Home » Jazz Musicians » Bob Cunningham

Bob Cunningham

Bob Cunningham is referred to as a Master Bassist, and is well deserving of that title due to his illustrious career in Music as an Acoustic Bassist, Composer, and Bandleader. Bob is a musician’s musician, well known and highly respected by his peers. Bob has toured and recorded with Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, Freddie Hubbard, Art Blakely, Junior Mance, Ken McIntyre, and Frank Townsend, an A list that continues into infinity.

With the Yusef Lateef Quartet Bob and his Bass have toured North and South America, Africa, The Caribbean and extensively throughout Europe. Bob packed his tuxedo with only a weeks notice and took his Trio to Astana, in the Republic of Kazakhstan!

New Yorkers know they don’t have to go very far to find Bob, up in a Harlem or down on Broadway…in Brooklyn or Monday's at "The Union" - Local 802- The Jazz Foundation Jam-session- he holds the bass chair!

A main attraction during the summer concerts on Jazz Mobile and in the park's. Bob has played in almost every club in New York including the Lenox Lounge - Zebra Room, St. Nicks Pub, 55 Bar & The Garage, Sweet Rhythms, in Greenwich Village. The title song “Walkin’ Bass is really very similar to how you see Bob as he goes about town with his " Lady Bass".

On Bob's CD " Walkin' Bass" you are privy to one of Bob’s favorite musical collaborations with his dear friend Bross Townsend. Bross was an extraordinary pianist, who clearly demonstrates the high quality of his performance throughout this album. “Walkin’ Bass” was a labor of love, you can feel the vibes between the musicians, all excellent in their own right. Best of all you can tell they had fun, listen... you will too!

Gear

Pirastro Strings


Tags

1
Liner Notes

Dino Betti van der Noot: Here Comes Springtime

Read "Dino Betti van der Noot: Here Comes Springtime" reviewed by AAJ Staff


There are some musicians whose instrument is the orchestra. They hear multiple voices, textures, harmonic designs. And if they are jazz composers, they hear the sweet and pungent tension between the orchestra and the improvising soloist. If, moreover, they are composers interested in more than self-gratification, they hear, as they write, particular players so that the ultimate scores reflect a range of individual personalities, each of them telling their own stories as well as that of the composer.

215
Album Review

Bob Cunningham: Walking Bass

Read "Walking Bass" reviewed by Terrell Kent Holmes


Didja hear? Bobby C's back in town! Actually, bassist Bob Cunningham has always been around, but his first and only album as a leader, Walking Bass , has been released for the first time on CD. Originally recorded in 1985, it features the late, great Bross Townsend on piano and Melvin Sparks (Hassan) on guitar, with Alvin Queen and Bernard Purdie sharing drumming duties.

The title cut opens the disc and is Cunningham's spin on a humorous jazz poem written ...

735
Interview

Bob Cunningham

Read "Bob Cunningham" reviewed by Terrell Kent Holmes


Bassist Bob Cunningham is another example of a talented, underrated and uderappreciated musician. Born in Cleveland in 1934, Cunningham arrived in New York in 1960, hit the ground running and hasn’t stopped, appearing on countless recordings and gigging with all time greats such as Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, Sun Ra, Abbey Lincoln and Yusef Lateef. His first and only recording as a leader, Walking Bass (Nilva), was just reissued, and he’s once again participating in the annual summer series Jammin’ ...

Read more articles
90

Performance / Tour

Bob Cunningham Quartet - Free Concert in Central Park Sept. 23

Bob Cunningham Quartet - Free Concert in Central Park Sept. 23

Source: All About Jazz

The heat will be back next weekend! Bob Cunningham Quartet concert at Central Park! Join us.

If you have not been to a Bob Cunningham performance, you are in for a treat! Those of you who already know about Bob, share the joy and bring friends to this free outdoor event.

The Bob Cunningham Quartet Sunday, September 23, 2007 4:00pm - 6:00pm Harlem Meer, inside Central Park at 110th Street ( Between 5th and ...

108

Performance / Tour

Bob Cunningham Trio / Cynthia Holiday at Baton Rouge New York!

Bob Cunningham Trio / Cynthia Holiday at Baton Rouge New York!

Source: All About Jazz


107

Performance / Tour

Bob Cunningham Quartet at the Lenox Lounge / Zebra Room - March 9th - 10th!

Bob Cunningham Quartet at the Lenox Lounge / Zebra Room - March 9th - 10th!

Source: All About Jazz

Legendary, Master Bassist, Bob Cunningham & Quartet at The Historic Lenox Lounge/Zebra Room

The Bob Cunningham Quartet - Road Trips... Jazz Tours Revisited!

Featuring the music from Cunningham's numerous tours and recordings with Dizzy Gillespie, Yusef Lateef, and Freddie Hubbard, including Bob's own original compositions!

Bob Cunningham - Bass Bertha Hope - Piano Tootsie Bean - Drums Gabriel Romance - Vocals & Flute

Dates: Friday, March 9th & Saturday, March 10th 2007 ...

139

Performance / Tour

Two Jazzy Legend's At Copeland's: Emme Kemp Trio & Bob Cunningham Trio

Two Jazzy Legend's At Copeland's: Emme Kemp Trio & Bob Cunningham Trio

Source: All About Jazz

Sensational Pianist,Vocalist and Broadway Composer(Bubbling Brown Sugar) Emme Kemp! *Emme Kemp Trio - Friday Oct. 13, 2006 Saturday Only: The Bob Cunningham Trio Master Bassist,Composer and Band leader (with Dizzy Gillespie, Freddie Hubbard) *The Bob Cunningham Trio -Saturday Oct. 14, 2006 Emme's next dates at Copeland's: The Emme Kemp Trio on Friday & Saturday October 27th & 28th! *The Bob Cunningham Trio returns for Two nights: Friday & Saturday - November 10th & 11th- ...

117

Performance / Tour

Victoria Horne & Bob Cunningham At Baton Rouge NY - Friday May 12, 2006

Victoria Horne  & Bob Cunningham At Baton Rouge NY - Friday May 12, 2006

Source: All About Jazz

A LeTang biz Presentation: Victoria Horne, Bob Cunningham & The New York Band! At Baton Rouge Restaurant! Friday May 12,2006 9:00pm - 1:00am Vocalist Victoria Horne: Jazz to Blues & More... You can study all the greats, but if you weren't born with the pipes, you'll never cut it as a jazz vocalist. Or, you can be like Horne, who clearly has augmented her deliciously smoky voice with extensive listening to the likes of ...

67

Performance / Tour

Bob Cunningham & Bill Saxton - Central Brooklyn Jazz Festival!

Bob Cunningham & Bill Saxton -  Central Brooklyn Jazz Festival!

Source: All About Jazz

Saturday, April 22, 2006 - 8:00PM

7th Annual Central Brooklyn Jazz Festival Event!

Master Bassist, Bandleader and Composer, Bob Cunningham brings his sultry Jazz Quartet to Solomons Porch! Bob Cunningham formerly toured and recorded with Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Foster, and Leon Thomas.

Special Guest: BILL SAXTON - Sax - has toured and recorded with Mongo Santamaria, Jackie McLean, Pharaoh Sanders.

Sharpe Radway - Keyboards Tony Mapp - Drums

Saturday, April 22, 2006 - 8:00PM Solomon's Porch ...

111

Performance / Tour

Bob Cunningham Trio at Baton Rouge New York!

Bob Cunningham Trio at Baton Rouge New York!

Source: All About Jazz

Master Bassist,Bandleader and Composer, Bob Cunningham brings his sultry Jazz Trio to the new and beautiful Baton Rouge New York! Bob Cunningham formerly toured and recorded with Dizzy Gillespie,Frank Foster,and Leon Thomas. www.bobcunninghambass.com BOB CUNNINGHAM - Bass, NORIKO KAMO -Piano, an incredible pianist, known for her performances with The Cotton Club All Stars. NEIL CLARKE - an astute and highly skilled percussionist with Randy Weston's African Rhythms,Dianne Reeves. Friday March 31,2006 Baton Rouge - 8:00PM - 11:30PM

54

Performance / Tour

Rome Neal's "Banana Puddin" & Bob Cunningham's Birthday @ Nuyorican Poets Cafe

Rome Neal's "Banana Puddin" & Bob Cunningham's Birthday @ Nuyorican Poets Cafe

Source: All About Jazz

Both events on Tuesday, December 27TH @ Nuyorican Poet's Cafe

Rome Neal's “BANANA PUDDIN" A JAZZ JAM AND OPEN MIC

Happy Kwanzaa... Kujichagulia: Two Legends of the Bass

Tuesday, December 27th @ 7 p.m. $15.

Bill Lee and his Mo' Betta Quintet (Composed scores for Mo' Betta Blues, She's Gotta Have it, Do The Right Thing, School Daze, for his son, Spike Lee's films)

BILL LEE (BASS), Arnold lee (alto sax), Sayuri Goto (piano), ...

97

Performance / Tour

Bob Cunningham Trio: James Weidman - Piano,Ben Dixon - Drums,Vocals: Ayayna Lowe

Bob Cunningham Trio: James Weidman - Piano,Ben Dixon - Drums,Vocals: Ayayna Lowe

Source: All About Jazz

Jazz at TWO BOOTS BROOKLYN Cajun & Italian Restaurant & Bar JULY 30, 2005 Saturday - 10:00PM –12:00AM Straight Up Jazz and Romantic Vocals The Bob Cunningham Trio - TWO BOOTS BROOKLYN Bob Cunningham – Bass Fabulous, Brilliant, Master Bassist, recorded with Dizzy Gillespie, Freddie Hubbard, and Yusaf Lateef! James Weidman – Piano, Powerful, Impeccable Timing-Abbey Lincoln, Max Roach, Cassandra Wilson, James Moody www.jamesweidman.com Ben Dixon – Drums, epitome of Jazz drumming for Lionel Hampton, Lou Donaldson, Gloria Lynn, Kenny ...

Photos

Music

Videos

Similar

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.