Leroy Vinnegar
Encyclopedia
Leroy Vinnegar was an American
jazz
bassist
.
Born in Indianapolis
, the self-taught Vinnegar established his reputation in Los Angeles
during the 1950s and 1960s. His trademark was the rhythmic "walking" bass line, a steady series of ascending or descending notes, and it brought him the nickname "The Walker". Besides his jazz work, he also appeared on a number of soundtracks and pop albums, notably Van Morrison
's 1972 album, Saint Dominic's Preview
.
He recorded extensively as both a leader and sideman
. He came to public attention in the 1950s as a result of recording with Lee Konitz
, André Previn
, Stan Getz
, Shorty Rogers
, Chet Baker
, Shelly Manne
, Joe Castro
and Serge Chaloff
. He played bass on Previn and Manne's My Fair Lady album, one of the most successful jazz
records ever produced. He also performed on another of jazz's biggest hit albums, Eddie Harris
and Les McCann
's Swiss Movement
, released in 1969.
He moved to Portland
, Oregon
in 1986. In 1995, the Oregon State Legislature
honored him by proclaiming May 1 Leroy Vinnegar Day.
Vinnegar died from a heart attack
, at the age of 71, on August 3, 1999, in a hospital in Portland.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
bassist
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
.
Born in Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, the self-taught Vinnegar established his reputation in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
during the 1950s and 1960s. His trademark was the rhythmic "walking" bass line, a steady series of ascending or descending notes, and it brought him the nickname "The Walker". Besides his jazz work, he also appeared on a number of soundtracks and pop albums, notably Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
's 1972 album, Saint Dominic's Preview
Saint Dominic's Preview
Saint Dominic's Preview is the sixth solo album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. It was released in July 1972 by Warner Bros. Records...
.
He recorded extensively as both a leader and sideman
Sideman
A sideman is a professional musician who is hired to perform or record with a group of which he or she is not a regular member. They often tour with solo acts as well as bands and jazz ensembles. Sidemen are generally required to be adaptable to many different styles of music, and so able to fit...
. He came to public attention in the 1950s as a result of recording with Lee Konitz
Lee Konitz
Lee Konitz is an American jazz composer and alto saxophonist born in Chicago, Illinois.Generally considered one of the driving forces of Cool Jazz, Konitz has also performed successfully in bebop and avant-garde settings...
, André Previn
André Previn
André George Previn, KBE is an American pianist, conductor, and composer. He is considered one of the most versatile musicians in the world, and is the winner of four Academy Awards for his film work and ten Grammy Awards for his recordings. -Early Life:Previn was born in...
, Stan Getz
Stan Getz
Stanley Getz was an American jazz saxophone player. Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, his prime influence being the wispy, mellow timbre of his idol, Lester Young. Coming to prominence in the late 1940s with Woody Herman's big band, Getz is described by critic Scott...
, Shorty Rogers
Shorty Rogers
Milton “Shorty” Rogers , born Milton Rajonsky in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, was one of the principal creators of West Coast jazz. He played both the trumpet and flugelhorn, and was in demand for his skills as an arranger. Rogers worked first as a professional musician with Will Bradley and...
, Chet Baker
Chet Baker
Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker, Jr. was an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist and singer.Though his music earned him a large following , Baker's popularity was due in part to his "matinee idol-beauty" and "well-publicized drug habit."He died in 1988 in Amsterdam, the...
, Shelly Manne
Shelly Manne
Shelly Manne , born Sheldon Manne in New York City, was an American jazz drummer. Most frequently associated with West Coast jazz, he was known for his versatility and also played in a number of other styles, including Dixieland, swing, bebop, avant-garde jazz and fusion, as well as contributing...
, Joe Castro
Joe Castro (musician)
Joe Castro was an American bebop jazz pianist, based primarily on the West Coast of the United States.-Biography:...
and Serge Chaloff
Serge Chaloff
Serge Chaloff was an American jazz baritone saxophonist.The son of noted Boston piano teachers, Margaret and Julius Chaloff, he was among the few major jazz performers on his instrument. Until Chaloff the only prominent baritone player in jazz was Harry Carney of the Duke Ellington Orchestra...
