HENRY GRIMES

Henry Grimes (November 3, 1935 – April 17, 2020) was an American jazz double bassist, violinist, and poet. After more than a decade of activity and performance, notably as a leading bassist in free jazz, Grimes completely disappeared from the music scene by 1970. Grimes was often presumed to have died, but he was rediscovered in 2002 and returned to performing. Henry Grimes was born in Philadelphia. He took up the violin at the age of 12, then began playing tuba, English horn, percussion, and finally the double bass in high school. He furthered his musical studies at Juilliard and established a reputation as a versatile bassist by the mid-1950s. He recorded or performed with saxophonists Gerry Mulligan, Sonny Rollins, pianist Thelonious Monk, singer Anita O'Day, clarinetist Benny Goodman and many others.  At a time when bassist Charles Mingus was experimenting with a second bass player in his band, Grimes was read more...