Blanton, Jimmy

Blanton, Jimmy
orig. James Blanton

born October 1918, Chattanooga, Tenn., U.S.
died July 30, 1942, Monrovia, Calif.

U.S. jazz musician.

He joined Duke Ellington's orchestra as a string bass player in 1939. Blanton's buoyant rhythmic approach and harmonic subtlety provided a supple, relaxed sense of swing for the band. His unprecedented dexterity, tone, and intonation enabled him to execute a melodic conception of the role of the bass in jazz, demonstrated on recordings made with Ellington such as "Jack the Bear" and "Pitter Panther Patter." His revolutionary technique changed jazz bass playing and became the major influence on subsequent bassists. He died of tuberculosis.

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▪ American musician
byname of  James Blanton  
born October 1918, Chattanooga, Tennessee, U.S.
died July 30, 1942, Monrovia, California
 African American jazz musician whose innovative string bass (double bass) techniques and concepts, displayed during his two years in the Duke Ellington (Ellington, Duke) band, made him by far the major influence on subsequent jazz bassists for several decades.

      While based in St. Louis, Blanton played in the Jeter-Pillars and Fate Marable bands, both notable “territory bands” (i.e., those in the South, Southwest, and Midwest), before Ellington hired him in 1939. He was a key figure in Ellington's greatest period. His mobile swing and his remarkably full, resonant, pizzicato tones were the band's foundation. His original technique permitted him an unprecedented rhythmic variety on his instrument, allowing him to play melodic phrasing instead of conventional, swing-era “walking” (i.e.,4/4) metre lines in solos; his harmonies, too, were considered advanced for the swing era.

      In 1939–40 Ellington recorded a series of piano and bass duets with Blanton, including “Pitter Panther Patter.” The bassist was also featured in classic Ellington band recordings such as “Jack the Bear” and “Ko-Ko”; altogether he made more than 130 recordings with Ellington, together with other recordings led by Ellington sidemen. In 1941, ill from tuberculosis, he entered a California sanitorium, ending a brief, brilliant career.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Blanton, Jimmy — orig. James Blanton (oct. 1918, Chattanooga, Tenn., EE.UU.–30 jul. 1942, Monrovia, Cal.). Músico de jazz estadounidense. En 1939 se incorporó a la orquesta de Duke Ellington como contrabajista. El estilo rítmico animado de Blanton y su sutileza… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Jimmy — es un personaje ficticio de la serie South Park, su nombre completo es Jimmy Valmer y es un discapacitado como Timmy pero a éste se le entiende lo que dice. Una vez Timmy y Jimmy se pelearon ya que en el primer episodio de la quinta temporada,… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • jimmy — jimmy1 /jim ee/, n., pl. jimmies, v., jimmied, jimmying. n. 1. a short crowbar. 2. a large male crab, esp. of Chesapeake Bay. v.t. 3. to force open (a door, window, etc.) with a jimmy: The burglar got in by jimmying the back door. Also, esp. Brit …   Universalium

  • Jimmy — /jim ee/, n. a male given name, form of James. Also, Jimmie. * * * (as used in expressions) Blanton Jimmy Breslin Jimmy Carter Jimmy Connors Jimmy Doolittle Jimmy Durante Jimmy Hoffa Jimmy McHugh Jimmy Rushing Jimmy Van Heusen Jimmy Jimmy Walker… …   Universalium

  • Jimmy Blanton — est un contrebassiste américain né en octobre 1918 à Chattanooga, Tennessee, et mort le 30 juillet 1942 à Los Angeles, Californie. Carrière fulgurante que celle de Jimmy Blanton où en l espace de seulement deux ans il aura révolutionné l… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Jimmy Blanton — (* 5. Oktober 1918 in Chattanooga, Tennessee; † 30. Juli 1942 in Los Angeles, Kalifornien) war ein amerikanischer Jazz Bassist, der in seiner Zeit in der Duke Ellington Band (1939 bis 1941) zu einem der einflussreichsten Bassisten der… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Jimmy Blanton — (5 de octubre de 1918 – 30 de julio de 1942) fue un bajista estadounidense de jazz conocido por ser un pionero del estilo pizzicato y por sus solos con el arco.[1] Inicialmente estudió el violín, y empezó a tocar el bajo mientras estudiaba en… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Blanton — ist die Bezeichnung folgender Personen: Brad Blanton (* 1940), US amerikanischer Autor Dain Blanton (* 1971), US amerikanischer Beachvolleyballspieler Jimmy Blanton (1919–1942), US amerikanischer Jazz Bassist Ray Blanton (1930–1996), Gouverneur… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Blanton —   [ blæntən], Jimmy, amerikanischer Jazzmusiker (Bassist), * Saint Louis (Missouri) 1921, ✝ Monrovia (Calif.) 30. 7. 1942; spielte 1939 41 bei Duke Ellington; einer der einflussreichsten Jazzbassisten …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Jimmy Blanton — Infobox musical artist Name = Jimmy Blanton Img capt = Img size = Landscape = Background = non vocal instrumentalist Birth name = Jimmy Blanton Alias = Born = October 5 1918 Died = July 30 1942 Origin = flagicon|USA Chattanooga, Tennessee , USA… …   Wikipedia

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