Paul Chambers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Paul Chambers
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Paul Laurence Dunbar Chambers Jr. |
| Born | April 22, 1935 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | January 4, 1969 (aged 33) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz, modal jazz, bebop, hard bop |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer |
| Instruments | Double bass |
| Years active | 1954–1969 |
| Labels | Blue Note Records, Prestige Records, Verve Records, Riverside Records |
| Associated acts | Miles Davis Quintet, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Kenny Burrell, Red Garland, Lee Morgan, Sonny Clark, Benny Golson, Milt Jackson, Wynton Kelly, Hank Mobley, Art Pepper, Sonny Rollins, Kai Winding, Bud Powell, Wes Montgomery, Nat Adderley, Oliver Nelson, Jackie McLean, J.J. Johnson, Joe Henderson, Johnny Griffin, Curtis Fuller, Gil Evans, Kenny Dorham, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Philly Joe Jones, Thelonious Monk, Clifford Jordan, Kenny Drew, Freddie Hubbard |
Paul Laurence Dunbar Chambers Jr. (born April 22, 1935 – died January 4, 1969) was an American jazz musician. He was famous for playing the double bass. Paul Chambers was a very important part of many jazz bands in the 1950s and 1960s. He became one of the most well-known jazz bass players from the hard bop era. He was also known for playing solos with a bow on his bass. Chambers released about a dozen albums as a leader. He also played on over 100 other albums with different musicians. He was a key member of trumpeter Miles Davis's "first great quintet" from 1955 to 1963. He also played a lot with pianist Wynton Kelly from 1963 to 1968.
Contents
Early Life and Musical Start
Paul Chambers was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on April 22, 1935. His parents were Paul Lawrence Chambers and Margaret Echos. After his mother passed away, he grew up in Detroit, Michigan. He started playing music with friends from school. His first instrument was the baritone horn. Later, he began playing the tuba.
Learning the Double Bass
Around 1949, Paul Chambers switched to the double bass. He started taking private lessons in 1952. His teacher was a bass player from the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Chambers also played some classical music. He was part of a group called the Detroit String Band. He studied at Cass Technical High School from 1952 to 1955. There, he played in the school's symphony and other student groups. In one group, he even played the baritone saxophone.
When he moved to New York City, he already knew how to play many instruments. This was thanks to an invitation from tenor saxophonist Paul Quinichette.
Bass Playing Style
For a long time, jazz bass players mostly just kept time with the drums. This changed in the late 1930s with Duke Ellington's bassist Jimmy Blanton. Paul Chambers was about 15 years old when he started listening to jazz. His first jazz heroes were Charlie Parker and Bud Powell.
The first bassists he looked up to were Oscar Pettiford and Ray Brown. Later, he admired Percy Heath, Milt Hinton, and Wendell Marshall. He liked them for their great work in the rhythm section. He also admired Charles Mingus and George Duvivier. He liked their amazing skills and how they made the jazz bass more important. Jimmy Blanton was his favorite bass player of all time.
Famous Performances
From 1954 to 1955, Paul Chambers toured with many musicians. These included Bennie Green, Paul Quinichette, George Wallington, J. J. Johnson, and Kai Winding. In 1955, he joined the famous Miles Davis quintet. The next year, he won the "New Star Award" from DownBeat magazine.
Chambers stayed with Miles Davis's group until 1963. He played on many classic albums, like Kind of Blue. One of his most famous performances is on the first song of that album, "So What". This song starts with a short duet between Chambers and pianist Bill Evans. From 1963 to 1968, Chambers played with Wynton Kelly's trio. He also often played as a sideman for many other artists throughout his career.
Later Life and Legacy
Paul Chambers was hospitalized at the end of 1968. Doctors first thought he had a bad case of the flu. However, tests showed he had tuberculosis. His body's organs began to fail. Chambers then fell into a coma for 18 days. He passed away on January 4, 1969, at the age of 33.
Influence on Jazz Music
Paul Chambers was the bassist in two very important rhythm sections. The first was with Red Garland on piano and Philly Joe Jones on drums. This group became known as "the rhythm section." They were featured on a famous album by saxophonist Art Pepper, called Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section.
The second rhythm section was with Wynton Kelly and Jimmy Cobb. This group played together on many recordings. They made albums with John Coltrane and Wes Montgomery. They also recorded albums under Kelly's name, like Kelly Blue.
Paul Chambers was a very popular session musician. He played on many albums during his career. These include important albums like Thelonious Monk's Brilliant Corners, Coltrane's Giant Steps, and Oliver Nelson's The Blues and the Abstract Truth.
Many musicians wrote songs to honor Chambers. Red Garland wrote "The P.C. Blues." John Coltrane's song "Mr. P.C." is named after Chambers. Tommy Flanagan wrote "Big Paul," which was played on a 1958 album by Kenny Burrell and John Coltrane. Max Roach wrote a drum solo called "Five For Paul." Sonny Rollins also wrote "Paul's Pal" for him. In alternative rock, Barenaked Ladies bass player Jim Creeggan wrote "Paul Chambers" for their 2021 album Detour de Force.
Fellow bassist Charlie Haden once said how much he admired Chambers:
"The first guy who was really special to me was Paul Chambers. I heard him on all those Prestige and Riverside records. He was an amazing player! He had a way of playing notes in his bass lines that was just unreal. He would go up high, then skip down, connecting it all. He had a great sound and perfect timing."
Discography
- Chambers' Music (1956)
- Whims Of Chambers (1957)
- Bass on Top (1957)
- Paul Chambers Quintet (1958)
- We Three (1959) with Roy Haynes and Phineas Newborn Jr.
- Go (1959)
- 1st Bassman (1960)
Images for kids
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Paul Chambers playing his double bass.
See also
In Spanish: Paul Chambers (músico) para niños
