Harold Ashby (March 27, 1925, in Kansas City, Missouri, United States – June 13, 2003, in New York City)[1] was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. He worked with Duke Ellington's band, replacing Jimmy Hamilton in 1968.[2] In 1959, he recorded backing Willie Dixon on the latter's first album, Willie's Blues.[3]
After leaving the Duke Ellington Orchestra in 1975, Ashby worked as a freelance musician and took part in various reunions of Ellington alumni, as well as recording and gigging with his own bands.[4]
Ashby suffered a heart attack in May 2003, and was hospitalized before dying at the age of 78, on June 13 that year.[1]
Discography
editAs leader
edit- Born to Swing: Introducing The Compulsive Tenor Saxophone of Harold Ashby (Columbia, 1960)
- Tenor Stuff with Paul Gonsalves (Metronome, 1961)
- Scufflin' (Black and Blue, 1978)
- Presenting Harold Ashby (Progressive, 1981)
- I'm Old Fashioned (Stash, 1991)
- What Am I Here For? with Mulgrew Miller, Rufus Reid, Ben Riley (Criss Cross, 1992)
- On the Sunny Side of the Street (Timeless, 1992)
- Out of Nowhere with Wild Bill Davis (Black and Blue, 1993)
- Just for You (Mapleshade)
As sideman
edit- Eugenie Baird, Eugenie Baird Sings, Duke's Boys Play Ellington (Stereo Spectrum, Design 1959)
- Lawrence Brown, Inspired Abandon (Impulse!, 1965)
- Benny Golson, Tenor Legacy (Arkadia Jazz, 1998)
- Scott Hamilton, Skyscrapers (Concord Jazz, 1980)
- Earl Hines, Once Upon a Time (Impulse!, 1966)
- Milt Hinton, Laughing at Life (Columbia, 1994)
- Butch Miles, Butch's Encore (Famous Door, 1979)
- Otis Rush, This One's a Good 'Un (Blue Horizon, 1969)
- Bennie Wallace, The Art of the Saxophone (Denon, 1987)
- Ben Webster, The Soul of Ben Webster (Verve, 1960)
References
edit- ^ a b "Harold Ashby Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
- ^ "Bio: Harold Ashby". Downbeat. Archived from the original on February 5, 2012. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
- ^ "Willie's Blues - Willie Dixon, Memphis Slim | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
- ^ Cook, Richard (2005). Richard Cook's Jazz Encyclopedia. London, UK: Penguin Books. p. 22. ISBN 0-141-00646-3.
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