problems for Warren. In 1963, his friend Sonny Clark died of an overdose. Months later,

Thelonious Monk Thelonious Sphere Monk (, October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including " 'Round Midnight", ...

hired the 23-year-old Warren. Monk's band was surrounded by drugs and Warren quit after a yearlong tour. Moving back to D.C., he admitted himself to

St. Elizabeths Hospital St. Elizabeths Hospital is a psychiatric hospital in Southeast, Washington, D.C. operated by the District of Columbia Department of Behavioral Health. It opened in 1855 under the name Government Hospital for the Insane, the first federally oper ...

. He was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. Following the onset of his illness he played professionally only occasionally, including a regular gig at the jazz club Columbia Station in Washington D.C. His only solo effort was captured on "Butch's Blues" but he was better known as a sideman on many albums, including Dexter Gordon's '' Go''. He died of lung cancer in

Silver Spring, Maryland Silver Spring is a census-designated place (CDP) in southeastern Montgomery County, Maryland, Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, near Washington, D.C. Although officially Unincorporated area, unincorporated, in practice it is an edge cit ...

at the age of 74.

Discography

As leader

*2011: ''Butch Warren French Quintet'' - with Pierrick Menuau (saxophone), Pierre Christophe (piano), Mourad Benhammou (drums) and Jean Philippe Bordier (guitar) *2021: ''Butch Warren & Freddie Redd: Baltimore Jazz Loft''- with Matt Wilson (drums) and Brad Linde (tenor saxophone) Bleebop Records (recorded 2013)

As sideman

With

*1961: '' Royal Flush'' *1961: '' Free Form'' *1963: '' A New Perspective'' With

*1960: ''

The Kenny Dorham Memorial Album ''The Arrival of Kenny Dorham'' is a jazz studio album by Kenny Dorham, recorded and release in 1960. Initially released by Jaro Records, it would be reissued on the Xanadu label in 1975 as ''The Kenny Dorham Memorial Album'' with a different artw ...

'' *1960: '' Jazz Contemporary'' *1963: ''

Una Mas ''Una Mas'', titled ''Una Mas (One More Time)'' on the front cover, is a jazz album by trumpeter Kenny Dorham and his quintet, released in 1963 on Blue Note as BLP 4127 and BST 84127. The album would be the next-to-last studio session led by the ...

'' With

*1962: '' Go'' *1962: '' A Swingin' Affair'' With

*1959: ''

Vertigo Vertigo is a condition where a person has the sensation of movement or of surrounding objects moving when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. This may be associated with nausea, vomiting, sweating, or difficulties ...

'' *1961: ''

A Fickle Sonance ''A Fickle Sonance'' is an album by American saxophonist Jackie McLean recorded in 1961 and released on the Blue Note label. It features McLean in a quintet with trumpeter Tommy Turrentine, pianist Sonny Clark, bassist Butch Warren and drummer Bil ...

'' *1962: ''

Tippin' the Scales ''Tippin' the Scales'' is an album by American saxophonist Jackie McLean. It was originally recorded in 1962, but was first released only in 1979 on the Japanese Blue Note label as GXF 3062, then finally released in the U.S. in 1984 as BST 84427.< ...

'' *1967: ''Hipnosis'' With

*1963: '' No Room for Squares'' *1963: ''

The Turnaround ''The Turnaround!'' is an album by jazz tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley recorded on March 7, 1963 and on February 4, 1965. It was released in 1965 by Blue Note Records. It features performances by Mobley with trumpeter Donald Byrd, pianist Herbie Ha ...

'' *1963: '' Straight No Filter'' With

*1963: '' Miles & Monk at Newport'' *1963: '' Big Band and Quartet in Concert'' *1963: ''

Monk in Tokyo ''Monk in Tokyo'' is a live album recorded in 1963 and first released in Japan by Columbia Records as two separate LPs in 1963 (PSS 46 "In Tokyo 1" and PSS 47 "In Tokyo 2"), then in edited form as a single LP in 1969 by CBS/Sony Records and reiss ...

'' *1964: '' It's Monk's Time'' With others * 1961: ''

Leapin' and Lopin' ''Leapin' and Lopin'' is an album by jazz pianist Sonny Clark, released on Blue Note Records in May 1962. It was Clark's last album as a leader before his death in 1963. It features a guest appearance from sax player Ike Quebec, who was mountin ...

'' –

* 1961: '' High Hope!'' – Elmo Hope * 1962: ''

Takin' Off ''Takin' Off'' is the debut album by jazz pianist Herbie Hancock released in 1962 by Blue Note Records. Featuring veteran tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, bassist Butch Warren and drummer Billy Higgins. The album is a ...

'' –

* 1962: '' Preach Brother!'' – Don Wilkerson * 1962: ''

Jubilee Shout!!! ''Jubilee Shout!!!'' is an album by jazz saxophonist Stanley Turrentine, recorded for the Blue Note label in 1962, but not released until 1986. The selection was originally included on the double LP ''Jubilee Shouts'' (1978, BN-LA883-J2), together ...

'' – Stanley Turrentine * 1962: '' Feelin' the Spirit'' –

Grant Green Grant Green (June 6, 1935 – January 31, 1979) was an American jazz guitarist and composer. Recording prolifically for Blue Note Records as both leader and sideman, Green performed in the hard bop, soul jazz, bebop, and Latin-tinged idioms ...

* 1962: ''

Exodus Exodus or the Exodus may refer to: Religion * Book of Exodus, second book of the Hebrew Torah and the Christian Bible * The Exodus, the biblical story of the migration of the ancient Israelites from Egypt into Canaan Historical events * Exo ...

'' –

Slide Hampton Locksley Wellington Hampton (April 21, 1932 – November 18, 2021) was an American jazz trombonist, composer and arranger. As his nickname implies, Hampton's main instrument was slide trombone, but he also occasionally played tuba and flugelho ...

* 1963: ''

Happy Frame of Mind ''Happy Frame of Mind'' is an album by American jazz pianist Horace Parlan featuring performances recorded for Blue Note Records, Blue Note in 1963, but not released under Parlan's name on the label until 1986.Horace Parlan Horace Parlan (January 19, 1931 – February 23, 2017) was an American pianist and composer known for working in the hard bop and post-bop styles of jazz. In addition to his work as a bandleader Parlan was known for his contributions to the Cha ...

* 1963: ''

Exultation! ''Exultation!'' is an album by American jazz saxophonist Booker Ervin featuring performances recorded in 1963 for the Prestige label.

'' –

Booker Ervin Booker Telleferro Ervin II (October 31, 1930 – August 31, 1970) was an American tenor saxophone player. His tenor playing was characterised by a strong, tough sound and blues/gospel phrasing. He is remembered for his association with bass ...

* 1963: '' Page One'' – Joe Henderson * 1964: '' Holiday Soul'' –

Bobby Timmons Robert Henry Timmons (December 19, 1935 – March 1, 1974) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He was a sideman in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers for two periods (July 1958 to September 1959; February 1960 to June 1961), between which he w ...

* 1965: '' The Walter Bishop Jr. Trio / 1965'' – Walter Bishop, Jr.

References

External links

Official site archived
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Warren, Butch 1939 births 2013 deaths American jazz double-bassists Male double-bassists Bebop double-bassists Musicians from Washington, D.C. People with schizophrenia American male jazz musicians