Lewis Worrell (born November 7, 1934) is a

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. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

double bassist The double bass (), also known as the upright bass, the acoustic bass, the bull fiddle, or simply the bass, is the largest and lowest-pitched chordophone in the modern symphony orchestra (excluding rare additions such as the octobass). It has ...

best known for his work during the 1960s with

Albert Ayler Albert Ayler (; July 13, 1936 – November 25, 1970) was an American avant-garde jazz saxophonist and composer. After early experience playing rhythm and blues and bebop, Ayler began recording music during the free jazz era of the 1960s. Ho ...

, the New York Art Quartet,

Roswell Rudd Roswell Hopkins Rudd Jr. (November 17, 1935 – December 21, 2017) was an American jazz trombonist and composer. Although skilled in a variety of genres of jazz (including Dixieland, which he performed while in college), and other genres of musi ...

, and

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 ...

Biography

Worrell was born in

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 United ...

, and began playing the tuba at age 11, switching to double bass six years later. In 1953 he graduated from Second Ward High School in

Brooklyn (Charlotte, North Carolina) Brooklyn was a largely African American section of Charlotte, North Carolina. It was home to many businesses, residences, and churches. The neighborhood was demolished for an urban renewal project in the 1960sCarolina Impact Season 7 Episode 12 ( ...

, after which he served in the

United States Military The United States Armed Forces are the Military, military forces of the United States. U.S. United States Code, federal law names six armed forces: the United States Army, Army, United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps, United States Navy, Na ...

in France. He was a member of

John Lewis John Robert Lewis (February 21, 1940 – July 17, 2020) was an American civil rights activist and politician who served in the United States House of Representatives for from 1987 until his death in 2020. He participated in the 1960 Nashville ...

' Orchestra USA and played with

Bud Powell Earl Rudolph "Bud" Powell (September 27, 1924 – July 31, 1966) was an American jazz pianist and composer. A pioneer in the development of bebop and its associated contributions to jazz theory,Grove Powell's application of complex phrasing to ...

and

Elmo Hope St. Elmo Sylvester Hope (June 27, 1923 – May 19, 1967) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger, chiefly in the bebop and hard bop genres. He grew up playing and listening to jazz and classical music with Bud Powell, and both were ...

. Worrell's first recording was in 1963, on

Hank Crawford Bennie Ross "Hank" Crawford, Jr. (December 21, 1934 – January 29, 2009) was an American alto saxophonist, pianist, arranger and songwriter whose genres ranged from R&B, hard bop, jazz-funk, and soul jazz. Crawford was musical director for ...

's album '' True Blue''. In 1964, Worrell joined the New York Art Quartet, replacing Don Moore, and participated in the recording of their first, self-titled album. He also performed with the NYAQ as part of the October Revolution in Jazz. The following year, he recorded with

on the live album '' Bells'', and with

Sunny Murray James Marcellus Arthur "Sunny" Murray (September 21, 1936 – December 7, 2017) was an American musician, and was one of the pioneers of the free jazz style of drumming. Biography Murray was born in Idabel, Oklahoma, where he was raised by an ...

on his album '' Sonny's Time Now''. In 1966, he appeared on Ayler's '' At Slug's Saloon, Vol. 1 & 2'' and also recorded two albums with

('' Live in San Francisco'' and ''Three for a Quarter, One for a Dime'', both released on Impulse!), as well as on

's album ''

Everywhere Everywhere may refer to: * Everywhere (band) * ''Everywhere'' (Roswell Rudd album), 1966 * ''Everywhere'' (Gerald Wilson album), 1968 * ''Everywhere'' (Tim McGraw album), 1997 ** "Everywhere" (Tim McGraw song), title track from the album * "E ...

''. Worrell made a handful of recordings in the late 1960s and early 1970s, then disappeared from the music scene.

Discography

As sideman

With

* '' Bells'' (ESP-Disk, 1965) * '' The New Wave in Jazz'' (Impulse!, 1966) (one track) * '' At Slug's Saloon, Vol. 1'' (Base Record, 1982) * '' At Slug's Saloon, Vol. 2'' (Base Record, 1982) With

* '' True Blue'' (Atlantic, 1964) With

Robin Kenyatta Robin Kenyatta (March 6, 1942 – October 26, 2004) was an American jazz alto saxophone, alto saxophonist. Early life Born Robert Prince Haynes in Moncks Corner, South Carolina, Kenyatta grew up in New York City and began playing the saxophone a ...

* ''Until'' (Vortex, 1967) * ''Stompin' at the Savoy'' (Atlantic, 1974) With

* '' Sonny's Time Now'' (Jihad, 1965) With the New York Art Quartet * '' New York Art Quartet'' (ESP-Disk, 1964) * '' Call It Art'' (Triple Point, 2013) With Sam Rivers * ''Live'' (Impulse!, 1998) With

* ''

'' (Impulse!, 1966) (tracks reissued on '' Mixed'' (Impulse!, 1998) * '' Blown Bone'' (Emanem, 2006) With

* '' Live in San Francisco'' (Impulse!, 1966) * ''Three for a Quarter, One for a Dime'' (Impulse!, 1966)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Worrell, Lewis American jazz double-bassists Free jazz double-bassists Musicians from Charlotte, North Carolina 1934 births Living people