Jamil Nasser (born George Joyner, June 21, 1932 – February 13, 2010)Obituary
at

All About Jazz ''All About Jazz'' is a website established by Michael Ricci in 1995. A volunteer staff publishes news, album reviews, articles, videos, and listings of concerts and other events having to do with jazz. Ricci maintains a related site, ''Jazz Near ...

and also credited on some of

Ahmad Jamal Ahmad Jamal (born Frederick Russell Jones, July 2, 1930) is an American jazz pianist, composer, bandleader and educator. For six decades, he has been one of the most successful small-group leaders in jazz. Biography Early life Jamal was born Fr ...

's recordings as Jamil Sulieman, 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 majo ...

musician. He played

double bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or #Terminology, by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched Bow (music), bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox addit ...

electric bass The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

, and

tuba The tuba (; ) is the lowest-pitched musical instrument in the brass instrument, brass family. As with all brass instruments, the sound is produced by lip vibrationa buzzinto a mouthpiece (brass), mouthpiece. It first appeared in the mid-19th&n ...

Biography

Born in

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the County seat, seat of Shelby County, Tennessee, Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 Uni ...

, Nasser learned piano from his mother as a child and started playing bass at age 16. As a student at

Arkansas State University Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...

, he led the school band, and played bass and tuba in bands while stationed in

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republi ...

as a member of the U.S. Army. Following his discharge he played with B.B. King in 1955 and 1956. He moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

in 1956, and played with Phineas Newborn and

Sonny Rollins Walter Theodore "Sonny" Rollins (born September 7, 1930) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist who is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. In a seven-decade career, he has recorded over sixty albums as ...

before the end of the decade. He began his recording career in 1956 with Newborn. He was originally credited on the recordings he made from 1956 through 1963 using his given name, George Joyner. (On some reissues of albums he recorded early in his career, his credit is revised to reflect his later name). He toured Europe and

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in t ...

with

Idrees Sulieman Idrees Sulieman (August 7, 1923 – July 23, 2002) was an American bebop, bop and hard bop trumpeter. Biography He was born Leonard Graham in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States, later changing his name to Idrees Sulieman, after converting ...

in 1959, then visited

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. ...

and recorded with

Lester Young Lester Willis Young (August 27, 1909 – March 15, 1959), nicknamed "Pres" or "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and occasional clarinetist. Coming to prominence while a member of Count Basie's orchestra, Young was one of the most i ...

. He briefly moved to

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

in 1961. After returning to New York in 1962, he formed his own trio, which lasted until 1964. Following this, he joined Ahmad Jamal's trio, where he stayed through 1972. On the albums he recorded with Jamal, he was initially credited as Jamil Sulieman (as on 1964's '' Naked City Theme''), and subsequently as Jamil Nasser (as on 1965's ''

The Roar of the Greasepaint ''The Roar of the Greasepaint'' is an album by American jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal featuring performances of tunes from the musical, '' The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd'' recorded in 1965 and released on the Argo label.

'' and later albums), the name he used professionally for the rest of his life. After leaving Jamal's trio, Nasser worked with

Al Haig Alan Warren Haig (July 19, 1922 – November 16, 1982) was an American jazz pianist, best known as one of the pioneers of bebop. Biography Haig was born in Newark, New Jersey and raised in nearby Nutley. In 1940, he majored in piano at ...

for the rest of the 1970s. In the 1980s and 1990s, he participated in many sessions with musicians such as

George Coleman George Edward Coleman (born March 8, 1935) is an American jazz saxophonist known for his work with Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock in the 1960s. In 2015, he was named an NEA Jazz Master. Early life Coleman was born in Memphis, Tennessee. He was ...

Harold Mabern Harold Mabern Jr. (March 20, 1936 – September 17, 2019) was an American jazz pianist and composer, principally in the hard bop, post-bop, and soul jazz fields.Feather, Leonard; Gitler, Ira (2007) ''The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz''. p. 42 ...

Randy Weston Randolph Edward "Randy" Weston (April 6, 1926 – September 1, 2018) was an American jazz pianist and composer whose creativity was inspired by his ancestral African connection. Weston's piano style owed much to Duke Ellington and Thelonious M ...

