Born December 10, 1932, the Evanston, Illinois native started on drums and piano before switching to the tuba and bass in high school. He was a founding member of Walter Perkins' MJT +3 band in 1957 and it was Perkins who recommended Bob to Sonny as a replacement bassist for a gig at the first Playboy Jazz Festival in Chicago in 1959.
Bob Cranshaw's discography is nothing short of amazing. He has recorded with every major jazz artist of the latter 20th century, including, including Ella Fitzgerald, Coleman Hawkins, Jimmy Heath, Johnny Hodges, Jackie McLean, Thelonious Monk, James Moody, Lee Morgan, Wes Montgomery, Oscar Peterson, Buddy Rich, George Shearing, Horace Silver, McCoy Tyner, and Joe Williams. Bob has also worked extensively on Broadway and television, including memorable stints as the bassist in Billy Taylor's Orchestra on the David Frost Show, on Sesame Street, and on the original version of Saturday Night Live in the late 70s.
A tribal elder and compassionate advocate for musicians' rights, Bob Cranshaw has devoted considerable energy in the last decade to helping other musicians as a representative of Local 802, the musician's union in New York. Bob seeks to empower musicians by helping them understand how they can utilize the services that the union provides.
Producer/Director
Bret Primack
http://www.jazzepk.com
Tags: Bob Cranshaw Bass Jazz VIdeo Guy Sonny Rollins The Sidewinder Lee Morgan Joe Henderson
