Buddy Banks (Bassist)

Alvin "Buddy" Banks ( born January 15, 1927 in St. Thomas (Ontario ), Canada, † August 7, 2005 in Las Vegas ) is an American bassist of modern jazz.

Life and work

"Buddy" Banks grew up in the United States. He played clarinet in high school, then piano; a soldier in the U.S. Army, which needed a bass player, he came to Europe in 1948. In Vienna, made ​​his first recordings with Thurmond Young; whose ensemble performed, among others in the Vienna Colored Club. In Lausanne he played in 1949 with James Moody; in Paris in 1950, he worked with Gerry Wiggins, then he lived in Switzerland, played with Bill Coleman in Bern, Belgium and Le Havre. After passport issues he had to leave Switzerland in 1953 and moved to Paris, where he was one of the early bebop players, often at recording sessions, including in living there as American collaborated with local musicians, such as Hazel Scott, Buck Clayton, Lionel Hampton, Mezz Mezzrow, Mary Lou Williams / Don Byas, Albert Nicholas and Gérard Pochonet and André Persiany.

1954, Banks with Michel Attenoux and with Sidney Bechet toured Western and Central Europe. In the same year Banks launched together with Bobby Jaspar a recording session in Paris (jazz de chambre ), at the Roy Haynes, Bob Dorough and Jimmy Gourley, at the Banks soloist with standards like " Yesterdays " set accents. In 1956, he joined the U.S. Air Force to conduct the Air Force Band and the Hickham Air Force Base band in Hawaii. He was discharged from the Air Force in 1968 and worked until 1985 as a machinist in the port of Pearl Harbor. In addition, he continued playing as a bassist in several bands and symphony orchestras of Honolulu. He also appeared with Stanley Morgan's Ink Spots. In the 1990s he played in the band of saxophonist gift Baltazar.

Disco Graphical Notes

• Buddy Banks Quartet: Jazz in Paris - Buddy Banks / Bobby Jaspar - Jazz de Chambre / ( Emarcy, 1956) ( with Bob Dorough )