Gene Ammons Eugene "Jug" Ammons (April 14, 1925 – August 6, 1974), also known as "The Boss", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. The son of boogie-woogie pianist Albert Ammons, Gene Ammons is remembered for his accessible music, steeped in soul and ...

and Hideaki Yoshioka. Nasser never recorded as a leader. His son Zaid Nasser is an alto saxophonist based in New York City. His son, Muneer Nasser, is a musician, historian, and author of Jamil Nasser's book called ''Upright Bass, The Musical Life and Legacy of Jamil Nasser'', published 2018.

Discography

With

*'' The Big Sound'' (Prestige, 1958) *''

Groove Blues ''Groove Blues'' is an album by saxophonist Gene Ammons recorded in 1958 and released on the Prestige label.Evans Bradshaw *'' Look Out for Evans Bradshaw!'' (Riverside, 1958) With

*'' Manhattan Panorama'' (Theresa, 1985) *''I Could Write a Book: The Music of

Richard Rodgers Richard Charles Rodgers (June 28, 1902 – December 30, 1979) was an American composer who worked primarily in musical theater. With 43 Broadway musicals and over 900 songs to his credit, Rodgers was one of the most well-known American ...

'' (Telarc, 1998) With

Eric Dolphy Eric Allan Dolphy Jr. (June 20, 1928 – June 29, 1964) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, bass clarinetist and flautist. On a few occasions, he also played the clarinet and piccolo. Dolphy was one of several multi-instrumentalists to ...

*'' The Berlin Concerts'' (

Enja Enja Records is a German jazz record company and label based in Munich which was founded by jazz enthusiasts Matthias Winckelmann and Horst Weber in 1971. The label's first release was by Mal Waldron, and early releases included European and ...

, 1961) With

Lou Donaldson Lou Donaldson (born November 1, 1926) is an American retired jazz 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 era, heavily i ...

*'' Lou Takes Off'' (

Blue Note In jazz and blues, a blue note is a note that—for expressive purposes—is sung or played at a slightly different pitch from standard. Typically the alteration is between a quartertone and a semitone, but this varies depending on the musical c ...

, 1958) With

Red Garland William McKinley "Red" Garland Jr. (May 13, 1923 – April 23, 1984) was an American modern jazz pianist. Known for his work as a bandleader and during the 1950s with Miles Davis, Garland helped popularize the block chord style of playing in jaz ...

*''

All Mornin' Long ''All Mornin' Long'' is a jazz album by pianist Red Garland, released in April 1958 on the Prestige label. It features only three pieces, which belong to the hard bop subgenre and distinguish themselves by being fast-paced and bluesy. Critic Ira ...

'' (1957) *'' Dig It!'' ( Prestige, 1958) *''

Rojo Rojo means " red" in Spanish. Rojo may also refer to: *Rojo (surname) Music * Rojo (band), a Mexican Christian rock band ** ''Rojo'' (Rojo album), 2001 * ''Rojo'' (Red Garland album), 1961 * "Rojo", a song by J Balvin from ''Colores ''Colores ...

'' (Prestige, 1958 With

*''Strings Attached'' (Choice, 1975) *''Chelsea Bridge'' (East Wind, 1975) *''

Interplay Interplay may refer to: * Interplay (John Coltrane album), ''Interplay'' (John Coltrane album), 1957 * Interplay (Bill Evans album), ''Interplay'' (Bill Evans album), 1962 * Interplay (Al Haig album), ''Interplay'' (Al Haig album), 1976 * Interpla ...

'' (Sea Breeze, 1976) *''Serendipity'' (Interplay, 1977) *'' Manhattan Memories'' (Sea Breeze, 1977 983 *''A Portrait of Bud Powell'' (Interplay, 1977) *''Reminiscence'' (Progressive, 1977) *''Ornithology'' (Progressive, 1977) *''Expressly Ellington'' (Spotlite, 1978) With

*'' Naked City Theme'' (Argo, 1964) *''

'' (Argo, 1965) *''

Extensions Extension, extend or extended may refer to: Mathematics Logic or set theory * Axiom of extensionality * Extensible cardinal * Extension (model theory) * Extension (predicate logic), the set of tuples of values that satisfy the predicate * Ext ...

'' (Cadet, 1965) *'' Rhapsody'' (Cadet, 1966) *''

Heat Wave A heat wave, or heatwave, is a period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity, especially in oceanic climate countries. While definitions vary, a heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in the ...

'' (Cadet, 1966) *'' Cry Young'' (Cadet, 1967) *''

The Bright, the Blue and the Beautiful ''The Bright, the Blue and the Beautiful'' is an album by American jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal featuring performances recorded in 1968 and released on the Cadet label.

