mick laBriola

James Blanton (October 5, 1918 – July 30, 1942 Chattanooga, TN) was an American jazz double bassist. Blanton is credited with being the originator of more complex pizzicato and arco bass solos in a jazz context than previous bassists. Nicknamed “Jimmie,” Blanton’s nickname is usually misspelled as “Jimmy,” including by Duke Ellington. During the Summer of 1941, while the Ellington band was performing the landmark musical “Jump for Joy,” Blanton began to show symptoms of tuberculosis. His condition progressively worsened through the fall of 1941, and in November he was forced to leave the band and seek full-time medical care. Blanton died on July 30, 1942, at a sanatorium in Duarte, California, aged 23.