Henry Grimes

Henry Grimes was born in Philadelphia (november 3, 1935). 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,
clarinettist Benny Goodman and many others.
At a time when bassist Charles Mingus was experimenting with a second bass player in
his band, Grimes was the person he selected for the job. One of his earliest appearances
on film is captured in the Bert Stern documentary on the Newport Jazz Festival of
1958, Jazz on a Summer's Day. He was 22 years old, and as word spread among the
musicians about his extraordinary playing, he ended up playing with six different groups in
the festival that weekend: those of Benny Goodman, Lee Konitz, Thelonious Monk, Gerry
Mulligan, Sonny Rollins, and Tony Scott. And though Henry’s name never even appeared
in the festival’s printed program, “New York Times” critic Bosley Crowther took note of the
remarkable young bassist and listed him as one of the festival’s primary players.
Gradually growing interested in the burgeoning free jazz movement, Grimes performed
with most of the music's important names, including pianist Cecil Taylor, trumpeter Don
Cherry, saxophonists Steve Lacy, Pharoah Sanders, Archie Shepp, and Albert Ayler.
He released one album, The Call, as a trio leader for the ESP-Disk record label in
1965. The album features Perry Robinson on clarinet and drummer Tom Price and is
considered to be representative of his career at that time.
In the late 1960s, Grimes career came to a halt after his move to California. It was
commonly assumed Grimes had died; he was listed as such in several jazz reference
works.
Then Marshall Marrotte, a social worker and jazz fan, set out to discover Grimes's fate
once and for all. In 2002, he found Grimes alive but nearly destitute, without a bass to
play, renting a tiny apartment in Los Angeles, California, writing poetry and doing odd jobs
to support himself. He had fallen out of touch with the jazz world and was unaware Albert
Ayler had died in 1970, but was eager to perform again.
Word spread of Grimes's return, and some musicians and fans offered their help.
Bassist William Parker donated a bass (nicknamed "Olive Oil" for its distinctive greenish
color) and with David Gage's help had it shipped from New York to Los Angeles, and
others assisted with travel expenses and arranging performances.
Grimes's return (2003) was featured in The New York Times and on National Public
Radio.
In 2004 he recorded as leader with David Murray and Hamid Drake. Mr. Grimes has
released or played on a dozen new recordings, made his professional debut on a second
instrument (the violin) at Cecil Taylor's side at Lincoln Center at the age of 70, and has
been creating illustrations to accompany his new recordings and publications. He has
received many honors in recent years, including four Meet the Composer grants. Mr.
Grimes can be heard on nearly 90 recordings on various labels, including Atlantic, Ayler
Records, Blue Note, Columbia, ESP-Disk, ILK Music, Impulse!, JazzNewYork
Productions, Pi Recordings, Porter Records, Prestige, Riverside, and Verve. Henry Grimes
is now a resident of New York City and has a busy schedule of performances, clinics, and
international tours.
Discography

As leader
1965: The Call (ESP-Disk)

2005: Live at the Kerava Jazz Festival (Ayler Records)

2008: Going to the Ritual (with Rashied Ali, Porter Records)
2008: Profound Sound Trio: Opus de Life (with Paul Dunmall and Andrew Cyrille, Porter
Records)
2009: Solo (ILK Music)
2010: Spirits Aloft (with Rashied Ali, Porter Records)
2014: The Tone of Wonder (solo, doublebass and violin, Uncool Edition)

As sideman

with Mose Allison I Love the Life I Live (Columbia)

with Albert Ayler

Spirits (Debut, 1966)
Swing Low Sweet Spiritual (Osmosis, 1965 [1971])
Spirits Rejoice (ESP, 1965)
Live Greenwich Village Sessions (Impulse!)

With Bill Barron West Side Story Bossa Nova (Dauntless, 1963)

with Roy Burns Skin Burns (Roulette)

with Don Cherry

Complete Communion (Blue Note)
Symphony for Improvisers (Blue Note)
Where Is Brooklyn? (Blue Note)

with Andrew Cyrille and Paul Dunmall - Profound Sound Trio

Opus De Life (Porter Records)

with Walt Dickerson Jazz Impressions of Lawrence of Arabia (Dauntless, 1963)

with Shafi Hadi

Debut Rarities, vol. 3 (recorded in 1957, NYC, by the Shafi Hadi Sextet;[5] released as
Original Jazz Classics CD OJCCD-1821-2 in 1993)

with Roy Haynes Out of the Afternoon (Impulse!)

with Lee Konitz

Tranquility (Verve, 1957)

with Rolf Kühn Be My Guest (Panorama)

with Carmen Leggio The Carmen Leggio Group (Jazz Unlimited)

With Gerry Mulligan
The Gerry Mulligan Songbook (World Pacific, 1957)
Reunion with Chet Baker (World Pacific, 1957) - with Chet Baker
Annie Ross Sings a Song with Mulligan! (World Pacific, 1957) - with Annie Ross

with William Parker Requiem (Splasc(H), 2006) - with Charles Gayle

with Marc Ribot

Spiritual Unity (Pi Recordings, 2005)
Live at the Village Vanguard (Pi, 2014)

with Sonny Rollins

Brass & Trio (1958)
Sonny Meets Hawk! (1963)

with Pharoah Sanders Tauhid (Impulse! 1967)

with Shirley Scott Shirley Scott Plays Horace Silver (Prestige)

with Archie Shepp

Further Fire Music (Impulse!)
On This Night (Impulse!)

with Billy Taylor

Uptown (Riverside, 1960)
Warming Up! (Riverside, 1960)

with Cecil Taylor

Into the Hot (Impulse! – issued under Gil Evans's name)
Conquistador! (Blue Note)
Unit Structures (Blue Note)

with Lennie Tristano Continuity (Jazz Records)

with McCoy Tyner Reaching Fourth (Impulse!)