. He played bass on Previn and Manne's My Fair Lady album, one of the most successful jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
records ever produced. He also performed on another of jazz's biggest hit albums, Eddie Harris
Eddie Harris
Eddie Harris was an American jazz musician, best known for playing tenor saxophone and for introducing the electrically amplified saxophone. He was also fluent on the electric piano and organ...
and Les McCann
Les McCann
Les McCann is an American soul jazz piano player and vocalist whose biggest successes came as a crossover artist into R&B and soul.-Biography:...
's Swiss Movement
Swiss Movement
Swiss Movement is a live jazz album recorded on June 21, 1969 at The Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland by the Les McCann trio, Eddie Harris, and Benny Bailey.The song "Compared to What" became a pop music hit.-Track listing:...
, released in 1969.
He moved to Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
in 1986. In 1995, the Oregon State Legislature
Oregon Legislative Assembly
The Oregon Legislative Assembly is the state legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. The Legislative Assembly is bicameral, consisting of an upper and lower house: the Senate, whose 30 members are elected to serve four-year terms; and the House of Representatives, with 60 members elected to...
honored him by proclaiming May 1 Leroy Vinnegar Day.
Vinnegar died from a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
, at the age of 71, on August 3, 1999, in a hospital in Portland.
As leader
- Leroy Walks! (1957; Original Jazz ClassicsOriginal Jazz ClassicsOriginal Jazz Classics was started in 1983 as an imprint of Fantasy Records. Under this name facsimiles of original editions of jazz LPs have been reissued on CD and formerly on LP and cassette also. The LPs were originally released on Riverside, Prestige and other labels that had been purchased...
) - Leroy Walks Again! (1962; Fantasy RecordsFantasy RecordsFantasy Records is a United States-based record label that was founded by Max and Sol Weiss in 1949 in San Francisco, California. They had previously operated a record-pressing plant called Circle Record Company before forming the Fantasy label...
) - Jazz's Great "Walker" (1964; Vee Jay)
- Walkin' the Basses (1992; Contemporary RecordsContemporary RecordsContemporary Records was a jazz record label founded by Lester Koenig in 1951 in Los Angeles. Contemporary was known for seminal recordings embodying the West Coast sound, but also released recordings based in New York...
) - The Kid (1974; PBR International) (2005; Q-Tape Records, France]])
As sideman
- My Fair Lady by Shelly ManneShelly ManneShelly Manne , born Sheldon Manne in New York City, was an American jazz drummer. Most frequently associated with West Coast jazz, he was known for his versatility and also played in a number of other styles, including Dixieland, swing, bebop, avant-garde jazz and fusion, as well as contributing...
& His Friends (1956; Contemporary RecordsContemporary RecordsContemporary Records was a jazz record label founded by Lester Koenig in 1951 in Los Angeles. Contemporary was known for seminal recordings embodying the West Coast sound, but also released recordings based in New York...
) - Live at Falcon's Lair! by Zoot SimsZoot SimsJohn Haley "Zoot" Sims was an American jazz saxophonist, playing mainly tenor and soprano.-Biography:He was born in Inglewood, California, the son of vaudeville performers Kate Haley and John Sims. Growing up in a performing family, Sims learned to play both drums and clarinet at an early age...
with the Joe CastroJoe Castro (musician)Joe Castro was an American bebop jazz pianist, based primarily on the West Coast of the United States.-Biography:...
Trio (1956; Pablo RecordsPablo RecordsPablo Records was a record label founded by Norman Granz in 1972, some ten years after he had sold his jazz labels to MGM Records....
