Israel Crosby

Israel Crosby (19 January 1919–11 August 1962) was an African-American jazz double-bassist born in Chicago, Illinois, best known as member of the Ahmad Jamal trio from 1957-1962. A close contemporary to Jimmy Blanton, Crosby is less considered as a pioneer, but his interactive playing in Jamal's trio and Shearing's trio shows how easily and fluently he displayed a modern approach to jazz double bass. He is credited with taking the first recorded bass solo on his 1935 recording of 'Blues for Israel' with drummer Gene Krupa (Prestige PR 7644) when he was only 16. He died of a heart attack two months after joining the George Shearing Quintet.^[1]

Discography

As sideman

With Ahmad Jamal

• Ahmad's Blues (1951, 1955)
• Chamber Music of the New Jazz (1955)
• Count 'Em 88-The Ahmad Jamal Trio (1956) Argo
• At the Pershing: But Not for Me (1958)
• Live at The Pershing & The Spotlight Club (1958)
• Portfolio of Ahmad Jamal (1958)
• Moonlight in Vermont (1958)
• Happy Moods (1960) Argo
• All of You (1961, Argo)
• Alhambra (1961, Argo, with Crosby, Fournier)
• Cross Country Tour 1958-1961 (1962)
• Poinciana (1963)
• Extensions (1965)
• Heat Wave (1966)
• Standard Eyes (1967)

With others

• Albert Ammons: 1936-1939 (Classics)
• Charlie Christian: Solo Flight (Topaz, 1939-1941)
• Vic Dickenson: Breaks, Blues and Boogie (Topaz, 1941-1946)
• Roy Eldridge: 1943-1944 (Classics), The Big Sound of Little Jazz (Topaz, 1935-41)
• Edmond Hall: 1936-1944 (Classics)
• Coleman Hawkins: The Complete Coleman Hawkins (Mercury, 1944), Rainbow Mist (Delmark, 1944), Verve Jazz Masters 34 (Verve, 1944-62)
• Fletcher Henderson: 1934-1937 (Classics)
• Horace Henderson: 1940 (Classics)
• Gene Krupa: 1935-1938 (Classics)
• Meade Lux Lewis: Boogie And Blues (Topaz, 1936-1941)
• Jess Stacy: 1935-1939 (Classics)
• Earl Washingto: (Classics) (Workshop - Motown Imprint, 1962)
• George Shearing: Jazz Moments (Capitol, 1962) (Blue Note as of 2008)

References