Bob Cranshaw, a versatile bassist heard in Broadway pit bands, on television and on thousands of jazz recordings — but probably best known as a longtime anchor in bands led by the eminent saxophonist Sonny Rollins — died on Nov. 2 at his home in Manhattan. He was 83.
The cause was cancer, said Karyn Scott-Harden, his stepdaughter.
Mr. Cranshaw, who had a bedrock authority with rhythm and a keen ear for harmony, appears on more than a few jazz albums regarded as classics, including the trumpeter Lee Morgan’s“The Sidewinder” and the saxophonist Joe Henderson’s “Inner Urge.” His first with Mr. Rollins, in 1962, was “The Bridge,” another classic; his last was “Holding the Stage: Road Shows, Vol. 4,” a compilation released this year.
“He was impeccable,” Mr. Rollins said in a recent interview. “And he had a steady gig with me, but Bob also played with probably every musician in New York. I mean, that might be a slight exaggeration. But it attests to his versatility, and to the fact that he was a great bass player.”
Mr. Cranshaw worked closely for decades with Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians, which elected him to its executive board in 2012. He had experience with the life of a session musician, contributing to countless jingles and film scores and to albums by pop artists like Paul Simon.
He was also a member of the first “Saturday Night Live” band and held prominent positions in the bands on several late-night talk shows, notably those of Dick Cavett and Merv Griffin. As the house bassist for the Children’s Television Workshop, he can be heard on many songs featured on “Sesame Street,” including the show’s original theme song.
Melbourne Robert Cranshaw was born on Dec. 3, 1932, in Chicago. He grew up in the nearby suburb of Evanston, Ill., to Stanly Cranshaw, a choir director, and the former Evelyn Brown.
He played bass in his high school orchestra and, after serving in the Army in Korea, returned to Chicago and became a presence on the local jazz scene.
He first met Mr. Rollins in 1959, in a highly public setting: the inaugural Playboy Jazz Festival, at the Chicago Stadium. Mr. Rollins needed a last-minute substitute bassist, and Mr. Cranshaw made a favorable impression. He moved to New York soon afterward, and was quickly in demand.
In addition to Ms. Scott-Harden, Mr. Cranshaw is survived by his wife of 39 years, Bobbi; another stepdaughter, Stacey Stearns; three children from his first marriage, Myra Grissom, Kim Cranshaw and Cheryl Blue; and seven grandchildren. His first two marriages ended in divorce.
Mr. Cranshaw injured his back in a car accident in the early 1970s, leading him to switch to electric bass, on which he developed a ripe and swinging style. “He made the electric bass sound very much like an acoustic bass,” said Mr. Rollins, who still endured criticism for featuring the instrument in his bands.
“I couldn’t always get Bob when I wanted him,” Mr. Rollins added, citing the high demand for Mr. Cranshaw’s services and his occasional reluctance to go on tour. “I would have liked to get him more than I was actually able to work with him. But whenever I could, I did.”
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Melbourne Robert "Bob" Cranshaw[1] (December 10, 1932 – November 2, 2016) was an American jazz bassist. His career spanned the heyday of Blue Note Records to his recent involvement with the Musicians Union. He is perhaps best known for his long association with Sonny Rollins. Cranshaw performed in Rollins's working band on and off for over five decades, starting with a live appearance at the 1959 Playboy jazz festival in Chicago and on record with the 1962 album The Bridge.[2]
Some of Cranshaw's best-known performances include Lee Morgan's The Sidewinder and Grant Green's Idle Moments. Cranshaw also served as the sole session bassist to Sesame Street and The Electric Company songwriter and composer Joe Raposo, and played bass guitar on all songs, tracks, buttons and cues recorded by the Children's Television Workshop during Raposo's tenure. In addition, he was the bass player for Saturday Night Live from 1975 to 1980 and musical director and bassist for Dick Cavett's talk show in the early 1980s. He performed in pit orchestras for numerous Broadway shows including Jesus Christ Superstar, Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band: The Musical and many more. He recorded innumerable recording dates for television shows, films and jingles. He is among the most recorded bassists in history.[citation needed]
Along with Wes Montgomery's brother Monk, Cranshaw was among the early jazz bassists to trade his upright bass for an electric bass. He was criticized for this by jazz purists, although he was forced to switch by a back injury incurred in a serious auto accident.
