Israel Crosby


Israel Crosby was an American jazz double-bassist born in Chicago, Illinois, United States. One of the finest to emerge during the 1930s, he was also a member of the Ahmad Jamal trio for most of 1954 to 1962. He is credited with taking one of the first recorded full-length bass solos, on his 1935 recording of "Blues of Israel" with drummer Gene Krupa when he was only 16. Crosby died of a heart attack at age 43, two months after joining the Shearing Quintet.
As Down Beat magazine explained in its obituary, "Early last month , while the Shearing Quintet was at the University of Utah's jazz workshop, Crosby was not in the group; he had suffered blinding headaches and blurred vision and had taken a two-week leave of absence to return to Chicago, his home, for a hospital checkup. But before the group left the university, Shearing received a letter from the bassist in which he said he'd soon be well enough to return to the quintet. But Crosby never returned; he died of a blood clot on the heart in Chicago's West Side Veterans Administration Hospital on Aug. 11. He was 43."

Discography

As sideman

With Ahmad Jamal
  • Ahmad's Blues
  • Ahmad Jamal Plays also released as Chamber Music of the New Jazz
  • The Ahmad Jamal Trio
  • Count 'Em 88
  • At the Pershing: But Not for Me
  • Live at The Pershing & The Spotlight Club
  • Portfolio of Ahmad Jamal
  • Moonlight in Vermont
  • Happy Moods
  • Listen to the Ahmad Jamal Quintet
  • Ahmad Jamal's Alhambra
  • All of You
  • Ahmad Jamal at the Blackhawk
  • Cross Country Tour 1958-1961
  • Poinciana
  • Extensions
  • Heat Wave
  • Standard Eyes
With others
  • Lorez Alexandria: Deep Roots
  • Albert Ammons: 1936-1939
  • Chu Berry: and his Stompy Stevedores
  • Charlie Christian: Solo Flight
  • Vic Dickenson: Breaks, Blues and Boogie
  • Roy Eldridge: 1943-1944, The Big Sound of Little Jazz
  • Herb Ellis: The Midnight Roll
  • Edmond Hall: 1936-1944
  • Coleman Hawkins: The Complete Coleman Hawkins, Rainbow Mist, Verve Jazz Masters 34
  • Fletcher Henderson: 1934-1937
  • Horace Henderson: 1940
  • Sam Jones: Down Home
  • Gene Krupa: 1935-1938
  • Meade Lux Lewis: Boogie And Blues
  • George Shearing: Jazz Moments
  • Jess Stacy: 1935-1939
  • Earl Washington: