ENDEIT
Oscar Pettiford
Photo: William P. Gottlieb, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Bassists · 1922–1960

Oscar Pettiford

American musician (1922–1960)

Born
30 September 1922
Okmulgee
Died
18 September 1960
Copenhagen
Country
United States
Active
1942–
Record labels
Debut Records
Discography
17 albums

Biography

Oscar Pettiford was a jazz musician who played double bass. Oscar Pettiford was born on 30 September 1922 in Okmulgee and died on 18 September 1960 in Copenhagen. The music is usually filed under jazz. Record labels: Debut Records. The discography here lists 17 albums, from “Oscar Pettiford Modern Quintet” (1954) to “OP with the Manhattan Jazz” (2023).

Oscar Pettiford (September 30, 1922 – September 8, 1960) was an American jazz double bassist and composer. He was one of the earliest musicians to work in the bebop idiom. Jazz bassist Christian McBride called Pettiford "probably the most important bass player of that bebop generation in terms of creating new language for the bass."

Read the full article on Wikipedia ↗ · From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Discography

Studio and live albums

Oscar Pettiford Modern Quintet 1954 · Bethlehem Records Sextet 1954 · Vogue Records Basically Duke 1955 · Bethlehem Records Winner’s Circle 1958 · BMG Rights Management (US) LLC Blue Brothers 1973 · Intercord Vienna Blues: The Complete Session 1988 · Black Lion Montmartre Blues 1989 · Black Lion Bass 1999 · Avenue Jazz Another One 2000 · Avenue Jazz The Manhattan Jazz Septette 2006 · Lone Hill Jazz Nonet & Octet 2007 · Fresh Sound Records Blues in My Mind 2015 · Sonorama Jazz for a Lazy Day 2015 · MMT In Denmark 1959-1960 2016 · Stunt Records Oscar Pettiford Sextet (Jazz Connoisseur) 2016 · Legacy Baden-Baden 1959 Karlsruhe 1958 2020 · Jazzhaus OP with the Manhattan Jazz 2023 · Smultron

Also plays on

Albums where Oscar Pettiford is credited as a sideman

1952 Young Man With a Horn — Miles Davis double bass, bass
1953 New Faces - New Sounds — Wynton Kelly bass, double bass
1955 Clark Terry — Clark Terry cello
1955 Lee Konitz with Warne Marsh — Lee Konitz & Warne Marsh bass
1955 Afro-Cuban — Kenny Dorham double bass
1955 Nica’s Tempo — Gigi Gryce bass
1956 The Unique Thelonious Monk — Thelonious Monk double bass
1956 Thelonious Monk Plays Duke Ellington — Thelonious Monk double bass
1956 Her Trio Her Quartet — Toshiko double bass
1956 Ballads & Blues — Milt Jackson bass
1956 Kenny Burrell — Kenny Burrell double bass, bass
1956 Chris Connor — Chris Connor bass
1956 Detroit-New York Junction — Thad Jones double bass, bass
1957 The Great Ray Charles — Ray Charles bass, double bass
1957 Brilliant Corners — Thelonious Monk double bass
1957 The Hawk Flies High — Coleman Hawkins double bass
1957 Plenty, Plenty Soul — Milt Jackson bass
1957 Jazz Contrasts — Kenny Dorham double bass
1957 The Volcanic — Candido bass, double bass
1957 Les Jazz Modes — Julius Watkins, Charlie Rouse, Gildo Mahones, Ron Jefferson, Oscar Pettiford, Paul Chambers double bass
1957 Jazz Sahib — Sahib Shihab double bass
1958 Soul Brothers — Milt Jackson & Ray Charles bass
1958 A Jazz Date With Chris Connor — Chris Connor bass
1958 Safari With Sabu — Louis “Sabu” Martinez double bass
1958 Locking Horns — Joe Newman/Zoot Sims bass
1961 The Genius After Hours — Ray Charles double bass
1961 Soul Meeting — Ray Charles & Milt Jackson bass
1972 Hawk in Germany — Coleman Hawkins & Bud Powell bass
1974 52nd Street; Volume 2 — Coleman Hawkins, Nat Jaffe, Ben Webster & Don Byas double bass
1980 Swingin' — Kenny Burrell double bass

Standards written by Oscar Pettiford

TitleKeyFormGroove
Blues In The Closet A♭ major A · 12 Medium-up swing
Bohemia After Dark G minor AABA · 32 Up-tempo swing
Tricotism D♭ major AABA · 32 Medium-up swing

Historic 78 rpm records

  • BEI MIR BIST DU SCHOEN OSCAR PETTIFORD · Kenny Drew · Tommy Potter · Arthur Taylor · Jacobs… archive.org ↗
  • ROSE ROOM Barney Bigard · Sidney Catlett · Art Tatum · Al Casey · Oscar… archive.org ↗
  • ESQUIRE SWANK DUKE ELLINGTON & SON FAMEUX ORCHESTRE · RAY MANCE · TAFT JORDAN ·… archive.org ↗
  • Hawkins' Barrel House Coleman Hawkins and his Orchestra · Bill Coleman · Andy Fitzgerald ·… · 1943 archive.org ↗
  • Stumpy Coleman Hawkins and his Orchestra · Coleman Hawkins · Bill Coleman ·… · 1943 archive.org ↗
  • GET HAPPY COLEMAN HAWKINS SWING FOUR · Coleman Hawkins · Eddie Heywood · Oscar… · 1943 archive.org ↗
  • STUMPY COLEMAN HAWKINS and his Orchestra · Bill Coleman · Andy Fitzgerald ·… · 1943 archive.org ↗
  • CRAZY RHYTHM COLEMAN HAWKINS SWING FOUR · Coleman Hawkins · Eddie Heywood · Oscar… · 1943 archive.org ↗

Frequently asked questions

What instrument did Oscar Pettiford play?

Oscar Pettiford is known for playing double bass.

When and where was Oscar Pettiford born?

Oscar Pettiford was born 30 September 1922 in Okmulgee.

What are Oscar Pettiford's best-known albums?

Albums in our database include Oscar Pettiford Modern Quintet (1954), Sextet (1954), Basically Duke (1955), Winner’s Circle (1958) and Blue Brothers (1973).

External links

Data compiled from open sources; see the source links below. Spotted an error? Let us know.