Lonnie Plaxico facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lonnie Plaxico
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Lonnie Luvell Plaxico |
| Born | September 4, 1960 Chicago, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Double bass |
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Labels | Muse |
Lonnie Plaxico (born September 4, 1960) is a talented American jazz musician. He is famous for playing the double bass, which is a large string instrument.
Contents
About Lonnie Plaxico
Lonnie Plaxico was born in Chicago, a big city in the U.S. His family loved music, so it was natural for him to start playing instruments at a young age. He began playing the bass when he was just twelve years old. By the time he was fourteen, he was already playing music professionally, using both the double bass and the bass guitar.
When Lonnie was twenty, he moved to New York City. This is a famous place for musicians! There, he got to play with many well-known jazz artists like Chet Baker, Dexter Gordon, and Hank Jones. In 1978, he even won a special award called the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award.
His Early Career
Lonnie Plaxico first became widely known in 1982 when he played with the Wynton Marsalis group. Soon after, from 1983 to 1986, he joined a famous band called Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. With this group, he helped record twelve different albums!
In the mid-1980s, Lonnie also became part of a group of musicians called the M-Base collective. He played on the first albums of artists like Steve Coleman, Cassandra Wilson, and Greg Osby. He worked with Cassandra Wilson a lot, becoming the musical director and main bassist for her touring band for over 15 years.
Playing with Other Greats
In 1986, another famous drummer, Jack DeJohnette, started his Special Edition band again. Lonnie Plaxico joined this group as the bassist. They made three albums together and played music until 1993.
Lonnie Plaxico has played and recorded music with many other amazing artists over the years. Some of these include Dizzy Gillespie, Alice Coltrane, Joe Sample, Abbey Lincoln, and Ravi Coltrane. He has truly played with a wide range of jazz legends!
Lonnie's Music Albums
Lonnie Plaxico has released many albums as the main artist, which means he was the leader of the band. He has also played on many albums as a sideman, supporting other musicians.
Albums as the Leader
- 1989: Plaxico
- 1990: Iridescence
- 1992: Short Takes
- 1993: With All Your Heart
- 2000: Emergence
- 2001: Mélange
- 2002: Live at the 5:01 Jazz Bar
- 2003: Rhythm and Soul
- 2004: Live at Jazz Standard
- 2006: So Alive
- 2006: West Side Stories
- 2007: Live at the Zinc Bar NYC
- 2009: Ancestral Devotion
Albums as a Sideman
Lonnie Plaxico has played on many albums with other artists. Here are some of the main groups and musicians he has worked with:
- With Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers: He played on albums like New York Scene and Blue Night.
- With Cindy Blackman: Code Red
- With Cecil Brooks III: The Collective
- With Steve Coleman: Motherland Pulse
- With Ravi Coltrane: Moving Pictures
- With Dizzy Gillespie: New Faces
- With Cassandra Wilson: He played on many of her albums, including Point of View, Blue Skies, and Traveling Miles.
- With Greg Osby: Greg Osby and Sound Theatre and Mindgames
- With Jack DeJohnette's Special Edition: Irresistible Forces and Audio-Visualscapes
- With Don Byron: Tuskegee Experiments
- With Barbara Dennerlein: Take Off!
- With Jason Moran: Soundtrack to Human Motion
