James Emory Garrison (March 3, 1934 – April 7, 1976) 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 ...

double bassist The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox additions such as the octobass). Similar ...

. He is best remembered for his association with

John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Born and rai ...

from 1961 to 1967.

Career

Garrison was raised in both Miami and Philadelphia where he learned to play bass. Garrison came of age in the 1950s Philadelphia jazz scene, which included fellow bassists

Reggie Workman Reginald "Reggie" Workman (born June 26, 1937 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American avant-garde jazz and hard bop double bassist, recognized for his work with both John Coltrane and Art Blakey. Career Early in his career, Workman work ...

and Henry Grimes, pianist McCoy Tyner and trumpeter

Lee Morgan Edward Lee Morgan (July 10, 1938 – February 19, 1972) was an American jazz trumpeter and composer. One of the key hard bop musicians of the 1960s, Morgan came to prominence in his late teens, recording on John Coltrane's '' Blue Train'' ...

. Between 1957 and 1962, Garrison played and recorded with trumpeter

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 ...

; clarinetist

Tony Scott Anthony David Leighton Scott (21 June 1944 – 19 August 2012) was an English film director and producer. He was known for directing highly successful action and thriller films such as ''Top Gun'' (1986), ''Beverly Hills Cop II'' (1987), ''Day ...

; drummer Philly Joe Jones; and saxophonists

Bill Barron William Barron (26 October 1917 – 2 January 2006) was an English sportsman, who played football in the higher leagues before the Second World War and, along with some football, first-class cricket afterwards. Sporting career William Barron ...

, Lee Konitz, and

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 ...

, as well as

Curtis Fuller Curtis DuBois Fuller (December 15, 1932May 8, 2021) was an American jazz Trombone, trombonist. He was a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and contributed to many classic jazz recordings. Early life Fuller was born in Detroit on December ...

Benny Golson Benny Golson (born January 25, 1929) is an American bebop/ hard bop jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and arranger. He came to prominence with the big bands of Lionel Hampton and Dizzy Gillespie, more as a writer than a performer, before launc ...

Lennie Tristano Leonard Joseph Tristano (March 19, 1919 – November 18, 1978) was an American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and teacher of jazz improvisation. Tristano studied for bachelor's and master's degrees in music in Chicago before moving to New Yo ...

, and Pharoah Sanders, among others. In 1961, he recorded with

Ornette Coleman Randolph Denard Ornette Coleman (March 9, 1930 – June 11, 2015) was an American jazz saxophonist, violinist, trumpeter, and composer known as a principal founder of the free jazz genre, a term derived from his 1960 album '' Free Jazz: A Col ...

, appearing on Coleman's albums ''

Ornette on Tenor ''Ornette on Tenor'' is the eighth album by the American jazz composer and saxophonist Ornette Coleman, released in 1962 on Atlantic Records, his sixth and final one for the label.

'' and '' The Art of the Improvisers''. He also worked with Walter Bishop, Jr. and Cal Massey during the early years of his career. He formally joined Coltrane's quartet in 1962, replacing Workman. The long trio blues "Chasin' the Trane" is one of his first recorded performances with Coltrane and

Elvin Jones Elvin Ray Jones (September 9, 1927 – May 18, 2004) was an American jazz drummer of the post-bop era. Most famously a member of John Coltrane's quartet, with whom he recorded from late 1960 to late 1965, Jones appeared on such widely celebra ...

. Garrison performed on many Coltrane recordings, including '' A Love Supreme''. After John Coltrane's death, Garrison worked and recorded with Alice Coltrane, Hampton Hawes,

Archie Shepp Archie Shepp (born May 24, 1937) is an American jazz saxophonist, educator and playwright who since the 1960s has played a central part in the development of avant-garde jazz. Biography Early life Shepp was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but ...

, Clifford Thornton and groups led by

. Garrison also worked with

during the 1960s, first recording with him in 1961 on ''

Ornette on Tenor ''Ornette on Tenor'' is the eighth album by the American jazz composer and saxophonist Ornette Coleman, released in 1962 on Atlantic Records, his sixth and final one for the label.

''. He and Elvin Jones recorded with Coleman in 1968, and have been credited with eliciting more forceful playing than usual from Coleman on the albums '' New York Is Now!'' and '' Love Call''. In 1971 and 1972, Garrison taught as a Visiting Artist at

Wesleyan University Wesleyan University ( ) is a private liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut. Founded in 1831 as a men's college under the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal Church and with the support of prominent residents of Middletown, the c ...

and Bennington College.

Personal life

Garrison had four daughters and a son. With his first wife Robbie he had three daughters, Robin, Lori and Italy based jazz vocalist Joy Garrison. With his second wife, dancer and choreographer Roberta Escamilla Garrison, he had Maia Claire, and jazz bassist

Matt Garrison Matthew Justin Garrison (born June 2, 1970) is an American jazz bassist. Since 2011, he has run ShapeShifter Lab in Brooklyn, New York, with Fortuna Sung. Described by ''the New York Times'' as "an electric bass virtuoso", he has toured with H ...

. Jimmy Garrison died of

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from transformed, malign ...

on April 7, 1976.

Music and playing style

Garrison was known for his inventive and melodic basslines, often using broken time and avoiding straight quarter notes as in a traditional walking bassline, to suggest the time and pulse rather than to outright play it. He was also known for his frequent use of double stops, and for strumming the strings of the bass with his thumb. Garrison would often play unaccompanied

improvised Improvisation is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. Improvisation in the performing arts is a very spontaneous performance without specific or scripted preparation. The skills of impr ...

solo Solo or SOLO may refer to: Arts and entertainment Comics * ''Solo'' (DC Comics), a DC comics series * Solo, a 1996 mini-series from Dark Horse Comics Characters * Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character * Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ' ...

s, sometimes as song introductions prior to the other musicians joining in, and occasionally used a bow. Garrison had a uniquely heavy and powerful gut string tone.

Discography

As leader

*1963: ''

Illumination! ''Illumination!'' is a 1964 album by the Elvin Jones/Jimmy Garrison Sextet, featuring John Coltrane Quartet bandmates Jones, Garrison and pianist McCoy Tyner playing with alto saxophonist Sonny Simmons, flautist Prince Lasha and baritone saxopho ...

'' with

(

Impulse! Impulse! Records (occasionally styled as "¡mpulse! Records" and "¡!") is an American jazz record company and label established by Creed Taylor in 1960. John Coltrane was among Impulse!'s earliest signings. Thanks to consistent sales and positiv ...

)

As sideman

With

Lorez Alexandria Lorez Alexandria (born Dolorez Alexandria Turner; August 14, 1929 – May 22, 2001). was an American jazz singer, described as "one of the most gifted and underrated jazz singers of the twentieth century". She became established in the midwest ...

* '' For Swingers Only'' (Argo, 1963) With

* '' The Tenor Stylings of Bill Barron'' (Savoy, 1961) With

Walter Bishop Jr. Walter Bishop Jr. (October 4, 1927 – January 24, 1998) was an American jazz pianist. Early life Bishop was born in New York City on October 4, 1927.Greene, Philip; Kernfeld, Barr"Bishop, Walter Jr." ''The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz'' (2nd ed ...

* '' Speak Low'' (Jazztime, 1961) 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 ...

* ''

Further Definitions ''Further Definitions'' is a 1962 jazz album by Benny Carter and his orchestra, rereleased on CD in 1997 coupled with his follow-up album, 1966's ''Additions to Further Definitions''. The earlier album features an all-star octet that includes ...

'' (

, 1961) With

* ''

Ornette on Tenor ''Ornette on Tenor'' is the eighth album by the American jazz composer and saxophonist Ornette Coleman, released in 1962 on Atlantic Records, his sixth and final one for the label.

'' (Atlantic, 1961) * '' New York Is Now!'' ( Blue Note, 1968) * '' Love Call'' (Blue Note, 1968) * '' The Art of the Improvisers'' (Atlantic, 1970) With Alice Coltrane * '' A Monastic Trio'' (Impulse!, 1968) * '' Cosmic Music'' (Impulse!, 1968) * '' Universal Consciousness'' (Impulse!, 1971) * '' Carnegie Hall '71'' (Hi Hat, 2018) With

* '' Live at the Village Vanguard'' (1961) * ''

Ballads A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or '' ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

'' (1962) * '' Coltrane'' (1962) * ''

Duke Ellington & John Coltrane ''Duke Ellington & John Coltrane'' is a jazz album by Duke Ellington and John Coltrane released in January 1963 on Impulse! Records. It was one of Ellington's many collaborations in the early 1960s with musicians such as Count Basie, Louis Armst ...

'' (1962) * ''

John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman ''John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman'' is a studio album by John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman which was released by Impulse! Records in July or August 1963. It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2013. Background Although it is often r ...

'' (1963) * '' Impressions'' (1963) * '' Live at Birdland'' (1963) * '' Crescent'' (1964) * '' A Love Supreme'' (1964) * '' Ascension'' (1965) * '' First Meditations'' (1965) * '' The John Coltrane Quartet Plays'' (1965) * '' Kulu Sé Mama'' (1965) * '' The New Wave in Jazz'' (Impulse!, 1965) * '' Live at the Half Note: One Down, One Up'' (1965

005 ''005'' is a 1981 arcade game by Sega. They advertised it as the first of their RasterScan Convert-a-Game series, designed so that it could be changed into another game in minutes "at a substantial savings". It is one of the first examples of a ...

* '' Live in Seattle'' (1965) * '' The Major Works of John Coltrane'' (1965) * ''

Meditations ''Meditations'' () is a series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor from AD 161 to 180, recording his private notes to himself and ideas on Stoic philosophy. Marcus Aurelius wrote the 12 books of the ''Meditations'' in Koin ...

'' (1965) * '' Transition'' (1965) * '' Sun Ship'' (1965) * '' Live in Antibes'' (1965) * ''

Live in Japan ''Live in Japan'' can refer to one of the following albums or videos: Albums * ''Live in Japan'' (21st Century Schizoid Band album) * ''Live in Japan'' (22-20s album) * ''Live in Japan'' (B.B. King album) * ''Live in Japan'' (Beck, Bogert & Appice ...