Throughout his long career he also performed on hundreds of television shows and film and television scores.[citation needed] He appears in The Blue Note Story, a 90-minute documentary of the jazz label.
Cranshaw was also a founding member of the short-lived MJT + 3 (Modern Jazz Two) that included Frank Strozier on alto saxophone, Harold Mabern on piano, Willie Thomas on trumpet, and Walter Perkins on drums. The Chicago-based group produced several albums, a number for Vee-Jay Records. Another Cranshaw appearance, Shirley Scott and Stanley Turrentine's Blue Flames (1964), featuring Otis Finch, was recorded for Prestige Records. Cranshaw also played live shows for tap dancer Maurice Hines, along with friend and drummer Paul Goldberg.
Since the 1990s he worked for the musicians union in New York City as an advocate for the rights of jazz musicians. He fought for better pension plans for jazz musicians, to make sure they or their widows received the royalties owed them and for other related issues. Because of his work in television, film and on Broadway, Cranshaw was compensated financially in a way that many jazz musicians were not. He credited his involvement in the union as his way of trying to insure that his fellow jazz musicians receive the same treatment and financial compensation that he did because of his work in other genres and in other media.
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Melbourne Robert "Bob" Cranshaw (b. December 10, 1932, Chicago, Illinois – d. November 2, 2016, Manhattan, New York) was an American jazz bassist. His career spanned the heyday of Blue Note Records to his recent involvement with the Musicians Union. He is perhaps best known for his long association with Sonny Rollins. Cranshaw performed in Rollins' working band on and off for over five decades, starting with a live appearance at the 1959 Playboy jazz festival in Chicago and on record with the 1962 album The Bridge.
Some of Cranshaw's best-known performances include Lee Morgan's The Sidewinder and Grant Green's Idle Moments. Cranshaw also served as the sole session bassist to Sesame Street and The Electric Company songwriter and composer Joe Raposo, and played bass guitar on all songs, tracks, buttons and cues recorded by the Children's Television Workshop during Raposo's tenure. In addition, he was the bass player for Saturday Night Live from 1975 to 1980 and musical director and bassist for Dick Cavett's talk show in the early 1980s. He performed in pit orchestras for numerous Broadway shows including Jesus Christ Superstar, Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music, Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band: The Musical and many more. He recorded innumerable recording dates for television shows, films and jingles. He is among the most recorded bassists in history.
Along with Wes Montgomery's brother Monk, Cranshaw was among the early jazz bassists to trade his upright bass for an electric bass. He was criticized for this by jazz purists, although he was forced to switch by a back injury incurred in a serious auto accident.
Throughout his long career, he also performed on hundreds of television shows and film and television scores. He appears in The Blue Note Story, a 90-minute documentary of the jazz label.
Cranshaw was also a founding member of the short-lived MJT + 3 (Modern Jazz Two) that included Frank Strozier on alto saxophone, Harold Mabern on piano, Willie Thomas on trumpet, and Walter Perkins on drums. The Chicago-based group produced several albums, a number for Vee-Jay Records. Another Cranshaw appearance, Shirley Scott and Stanley Turrentine's Blue Flames (1964), featuring Otis Finch, was recorded for Prestige Records. Cranshaw also played live shows for tap dancer Maurice Hines, along with friend and drummer Paul Goldberg.
During the 1990s, Cranshaw worked for the musicians union in New York City as an advocate for the rights of jazz musicians. He fought for better pension plans for jazz musicians, to make sure they or their widows received the royalties owed them and for other related issues. Because of his work in television, film and on Broadway, Cranshaw was compensated financially in a way that many jazz musicians were not. He credited his involvement in the union as his way of trying to insure that his fellow jazz musicians receive the same treatment and financial compensation that he did because of his work in other genres and in other media.
Cranshaw died at the age of 83 on November 2, 2016 in Manhattan, New York from Stage IV cancer.
