Israel Crosby (January 19, 1919 – August 11, 1962) was an American jazz double-bassist born in Chicago, Illinois, United States. One of the finest to emerge during the 1930s, he was also a member of the Ahmad Jamal trio for most of 1954 to 1962.[ AllMusic biography] He is credited with taking one of the first recorded full-length bass solos, on his 1935 recording of "Blues of Israel" with drummer Gene Krupa when he was only 16. Crosby died of a heart attack at age 43, two months after joining the Shearing Quintet.
As Down Beat magazine explained in its obituary, "Early last month [August 1962], while the Shearing Quintet was at the University of Utah's jazz workshop, Crosby was not in the group; he had suffered blinding headaches and blurred vision and had taken a two-week leave of absence to return to Chicago, his home, for a hospital checkup. But before the group left the university, Shearing received a letter from the bassist in which he said he'd soon be well enough to return to the quintet. But Crosby never returned; he died of a blood clot on the heart in Chicago's West Side Veterans Administration Hospital on Aug. 11. He was 43.""Tragic End to a Two-Week Leave." Down Beat 29:25 (27 September 1962), 13.
Discography
As sideman With Ahmad Jamal Ahmad's Blues (1951, 1955) Ahmad Jamal Plays (Parrot, 1955) also released as Chamber Music of the New Jazz (Argo, 1955) The Ahmad Jamal Trio (Epic, 1955) Count 'Em 88 (Argo, 1956) At the Pershing: But Not for Me (1958) Live at The Pershing & The Spotlight Club (1958) Portfolio of Ahmad Jamal (1958) Moonlight in Vermont (1958) Happy Moods (Argo, 1960) Listen to the Ahmad Jamal Quintet (Argo, 1960) Ahmad Jamal's Alhambra (Argo, 1961) All of You (Argo, 1961) Ahmad Jamal at the Blackhawk (Argo, 1962) Cross Country Tour 1958-1961 (1962) Poinciana (1963) Extensions (1965) Heat Wave (1966) Standard Eyes (1967) With others Lorez Alexandria: Deep Roots (Argo, 1962) Albert Ammons: 1936-1939 (Classics) Chu Berry: and his Stompy Stevedores (1937) Charlie Christian: Solo Flight (Topaz, 1939–1941) Vic Dickenson: Breaks, Blues and Boogie (Topaz, 1941–1946) Roy Eldridge: 1943-1944 (Classics), The Big Sound of Little Jazz (Topaz, 1935–41) Herb Ellis: The Midnight Roll (Eipc, 1962) (last recording session)Feather, Leonard. (1962). Herb Ellis and the All-Stars The Midnight Roll (liner notes). Epic Records. BA 17034. Edmond Hall: 1936-1944 (Classics) Coleman Hawkins: The Complete Coleman Hawkins (Mercury, 1944), Rainbow Mist (Delmark, 1944 ), Verve Jazz Masters 34 (Verve, 1944–62) Fletcher Henderson: 1934-1937 (Classics) Horace Henderson: 1940 (Classics) Sam Jones: Down Home (Riverside, 1962) Gene Krupa: 1935-1938 (Classics) Meade Lux Lewis: Boogie And Blues (Topaz, 1936–1941) George Shearing: Jazz Moments (Capitol, 1962) (Blue Note as of 2008) Jess Stacy: 1935-1939 (Classics) Earl Washington: (Classics) (Workshop - Motown Imprint, 1962)
References