Bass Player: Paul Chambers

During his 13 year career between 1955 and 1968, Paul Chambers was one of the leading double bass players in jazz, performing with a wide variety of artists and a range of the music’s sub-genres and recording over 300 LPs for labels such as Blue Note, Riverside, Mercury and Columbia Records. Chambers performed as a sideman with some of the greatest names in jazz including Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Sonny Rollins, Wes Montgomery, Joe Henderson, Bill Evans, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Hank Mobley, Lee Morgan, Gil Evans and Freddie Hubbard. He recorded a half dozen LPs under his own name including his own compositions but is probably best remembered for his contribution to the greatest jazz recording of all time; Miles Davis’ ‘Kind Of Blue’. 

This is a full transcription (walking lines and bass solo) from the 1957 performance of ‘Dear Old Stockholm’ from the Chambers led recording ‘Bass On Top’ which also features Kenny Burrell, Hank Jones and Art Taylor on guitar, piano and drums respectively. The transcription was undertaken because someone on-line couldn’t find a copy of the tune and wanted the walking lines as well as the solo. There are real problems in writing down some of the nuances of the lines Chambers uses in his solo so it is highly recommended that you listen to the track as you study the piece. Chords are included on this one (courtesy of the Real Book)