James Blanton (October 5, 1918 – July 30, 1942) 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.
Early life
Blanton was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee. His mother, Gertrude, was a well-known music teacher in Chattanooga, and he spent much of his youth playing in bands led by her. He originally learned to play the violin, but took up the bass while at Tennessee State University, performing with the Tennessee State Collegians from 1936 to 1937, and during the vacations with Fate Marable.
Later life and career
Blanton left university in 1938 to play full-time in St. Louis with the Jeter-Pillars Orchestra. It has been said that electric guitarist Charlie Christian was also present for some of those sessions, and that the two were friends.
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 in late 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.
Playing style and influence
When with the Jeter-Pillars Orchestra, Blanton added classical music pizzicato and arco techniques to jazz bass, making it into more of a solo instrument.