) - Sonny Rollins and the Contemporary LeadersSonny Rollins and the Contemporary LeadersSonny Rollins and the Contemporary Leaders is an album by jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins, recorded for the Contemporary label, featuring performances by Rollins with Hampton Hawes, Barney Kessel, Leroy Vinnegar, and Shelly Manne with Victor Feldman added on one track...
by Sonny RollinsSonny RollinsTheodore Walter "Sonny" Rollins is a Grammy-winning American jazz tenor saxophonist. Rollins is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. A number of his compositions, including "St...
(1958, Contemporary Records) - Groove Funk Soul! by Joe CastroJoe Castro (musician)Joe Castro was an American bebop jazz pianist, based primarily on the West Coast of the United States.-Biography:...
(1958; Atlantic RecordsAtlantic RecordsAtlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
) - At Falcon's Lair with Joe CastroJoe Castro (musician)Joe Castro was an American bebop jazz pianist, based primarily on the West Coast of the United States.-Biography:...
1959 (Teddy EdwardsTeddy EdwardsTheodore Marcus "Teddy" Edwards was an American jazz tenor saxophonist based on the West Coast of the US. Some consider him to be one of the most influential jazz saxophonists.-Biography:...
split LP with Sonny RollinsSonny RollinsTheodore Walter "Sonny" Rollins is a Grammy-winning American jazz tenor saxophonist. Rollins is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. A number of his compositions, including "St...
"At Music Inn") (1959; Metrojazz RecordsMetroJazz Records-Discography:...
) - Gerry Mulligan Meets Ben WebsterGerry Mulligan Meets Ben WebsterGerry Mulligan Meets Ben Webster, also simply called Meets Ben Webster, is a 1959 album featuring the November 3 - December 2 studio sessions of American jazz musicians Gerry Mulligan and Ben Webster. In a 2003 review, All That Jazz described this album as the most notable example of Gerry...
(1959; VerveVerve RecordsVerve Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded by Norman Granz in 1956, absorbing the catalogues of his earlier labels, Clef Records and Norgran Records , and material which had been licensed to Mercury previously.-Jazz and folk origins:The Verve...
) - The Texas TwisterThe Texas TwisterThe Texas Twister is the debut album by American saxophonist Don Wilkerson recorded in 1960 and released on the Riverside label.-Reception:...
by Don WilkersonDon WilkersonDon Wilkerson was an American soul jazz / R&B tenor saxophonist born in Moreauville, Louisiana, probably better known for his Blue Note Records recordings in the 1960s as bandleader with guitarist Grant Green. Prior to signing with the label, he worked frequently with Cannonball Adderley...
(1960; RiversideRiverside RecordsRiverside Records was a United States record label specializing in jazz. Founded by Orrin Keepnews and Bill Grauer under his firm Bill Grauer Productions, Inc. in 1953, the label was a major presence in the jazz record industry for a decade...
) - Matador/Inta Somethin' by Kenny DorhamKenny DorhamMcKinley Howard Dorham was an American jazz trumpeter, singer, and composer born in Fairfield, Texas. Dorham's talent is frequently lauded by critics and other musicians, but he never received the kind of attention from the jazz establishment that many of his peers did...
(1961/62); Blue Note Records) - Swiss MovementSwiss MovementSwiss Movement is a live jazz album recorded on June 21, 1969 at The Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland by the Les McCann trio, Eddie Harris, and Benny Bailey.The song "Compared to What" became a pop music hit.-Track listing:...
by Eddie HarrisEddie HarrisEddie Harris was an American jazz musician, best known for playing tenor saxophone and for introducing the electrically amplified saxophone. He was also fluent on the electric piano and organ...
and Les McCannLes McCannLes McCann is an American soul jazz piano player and vocalist whose biggest successes came as a crossover artist into R&B and soul.-Biography:...
(1969; Atlantic Jazz) - Saint Dominic's PreviewSaint Dominic's PreviewSaint Dominic's Preview is the sixth solo album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. It was released in July 1972 by Warner Bros. Records...
