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Paul Chambers
Biography&
Bibliography
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Paul Chambers (Paul Laurence Dunbar Chambers Jr.)
geboren: 22. April 1935,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania/USA
gestorben: 4. Januar 1969, New York, New York/USA
Paul Chambers lernte Baritonhorn
und Tuba und wechselte mit 14, nachdem die Familie nach Detroit gezogen war,
zum Kontrabass. In der Motor City spielte er bald mit dort ansässigen
Musikern wie Thad Jones, Barry Harris, Kenny Burrell oder Yusef Lateef. Mit
Paul Quinichette kam er 1955 nach New York, trat in allen wichtigen modernen
Clubs der Stadt auf, spielte mit Sonny Stitt, J.J. Johnson, George Wallington
und wurde im selben Jahr Bassist im gefeierten Miles Davis Quintet. Er blieb
bis Anfang 1963 in Davis' Band, wirkte nebenher bei Aufnahmen anderer Jazzgrößen
wie John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Sonny Rollins, Lee Morgan, Bud Powell,
Kenny Dorham oder Jay (Jay Johnson) & Kai (Winding) mit. 1964/65 arbeitete
er zusammen mit Wynton Kelly und Jimmy Cobb, seinen alten Davis-Kollegen als
Trio, das unter anderem Platten mit Wes Montgomery einspielte. Seine Heroinsucht
aber führte über die Jahre zu größeren gesundheitlichen
Problemen, so dass er mit nicht einmal 34 Jahren früh verstarb. Chambers
war ein hervorragender Bassist, ein Begleiter im Stil des Bebop, der handfeste
Walking-Bass-Lines unter die Soli seiner Mitmusiker legte und ihnen damit
die Sicherheit für ihre Improvisationen gab. [Wolfram Knauer]
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Paul Chambers (Paul Laurence Dunbar Chambers Jr.)
born: 22. April 1935,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania/USA
died: 4. January 1969, New York, New York/USA
Paul Chambers learned
baritone horn and tuba, and took up the bass at age 14, after his family had
moved to Detroit. In the motor city he soon played with local musicians such
as Thad Jones, Barry Harris, Kenny Burrell or Yusefr Lateef. Paul Quinichette
brought him to New York in 1955. He soon played in all the important modern
clubs, appeared with Sonny Stitt, J.J. Johnson, George Wallington and in the
same year became bassist in the celebrated quintet of trumpeter Miles Davis.
He stayed with Miles until early 1963, at the same time participating in recording
sessions with other jazz greats such as John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley,
Sonny Rollins, Lee Morgan, Bud Powell, Kenny Dorham oder Jay (Jay Johnson)
& Kai (Winding). In 1964/65 together with Wynton Kelly and Jimmy Cobb,
his former Davis colleagues, Chambers formed a trio which accompanied Wes
Montgomery. His heroin addiction was cause for health problems and in the
end for his death a the young age of not even 34. Chambers was an excellent
bass player, an accompanist in the style of bebop who provided clear walking
bass lines under the solos of his colleagues and thus gave them the safety
for their improvisations. [Wolfram Knauer]
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Jazz Index: Paul Chambers
The following bibliographical
information relates to periodicals and books present in the archive of the Jazz-Institut
Darmstadt. Our extensive periodical collection comprises 1.000 periodicals,
more than 60.000 single issues. About 50% of the collection have been indexed.
Following the more recent
entries you'll find abbreviations which will give you a clue about the nature
in the respective articles. The abbreviations are:
| (A)
= analytical remarks
(B) = extensive book review
(BT) = blindfold test
(C) = concert review
(D) = discography
(F) = feature article |
(I)
= interview
("I") = article written by the respective musician himself
(O) = obituary
(R) = extensive record review
(T) = transcription
[vert.file] = xerox copy archived at Jazzinstitut Darmstadt
[digi.file] = digital copy archived at Jazzinstitut Darmstadt |
The Jazz Index on
this page has been compiled and updated 19. May 2004 by Wolfram Knauer
Encyclopedia entries:
- Leonard Feather: The
New Yearbook of Jazz, New York 1958
- Leonard Feather: The
Encyclopedia of Jazz, New York 1960
- Ian Carr, Digby Fairweather,
Brian Priestley: Jazz. The Essential Companion, London 1987
- Barry Kernfeld (ed.):
New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, London 1988
- Martin Kunzler (ed.):
ro-ro-ro Jazz-Lexikon, Reinbek bei Hamburg 1988
- Philippe Carles, André
Clergeat, Jean-Louis Comolli: Dictionnaire du Jazz, Paris 1988
- Carlo Bohländer,
Karl Heinz Holler, Christian Pfarr: Reclams Jazzführer, Stuttgart 1989
- Philippe Carles, André
Clergeat, Jean-Louis Comolli: Dictionnaire du Jazz, Paris 4/1995
- Ian Carr & Digby
Fairweather & Brian Priestley: Jazz Rough Guide, Stuttgart 1999
- Steve Holtje & Nancy
Ann Lee (eds.): MusicHound Jazz. The Essential Album Guide, Detroit/MI 1999
- Leonard Feather &
Ira Gitler: The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz, New York 1999
- Barry Kernfeld (ed.):
New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, London 2001
1956:
- Nat Hentoff: Paul Chambers,
in: Jazz Hot, #109 (Apr.1956), p. 14-15 (F/I)
- Jack Maher: Paul Chambers
- "Chambers' Music" (Jazz West), in: Jazz Today, 1/5 (Dec.1956), p. 34 (R)
1957:
- Leonard Feather: ...
présente deux numéros un de demain. Paul Chambers qui es devenu
bassiste parce que son tuba était trop lourd, in: Jazz Magazine, #26
(Apr.1957), p. 16 (F)
- Leonard Feather: Blindfold
Test. Chambers' Music, in: Down Beat, 24/13 (27.Jun.1957), p. 33 (BT)
1958:
- Leonard Feather: Paul
Chambers Joins the Giants of Jazz, in: Melody Maker, 31.May 1958, p. 15
1960:
- B. Gardner: Paul Chambers.
Young Old Man of Jazz, in: Melody Maker, 27/15 (1960), p. 31
- Ira Gitler: Paul Chambers
- "Go" (Vee Jay), in: Down Beat, 27/5 (3.Mar.1960), p. 31 (R)
- Barbara Gardner: Paul
Chambers. Youngest Old Man in Jazz, in: Down Beat, 27/15 (21.Jul.1960), p.
31 (F/I)
- Pete Welding: Paul Chambers
- "Chambers Jazz. A Jazz Delegation from the East" (Score), in: Down Beat,
27/22 (27.Oct.1960), p. 44 (R)
- Michel Gaudry: Notes
sur Paul Chambers, in: Jazz Hot, #159 (Nov.1960), p. 20-21 (F)
- John A. Tynan: Paul Chambers
- "1st Bassman" (Vee Jay), in: Down Beat, 27/25 (8.Dec.1960), p. 41 (R)
1965:
- NN: Potpourri: Paul Chambers
operated in New York, in: Down Beat, 32/26 (16.Dec.1965), p. 13 (N)
1969:
- D.C. Hunt: A Case for
Mr. P.C., in: Jazz & Pop, 8/6 (1969), p. 14-15
- J. Renaud: Paul Chambers
1935-1969, in: Jazz Hot, 35/248 (1969), p. 32-35
- J.M.: Mort de Chambers,
in: Jazz Magazine, #163 (1969), p. 19-20 (F/O)
- Bob Dawbarn: A Victim
of Jazz fashion, in: Melody Maker, 25.Jan.1969, p. 8
- NN: Bassist Chambers
Dies in New York, in: Melody Maker, 25.Jan.1969, p. 3
- NN: Final Bar. Paul Chambers,
in: Down Beat, 36/4 (20.Feb.1969), p. 13-14 (F/O)
- Mark Gardner: Blues for
Mr. P.C. Paul Chambers, in: Jazz Journal, 22/4 (Apr.1969), p. 5 (F/O)
- NN: Closing Chord. Paul
Chambers, in: International Musician, 67/10 (Apr.1969), p. 22 (O)
1989:
- Derek Ansell: Paul Chambers.
Derek Ansell Focusses on the Bassist's Underrated Work as Leader, in: Jazz
Journal, 42/12 (Dec.1989), p. 14-15 (F)
1992:
- David H. Rosenthal: Hard
Bop. Jazz & Black Music 1955-1965, New York 1992 [book], passim (F)
- Brian Priestley: Unsung/Undersung.
Paul Chambers, in: The Wire, #100 (Jun.1992), p. 69 (F)
1995:
- Thomas Owens: Bassists.
Paul Chambers, in: Thomas Owens: Bebop. The Music and the Players, New York
1995 [book], p. 174-175 (A/T)
1998:
- Peter Pettinger: Bill
Evans. How My Heart Sings, New Haven 1998 [book: Yale University Press], passim
(F)
1999:
- Philippe Carles &
Jérôme Plasserauf: Paul Chambers par Charlie Haden, in: Jazz
Magazine, #498 (Nov.1999), p. 22 (F/I with Charlie Haden)
2001:
- Harvey Pekar: "The Complete
Vee Jay Paul Chambers-Wynton Kelly Session" (Mosaic), in: Jazz Times, 31/6
(Aug.2001), p. 121-122 (R)
2002:
- Ashley Kahn: A Love Supreme.
The Story of John Coltrane's Signature Album, New York 2002 [book: Viking],
passim (F)
- Frederick J. Spencer:
Jazz and Death. Medical Profiles of Jazz Greats, Jackson/MS 2002 [book: University
of Mississippi Press], p. 242 (short F: cause of death)
2004:
- Nate Chinen: Paul Chambers
- "Mosaic Select" (Mosaic), in: Jazz Times, 34/3 (Apr.2004), p.
84, 86 (R)
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The Jazz Index on
this page has been compiled and updated 19. May 2004 by Wolfram Knauer