'' (1966) * '' Live at the Village Vanguard Again!'' (1966) * '' Expression'' (1967) * '' The Olatunji Concert: The Last Live Recording'' (1967) * ''

Stellar Regions ''Stellar Regions'' is a posthumous release by John Coltrane, drawn largely from tapes discovered in 1994 by the artist's wife, Alice Coltrane, who plays the piano on the session. Alice Coltrane is also responsible for the titles of the eight nu ...

'' (1967) * '' Both Directions at Once: The Lost Album'' (2018) * '' Blue World (album)'' (2019) With Ted Curson * '' Plenty of Horn'' (Old Town, 1961) With Nathan Davis * ''Rules of Freedom'' (Polydor, 1969) With Bill Dixon * ''

Intents and Purposes ''Intents and Purposes'' is an album by American jazz trumpeter Bill Dixon, which was released in 1967 on RCA Victor. Despite critical acclaim at the time, it was soon out of print except for appearances in 1972 on Japanese RCA and later in 1976 on ...

'' (RCA Victor, 1967) With

* '' Jazz Contemporary'' (Time, 1960) * ''

Show Boat ''Show Boat'' is a musical theatre, musical with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It is based on Edna Ferber's best-selling 1926 Show Boat (novel), novel of the same name. The musical follows the lives of the pe ...

'' (Time, 1960) With

* '' Blues-ette'' (Savoy, 1959) * ''

Imagination Imagination is the production or simulation of novel objects, sensations, and ideas in the mind without any immediate input of the senses. Stefan Szczelkun characterises it as the forming of experiences in one's mind, which can be re-creations o ...

'' (Savoy, 1959) * '' Images of Curtis Fuller'' (Savoy, 1960) * '' The Magnificent Trombone of Curtis Fuller'' (Epic, 1961) With Beaver Harris * ''From Ragtime to No Time'' (360 Records, 1975) With

* '' Puttin' It Together'' (Blue Note, 1968) * '' The Ultimate'' (Blue Note, 1968) With Philly Joe Jones * '' Blues for Dracula'' (Riverside, 1958) * '' Drums Around the World'' (Riverside, 1959) * '' Showcase'' (Riverside, 1959) With Lee Konitz * '' Live at the Half Note'' (Verve, 1959 994 With Rolf Kühn and

Joachim Kühn Joachim Kurt Kühn (born 15 March 1944) is a German jazz pianist. Biography He was born in Leipzig, Germany. Kühn was a musical prodigy and made his debut as a concert pianist, having studied classical piano and composition, with Arthur Schmid ...

* '' Impressions of New York'' (Impulse!, 1967) With Cal Massey * ''Blues to Coltrane'' (Candid, 1961

987 Year 987 ( CMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * February 7 – Bardas Phokas (the Younger) and Bardas Skleros, two membe ...

With

* ''

Swing, Swang, Swingin' ''Swing, Swang, Swingin'' is an album by American saxophonist Jackie McLean recorded in 1959 and released on the Blue Note label.J. R. Monterose J. R. Monterose (January 19, 1927 – September 16, 1993), born Frank Anthony Peter Vincent Monterose, Jr., was an American jazz saxophonist, playing mainly tenor and occasionally soprano. Early life Born in Detroit, Michigan, United States, ...

* ''Straight Ahead'' (Jaro, 1959, also issued as ''The Message'') With Robert Pozar * ''Good Golly Miss Nancy'' (Savoy, 1967) With

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 ...

* ''

East Broadway Run Down ''East Broadway Run Down'' is an album by jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins recorded in 1966 and released in 1967 by Impulse Records, his last album before industry pressures led him to take a six-year hiatus.Wynn, Ron. (October 19, 1998Survivors of ...

'' (Impulse!, 1966) With

* ''Golden Moments'' (Muse, 1959 982 * ''I'll Remember'' (Muse, 1959 984 With

* ''Life at the Donaueschingen Music Festival'' (SABA, 1967) * '' Attica Blues'' (Impulse!, 1972) * ''

The Cry of My People ''The Cry of My People'' is an album by avant-garde jazz saxophonist Archie Shepp released in 1972 on the Impulse! label. The album features performances by Shepp with gospel singers, big bands, quintets, sextets, and chamber orchestras. The AllM ...

'' (Impulse!, 1972) * '' There's a Trumpet in My Soul'' (Freedom, 1975) With Clifford Thornton * '' Freedom & Unity'' (New World Records, 1967) With McCoy Tyner * '' Today and Tomorrow'' (Impulse!, 1963) * '' McCoy Tyner Plays Ellington'' (Impulse!, 1964)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Garrison, Jimmy 1933 births 1976 deaths Musicians from Miami Post-bop jazz musicians American jazz double-bassists Male double-bassists Jazz musicians from Pennsylvania Wesleyan University faculty 20th-century American musicians Deaths from lung cancer in New York (state) 20th-century double-bassists American male jazz musicians The 360 Degree Music Experience members 20th-century American male musicians