Harold Ashby facts for kids
Harold Ashby (born March 27, 1925, in Kansas City, Missouri, USA – died June 13, 2003, in New York City) was an American jazz musician. He was a talented tenor saxophonist. Harold Ashby became famous for playing with the legendary Duke Ellington's band. He joined the band in 1968, taking the place of another great musician, Jimmy Hamilton.
Before joining Duke Ellington, Harold Ashby also recorded music with other artists. For example, in 1959, he played saxophone on Willie Dixon's first album, called Willie's Blues.
Life and Music
Harold Ashby spent many years playing with the Duke Ellington Orchestra. This was a very important part of his career. After Duke Ellington passed away in 1974, Harold Ashby left the band in 1975.
After that, he continued to play music on his own. He also joined up with other musicians who had played with Duke Ellington. They would often perform together, celebrating the music they had made. Harold Ashby also recorded his own albums and played concerts with his own groups.
Sadly, Harold Ashby had a heart attack in May 2003. He was in the hospital for a while. He passed away on June 13, 2003, at the age of 78.
His Albums
Harold Ashby recorded many albums during his career. Here are some of the albums where he was the main musician:
As the main artist
- Born to Swing: Introducing The Compulsive Tenor Saxophone of Harold Ashby (1960)
- Tenor Stuff with Paul Gonsalves (1961)
- Scufflin' (1978)
- Presenting Harold Ashby (1981)
- I'm Old Fashioned (1991)
- What Am I Here For? with Mulgrew Miller, Rufus Reid, Ben Riley (1992)
- On the Sunny Side of the Street (1992)
- Out of Nowhere with Wild Bill Davis (1993)
- Just for You
Harold Ashby also played on albums for many other musicians. When he played with others, he was called a "sideman." This means he was part of their band for that recording.
