Henry Grimes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Henry Grimes
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Grimes in 2005
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Henry Alonzo Grimes |
| Born | November 3, 1935 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US |
| Died | April 15, 2020 (aged 84) New York City, US |
| Genres | Jazz, avant-garde |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer |
| Instruments | Double bass, violin |
| Years active | Mid-1950s–1969, 2003–2020 |
| Labels | Atlantic, Ayler, Blue Note, Columbia, ESP-Disk, ILK Music, Impulse!, JazzNewYork Productions, Pi Recordings, Porter, Prestige, Riverside, Verve |
Henry Grimes (November 3, 1935 – April 15, 2020) was an American jazz musician. He was famous for playing the double bass and the violin. Henry Grimes was a very important player in free jazz. He disappeared from the music world for over 30 years. But he was found in 2002 and started playing music again!
Contents
About Henry Grimes
Early Life and Music
Henry Alonzo Grimes was born in Philadelphia. His parents were musicians. He started playing the violin at age 12. Later, he learned to play the tuba and English horn. He also played drums. Finally, he chose the double bass in high school. He studied music at Juilliard. By the mid-1950s, he was known as a very skilled bassist.
Grimes played with many famous musicians. These included saxophonists Gerry Mulligan and Sonny Rollins. He also played with pianists Thelonious Monk and McCoy Tyner. He performed with singer Anita O'Day and clarinetist Benny Goodman. In 1958, he was featured in a film called Jazz on a Summer's Day. This film was about the Newport Jazz Festival. Henry was only 22 years old. He played with six different groups at the festival. A newspaper critic even called him one of the festival's main players.
Henry became interested in free jazz. This was a new style of jazz music. He played with many important free jazz artists. These included pianist Cecil Taylor and trumpeter Don Cherry. He also played with saxophonists Pharoah Sanders and Albert Ayler. In 1966, he released his own album called The Call.
Disappearance and Amazing Return
In the late 1960s, Henry Grimes moved to California. After this, he stopped playing music. Many people thought he had died. His name was even listed as "deceased" in some jazz books.
But in 2002, a jazz fan named Marshall Marrotte found him. Henry was alive but had very little money. He did not even have a bass to play. He was living in Los Angeles and writing poetry. He was very happy to play music again.
News of his return spread quickly. Other musicians and fans helped him. A bassist named William Parker gave him a new bass. It was nicknamed "Olive Oil" because of its green color. Others helped him travel and arrange concerts. His return was even featured in The New York Times.
Henry Grimes started playing music again with great energy. In 2003, he performed at over 24 music festivals. He was welcomed back as a hero. He also began teaching music lessons. He recorded new music after more than 35 years. He played with musicians like David Murray and Marc Ribot. In 2007, he published a book of his poetry called Signs Along the Road.
After 2003, Henry Grimes played many concerts. He toured in the United States, Canada, and 30 other countries. He played with many famous musicians again. These included Cecil Taylor, whom he had not played with for 40 years.
In 2011, he performed in a special art show. It was a re-creation of a 1960s art piece called Black Zero. Henry played music during this show. Between 2003 and 2016, he played over 640 concerts.
Later Years and Passing
In his later years, Henry Grimes also taught at many colleges. He gave workshops for bass players. He released new recordings. He even started playing the violin professionally at age 70. This was at Lincoln Center. He received many awards for his music. He can be heard on almost 90 recordings.
On June 7, 2016, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award. This was from the Arts for Art/Vision Festival. He stopped performing in 2018. This was due to a serious illness.
Henry Grimes died on April 15, 2020. He was 84 years old. He passed away from complications of COVID-19. His wife confirmed the date and cause of his death.
Discography
As a leader or co-leader
- 1966: The Call (ESP-Disk)
- 2005: Live at the Kerava Jazz Festival (Ayler Records)
- 2007: The Power of Light (Not Two)
- 2008: Going to the Ritual (with Rashied Ali, Porter Records)
- 2009: Opus de Life (with Paul Dunmall and Andrew Cyrille as the Profound Sound Trio, Porter Records)
- 2009: Solo (ILK Music)
- 2010: Spirits Aloft (with Rashied Ali, Porter Records)
- 2014: The Tone of Wonder (solo, doublebass and violin, Uncool Edition)
Books
- Henry Grimes, Signs Along the Road (buddy's knife jazzedition, 2007)
See also
In Spanish: Henry Grimes para niños
