KNKX's Tree of Jazz takes you through the eras, from the roots to the newest budding leaves, with a weekly deep dive into iconic artists, albums, and instruments.
On this week's show, we'll highlight bassist Henry Grimes on his birthday. Originally from Philadelphia, he played bass in the '50s and '60s with many greats like Gerry Mulligan, Sonny Rollins, McCoy Tyner, Joe Henderson, and Billy Taylor.
As an artist, Grimes drifted toward free jazz at the end of his active years with Don Cherry, Cecil Taylor, and Pharoah Sanders. He then was away from music for a long time, living in California, and many thought he was dead. He was found, and thanks to William Parker, he got back to plucking those strings.
Parker gifted him a green upright bass named "Olive oil," and his comeback record was in 2005. In 2007, Grimes played violin alongside pianist Cecil Taylor at Lincoln Center.
Sadly he passed away at age 84 from complications from COVID-19.
Hear his healthy bass solo on this McCoy Tyner track from 1963:
Towards the show's end, we'll spotlight drummer and band leader Brandon Sanders.
His grandmother, Ernestine Parker, ran a jazz club in Kansas City, where he was first exposed to the art form. Decades into his career, he put together an elegant ensemble that included a song with his grandmother's namesake, "Miss Ernestine," and a knockout cover of "Human Nature" featuring singer Christie Dashiell.
We got to witness Dashiell talents firsthand at KNKX when she joined the Willie Jones III Sextet for a version of "Bye Bye Blackbird"
Hear the Tree of Jazz, on air and online every Sunday from 3-6 p.m. PT. Listen to the past two weeks of Tree of Jazz On-Demand.
