Jerry Jemmott

Biography

 Born in the Bronx, New York in 1946 Jerry Jemmott was one of the preeminent session bassists of the late '60s and early '70s, working with an impressive cross-section of the era's finest soul, jazz, and blues artists.

One of the youngest of the many Jazz musicians to come out the Bronx, during the 1950’s, Jerry Jemmott found his way to prominence when he switched from acoustic to electric bass in 1964 and shaped his skills to eventually join many of his heroes in the recording studios of New York City .
He got his big break when he was discovered by Rhythm 'n Blues/Jazz saxophonist King Curtis, and played on his first major recording sessions in 1965, including Nina Simone's 'The Blues' album. Thanks to his Atlantic Records connection through Curtis he subsequently became a key architect of the Atlantic Records and Muscle Shoals Sound.

Jerry has been a performer since the age of five, starting as a tap dancer with Mary Bruce’s Star Buds, in Harlem, where he performed at Carnegie Hall in their annual review. He stands on the shoulders of the many musical geniuses of his time but owes his love of the bass to bassist Paul Chambers, whose rhythmic pulse and note selection captivated him and Charles Mingus who's harmonic propulsion and writing skills continue to motivated him. His mother Jessie insisted that he take lessons and after one year of upright bass lessons with Felix Mann, he started working professionally at the age of twelve in the many bars, night clubs and ballrooms in New York City with different bands, 3 to 4 nights a week, always learning more and often teaching, as he went along.

His body of work illuminates the times both then and now as he played on the recording of Ain't Got No/ I Got Life” w/ Nina Simone, “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” w/Gill Scott Heron, “People Got To Be Free” w/The Rascals, “The Universal Prisoner” w/ Les McCann & Eddie Harris, “Think” & “Eleanor Rigby ”w/ Aretha Franklin, “Attica Blues” w/ Archie Shepp, “Why I Sing The Blues” & “The Thrill Is Gone” w/BB KIng plus a recent cameo solo performance in the film “Mitchellville”.

B.B. KING says: “He never does anything just because it’s right to do; he likes to do it because it feels good doing it. He would come up with things that fit…Quincy Jones has a way of working with people where he’ll get them together and say ‘Okay, get into something. Jerry was the same way….Jerry was very concerned.” 

Source: http://www.jerryjemmott.com/bio.html accessed 23rd March 2013

 Definitive recordings
With Nina Simone
Nina Simone Sings The Blues – RCA SP 3789
Ain't Got No, I Got Life – RCA (single)
With Ronnie Dyson
His All Time Golden Classics- Sony A 26280

With Erma Franklin
Piece of My Heart –- Shout Records S-221
With Loraine Ellison
Stay With Me - - Soul Classics

With B.B. King
Live & Well – MCA 31191
Completely Well – MCA 31039p

With King Curtis and the King Pins
Instant Groove- Atco 33- 293
Everybody's Talkin'- Atco 33-385
King Curtis Live At Filmore West - Atco SD-359
Don’t Fight The Feelin’ –- Rhino
With King Curtis & Champion Jack Dupree
Blues at Montreaux – Atlantic 781389-2
With Aretha Franklin
Aretha Now – Atlantic 8186
This Girl’s In Love With You – Rhino – 71524
Aretha Live At Fillmore West – Atlantic 7205

With Freddie King
Freddie King Is A Blues Master – Atlantic 790345 -2
My Feeling For The Blues ­– 90352-2

With Roberta Flack
Newport In New York ’72 Volume 3 – Kory KK 2002
Killing Me Softly – Atlantic 82793 -2

With Margie Joseph
Margie Joseph – Atlantic SD 77208

With Howard Tate
Howard Tate – Atlantic SD 8303

With The Rascals
Freedom Suite – Atlantic SD 2-901

With Wilson Pickett
Deborah - Atlantic 70 264
Hey Jude – Atlantic 7567 – 80375-2

With Irene Reid
The World Needs What I Need – Polydor 24 4040

With Erroll Garner
Feeling Is Believing – Mercury SR6 - 1308

With Herbie Hancock
Mwandishi – Warner Archives 45732

With George Benson
The Other Side Of Abbey Road – A&M SP 3028

With The Thad Jones and Mel Lewis Orchestra
New Life – Horizon SP 707

With Freddie Hubbard
A Soul Experiment – Atlantic SD 1526

With Archie Shepp
Attica Blues – Impulse/Abc AS - 9222

With Gil Scott Heron
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised – Flying Dutchman BDL 1-160

With Herbie Mann
Push Push – Atlantic (Embryo SD 532)

With Paul Desmond
Bridge Over Troubled Water – A&M SP 3032

With Les McCann & Eddie Harris
Second Movement – Atlantic 1583 & Label M 5708

With Richard “Groove” Holmes
Comin’ On Home – Blue Note CD 38701

With Shirley Scott
Shirley Scott And The Soul Saxes – Atlantic 1532

With Lou Donaldson
Cosmos – Blue Note BST – 84370

With John Murtaugh
Blues Current – Polydor 24 4016

With Gary McFarland
America The Beautiful ­– Skye SK - 8

With Hank Crawford
Mr. Blues Plays Lady Soul – Atlantic 1523

With Eddie Palmieri
Harlem River Drive – Roulette SR 3004

With The Main Ingredient
All Time Greatest Hits – RCA 9591-2R

With Don Covay
Hot Blood – Mercury SRM –1-1020
Mercy Mercy The Definitive Don Covay – Razor & Tie RE 2053
Checkin’ In With Don Covay – Polygram 836030

With The Sweet Inspirations
The Sweet Inspirations – Atlantic SD8155

With Melba Moore
Look What You’re Doing To The Man – Mercury 61321

With Otis Rush
Mourning in the Morning - Atlantic / WEA

With The Swordsmen
Swordsmen – RCA 4245

With The Voices Of East Harlem
The Voices Of East Harlem – Just LP 7

With Dee Dee Warwick
Foolish Fool - Mercury SR-61221

With The Players Association
The Players Association – Vanguard VSD- 79384

With Cissy Houston
Presenting Cissy Houston – Commonwealth United

With Jerry Jeff Walker
Mr. Bojangles – Atlantic SD 33 259

With Betty Dylan
American Trash – Daz Unlimited

With Bill ”Junior “ Linton & Jerry Jemmott
The New York View – P-Vine Non Stop PCD – 4769 (Japan)

With The Bass Project – 2
Caught In The Low Beam – P-Vine Non Stop PCD – 4742 (Japan)

With The Best Of The Bass Project
Fat Bottom Bass – P-Vine Non Stop PCD – 8601(Japan)
With Alphonso Sanders
Mississippi Influences “Mississippi” - Talking Wind Music (884501088817)
With Joel Frahm & Bruce Katz
Project A – Anzic Records
With Satan & Adam
Back in the Game –“Thunky Fing Rides Again” - www.ModernBluesHarmonica

Adam Gussow
South Bound - www.ModernBluesHarmonica
With Jerry Jemmott & Souler Energy
Make It Happen!!! – WHATCHA GONNA DO – WGD-CD1103
Home Cookin’ – WHATCHA GONNA DO – WGD-1103B
The Best Of Jerry Jemmott & Souler Energy– WHATCHA GONNA DO – WGD-CD1103C
Bass On The Case – WHATCHA GONNA DO – WGD-CD1103D
Feel This - Jerry Jemmott & Souler Energy – WGD – 1103E

Source: http://www.jerryjemmott.com/disco.html accessed 23rd March 2013