Jymie Merritt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jymie Merritt
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Merritt in 2008 at the annual Don Redman Heritage Awards, Harper's Ferry, West Virginia
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| Background information | |
| Born | May 3, 1926 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Died | April 10, 2020 (aged 93) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Instrumentalist, bandleader, composer |
| Instruments | Double bass, electric bass |
| Associated acts | Jazz Messengers |
Jymie Merritt (born May 3, 1926 – died April 10, 2020) was an American jazz musician. He was a talented double-bassist, a pioneer of the electric bass, a band leader, and a composer.
Jymie Merritt was a key member of Art Blakey's famous Jazz Messengers group from 1957 to 1962. After leaving Blakey's band, Merritt started his own group called The Forerunners. He led this band on and off until he passed away in 2020. Merritt also played with many other well-known blues and jazz artists like B.B. King, Chet Baker, Max Roach, and Dizzy Gillespie.
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Early Life and Musical Start
Jymie Merritt, born James Raleigh Merritt, grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His mother, Agnes Merritt, was a choral director and taught voice and piano. His father, Raleigh Howard Merritt, was a businessman and writer.
After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II from 1944 to 1946, Jymie returned home. He was inspired to play the bass after hearing a Duke Ellington recording that featured bassist Jimmy Blanton. His mother encouraged him, and he studied with Carl Torello, a double bassist for the Philadelphia Orchestra. He also attended the Ornstein School of Music in Philadelphia.
A Career in Jazz and Blues
Jymie Merritt played many types of music, including jazz, R&B, and blues. In the early 1950s, he toured with rock and roll musicians like Bull Moose Jackson. He then worked with the famous bluesman B.B. King from 1955 to 1957.
Joining the Jazz Messengers
In 1957, Merritt moved to New York City. There, he joined Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. This group included his friends Benny Golson, Bobby Timmons, and Lee Morgan. Merritt toured and recorded with Blakey until 1962. He had to stop touring due to an illness.
Working with Jazz Legends
By 1964, Merritt was back to playing music. He worked with trumpeter and singer Chet Baker. Merritt is featured in Baker's autobiography, As Though I Had Wings.
From 1965 to 1968, Merritt played with drummer and composer Max Roach. He not only played bass but also composed music for Roach's band. His song "Nommo" was recorded on Roach's album Drums Unlimited (1966). This song earned Merritt a nomination for Best Jazz Composer in DownBeat magazine.
In the late 1960s, Merritt left Max Roach to work with trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie. He even appeared with Gillespie's band on The Dick Cavett Show, a popular TV show.
One of Jymie Merritt's best moments as a composer came when he reunited with his former Jazz Messenger bandmate, the talented trumpeter Lee Morgan. Morgan's album Live at the Lighthouse (1970) featured Merritt's song "Absolutions."
The Forerunners Band
In 1962, Jymie Merritt started his own band in Philadelphia called the Forerunners. This group became a music cooperative. They explored Merritt's unique ideas about music, including special ways of using chords and harmonies. They even developed their own musical system, known as the Forerunner concept. One of their big compositions was "Visions of the Ghost Dance."
Some of the first members of The Forerunners included Odean Pope, Kenny Lowe, and Donald Bailey. This group played regularly in Philadelphia for five years. Merritt continued to rehearse and perform with The Forerunners even as he approached his 90th birthday. Many members had been with the band since it started.
Pioneer of the Electric Bass
Jymie Merritt was one of the first jazz musicians to regularly play the electric bass. He joined the Bull Moose Jackson band in 1949 and quickly started using an Ampeg bass, which was a mix of an acoustic and electric instrument.
Merritt remembered buying his first Fender bass: "I had been playing electric bass since about my first year with the Bull Moose band. We were in Oklahoma when Benny Golson saw a Western band with a musician playing something that looked like a guitar but sounded like a bass. Benny showed it to me, and we later saw one in a music store. I tried a Fender electric bass and took it to work that night. I had been having trouble with my own bass, so I was looking for a new one. I bought the Fender and played it for the next seven years. I think I was the only one in jazz playing an electric bass at that time."
Awards and Honors
Jymie Merritt received several awards for his contributions to jazz music:
- In November 2013, he received the Living Legend, Jazz Award from the Clef Club of Philadelphia, along with fellow bassist Reggie Workman.
- At the 2009 Philadelphia Jazz Fair, he and jazz organist Trudy Pitts were honored with the Jazz Heritage Award.
- In June 2008, Merritt received the Don Redman Heritage Award. This award recognized his important role in jazz.
Personal Life
Jymie Merritt was married to Dorothy Viola Small (who passed away in 2008). They had five children:
- Mharlyn Merritt, a writer and singer.
- Marlon Merritt, a talented guitarist.
- Martyn Merritt (deceased), a classical pianist.
- Marvon Merritt, a percussionist and drummer.
- Mike Merritt, a well-known bassist who has played with many famous musicians like B.B. King. Mike is best known as the bassist for the Basic Cable Band on Conan O'Brien's TV talk show.
In 2005, Mike and his sister Mharlyn produced a CD called "Alone Together." It featured Marlon on guitar and other great musicians.
Jymie Merritt also had a younger brother, LeRoy Merritt, who was an artist.
Jymie Merritt lived in Center City, Philadelphia, with his wife Ave and his cat Jazzie. He passed away on April 10, 2020, at the age of 93, from liver cancer.
Discography
As a Sideman
With Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers
- Moanin' (1958)
- At the Jazz Corner of the World (1959)
- The Big Beat (1960)
- A Night In Tunisia (1960)
- Mosaic (1961)
- Three Blind Mice (1962)
With Chet Baker
- The Most Important Jazz Album of 1964/65 (1964)
With Lee Morgan
- Live at the Lighthouse (1969)
With Max Roach
- Drums Unlimited (1965)