'' (Cadet, 1968) *'' Tranquility'' (ABC, 1968) *'' Ahmad Jamal at the Top: Poinciana Revisited'' (Impulse!, 1968) *'' The Awakening'' (Impulse!, 1970) *'' Freeflight'' (Impulse!, 1971) *''

Outertimeinnerspace ''Outertimeinnerspace'' is a live album by American jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal featuring performances recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1971 for the Impulse! label.

'' (Impulse, 1971) *''

Jamalca Jamalca District is one of seven districts of the province Utcubamba in Peru. Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática. Banco de Información Distrital''. Retrieved April 11, 2008. See also * Kuntur Puna Kuntur Puna (Quechua ''kuntur' ...

'' (20th Century, 1974) *'' Jamal Plays Jamal'' (20th Century, 1974) *'' Genetic Walk'' (20th Century, 1975) *'' The Essence Part One'' (Birdology, 1995) *'' Big Byrd: The Essence Part 2'' (Birdology, 1995) With

Melba Liston Melba Doretta Liston (January 13, 1926 – April 23, 1999) was an American jazz trombonist, arranger, and composer. Other than those playing in all-female bands she was the first woman trombonist to play in big bands during the 1940s and 1960s, ...

*'' Melba Liston and Her 'Bones'' (MetroJazz, 1958) With

*''

Pisces Calling ''Pisces Calling'' is an album by pianist Harold Mabern. It was recorded in 1978 and was released by Trident Records. Recording and music The album was recorded at Blank Tapes Studio, New York City, in June 1978. The musicians were Mabern on pian ...

'' (Trident, 1978) With

Herbie Mann Herbert Jay Solomon (April 16, 1930 – July 1, 2003), known by his stage name Herbie Mann, was an American jazz flute player and important early practitioner of world music. Early in his career, he also played tenor saxophone and clarinet (inc ...

Charlie Rouse Charlie Rouse (April 6, 1924 – November 30, 1988) was an American hard bop tenor saxophonist and flautist. His career is marked by his collaboration with Thelonious Monk, which lasted for more than ten years. Biography Rouse was born in Was ...

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 ...

and

Mal Waldron Malcolm Earl "Mal" Waldron (August 16, 1925 – December 2, 2002) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. He started playing professionally in New York in 1950, after graduating from college. In the following dozen years or so Wa ...

*'' Just Wailin''' (New Jazz, 1958) With Phineas Newborn, Jr. *''

Phineas' Rainbow ''Phineas' Rainbow'' is the second album by American jazz pianist Phineas Newborn Jr. recorded in 1956 and released on the RCA Records, RCA Victor label in February 1957.

'' (RCA Victor, 1956) *''

While My Lady Sleeps ''While My Lady Sleeps'' is an album by American jazz pianist Phineas Newborn Jr. with Dennis Farnon and His Orchestra recorded in 1957 and released on the RCA Records, RCA Victor label.

'' (RCA Victor, 1957) *'' Fabulous Phineas'' (RCA Victor, 1958) With

*''

New Faces at Newport ''New Faces at Newport'' is a split album by pianist Randy Weston's trio and vibraphonist Lem Winchester's quartet which was recorded in 1958 at the Newport Jazz Festival and released on the MetroJazz label.Little Niles ''Little Niles'' is an album by American jazz pianist Randy Weston recorded in 1958 and first released on the United Artists label. The album was later released as part of a Blue Note compilation under the same title. All the tracks are Weston ori ...

'' (United Artists, 1958) *''Portraits of Duke Ellington'' (1989) *''Portraits of Monk'' (1989) *''Self Portraits'' (1989) *''

Spirits of Our Ancestors ''The Spirits Of Our Ancestors'' is an album by pianist Randy Weston that was recorded in 1991 and issued on the Verve label. While all of the compositions (with the exception of one traditional Moroccan song) were composed by Weston himself, the ...

'' (1991) *''Volcano Blues'' (1993) With Hideaki Yoshioka *''Moment to Moment'' (

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never f ...

, 2000)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nasser, Jamil 1932 births 2010 deaths Arkansas State University alumni American jazz double-bassists Male double-bassists American jazz bass guitarists Guitarists from Tennessee American male bass guitarists 20th-century American bass guitarists Jazz musicians from Tennessee Jazz musicians from Arkansas 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians