Norman Keenan


Norman Dewey Keenan was an American jazz double-bassist.
Keenan began playing piano before learning bass at age 15. He worked with Tiny Bradshaw, Lucky Millinder, Henry Wells, Earl Bostic, and Cootie Williams, and jammed at Minton's Playhouse around the same time. Following World War II he worked with Williams again and with Eddie Cleanhead Vinson in 1947-49. From 1949 to 1957 he was the bassist in the house trio at the Village Vanguard. After backing Harry Belafonte from 1957 to 1962 and working on the TV show Hootenanny, he began playing jazz again in the 1960s, with Count Basie and Roy Eldridge.

Discography

As sideman

With Count BasieSinatra at the Sands Basie Meets Bond Arthur Prysock/Count Basie Basie's Beatle Bag Basie's Beat Basie's in the Bag The Happiest Millionaire Half a Sixpence The Board of Directors with The Mills Brothers The Board of Directors Annual Report with The Mills Brothers Broadway Basie's...Way Hollywood...Basie's Way Basie Straight Ahead How About This with Kay Starr Standing Ovation Basic Basie Basie on the Beatles Afrique Have a Nice Day Bing 'n Basie Live at the Sands (Before Frank)
With Harry BelafonteJump Up Calypso The Many Moods of Belafonte The Midnight Special
With others