(1972; Warner Bros.Warner Bros. RecordsWarner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
) - Saturday MorningSaturday Morning (album)Saturday Morning is a slow bluesy jazz album by alto saxophonist Sonny Criss, recorded on March 1, 1975 for Xanadu Records.-Track listing:#"Angel Eyes"#"Tin Tin Deo "#"Jeannie's Knees"#"Saturday Morning"#"My Heart Stood Still"...
by Sonny CrissSonny CrissWilliam "Sonny" Criss was an American jazz musician.An alto saxophonist of prominence during the bebop era of jazz, he was one of many players influenced by Charlie Parker.-Biography:...
(1975; Xanadu RecordsXanadu RecordsXanadu Records was a jazz music record label specializing in bebop throughout the 1970s and 1980s founded by Don Schlitten, recording and issuing recordings by some legendary names in jazz music.-Discography:...
) - California HardCalifornia HardCalifornia Hard is a jazz album by pianist and composer Dolo Coker, recorded in 1976. Two of the six pieces were written by Coker. The album was reissued as a CD in 1994, with one bonus track .-Track listing:...
by Dolo CokerDolo CokerCharles Mitchell “Dolo” Coker Charles Mitchell “Dolo” Coker Charles Mitchell “Dolo” Coker (November 16, 1927 – April 13, 1983 was a jazz pianist and composer who recorded four albums for Xanadu Records and extensively as a sideman, for artists like Sonny Stitt, Gene Ammons, Lou Donaldson, Art...
(1977; Xanadu Records) - Keystones!Keystones!Keystones! is a jazz album by pianist Red Garland, recorded in 1977 for Xanadu Records at Keystone Korner in San Francisco, CA.-Track listing:#Autumn Leaves#It's Impossible#Daahoud / New York #It's All Right With Me...
by Red GarlandRed GarlandWilliam "Red" Garland was an American hard bop jazz pianist whose block chord style, in part originated by Milt Buckner, influenced many forthcoming pianists in the jazz idiom.-Beginnings:...
(1977; Xanadu Records) - Home Is Where The Soul IsHome Is Where the Soul IsHome Is Where The Soul Is is a jazz album by pianist Kenny Drew, recorded in 1978 for Xanadu Records.- Track listing :#Work Song#Prelude to a Kiss#West of Eden#It Could Happen to You#Only You#Three and Four Blues#Yesterdays#Ending- Personnel :...
by Kenny DrewKenny DrewKenneth Sidney "Kenny" Drew was an American jazz pianist.-Biography:Born in New York City, New York, he first recorded with Howard McGhee in 1949, and over the next two years recorded with Buddy DeFranco, Coleman Hawkins, Milt Jackson, Charlie Parker, Buddy Rich, and Dinah Washington...
(1978; Xanadu Records) - For Sure!For Sure!For Sure! is a jazz album by pianist Kenny Drew, recorded in 1978 for Xanadu Records.-Track listing:#"For Sure" #"Mariette" #"Arrival" #"Blues Wail" #"Dark Beauty" #"Context"- Personnel :* Kenny Drew - piano...
by Kenny DrewKenny DrewKenneth Sidney "Kenny" Drew was an American jazz pianist.-Biography:Born in New York City, New York, he first recorded with Howard McGhee in 1949, and over the next two years recorded with Buddy DeFranco, Coleman Hawkins, Milt Jackson, Charlie Parker, Buddy Rich, and Dinah Washington...
(1978; Xanadu Records) - On the Shoulder of Giants by Gordon LeeGordon LeeGordon Lee may refer to:*Gordon William Lee, former Alberta politician*Gordon Lee , American comic book store owner charged with distributing obscene materials*Gordon Lee , U.S...
(1994; Unity Label Group) - Encounters by Jessica WilliamsJessica WilliamsJessica Jennifer Williams is an American pianist and composer who has deep roots in jazz. She has been called "one of the top jazz pianists of today."-History:...
, with Leroy Vinnegar, Mel Brown (1994; Jazz Focus) - Encounters II by Jessica Williams, with the Leroy Vinnegar Trio (1997; Jazz Focus)