Al McKibbon (January 1, 1919 - July 29, 2005) was an American jazz bassist, known for his work in bop, hard bop, and Latin jazz. January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... Year 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... July 29 is the 210th day (211th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 155 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jazz is a musical art form that originated in New Orleans at around the start of the 20th century. ... Paul Chambers, acclaimed jazz bassist A bassist is a musician who plays a double bass or electric bass (also referred to as bass guitar). ... Bebop or bop is a form of jazz characterized by fast tempos and improvisation based on harmonic structure rather than melody. ... Hard bop is an extension of bebop (bop) music which incorporates influences from rhythm and blues, gospel music, and blues, especially in the saxophone and piano playing. ... Latin jazz is the general term given to music that combines rhythms from African and Latin American countries with jazz harmonies from the United States. ...

In 1947, after working with Lucky Millinder, Tab Smith, J. C. Heard, and Coleman Hawkins, he replaced Ray Brown in Dizzy Gillespie's band, in which he played until 1950. In the 1950s he recorded with the Miles Davis nonet, Earl Hines, Count Basie, Johnny Hodges, Thelonious Monk, George Shearing, Cal Tjader, Herbie Nichols and Hawkins. McKibbon was credited with interesting Tjader in Latin music while he played in Tjader's group. Year 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ... Lucius Venable (Lucky) Millinder (August 8, 1900 – September 28, 1966) was an American rhythm and blues and swing bandleader and singer. ... Talmadge (Tab) Smith (1909–1971) was an American swing and rhythm and blues alto saxophonist. ... J. C. Heard (1917 - 1988) was a United States swing, bop, and blues drummer. ... Coleman Hawkins Coleman Randolph Hawkins, nicknamed Hawk and sometimes Bean, (November 21, 1901 or 1904 - May 19, 1969) was a prominent jazz tenor saxophone musician. ... Raymond Matthews (Ray) Brown (October 13, 1926 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania– July 2, 2002) was an American jazz bassist. ... John Birks Dizzy Gillespie (October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was born in Cheraw, South Carolina. ... The 1950s was the decade spanning from the 1st of January, 1950 to the 31st December, 1959. ... Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926 – September 28, 1991) was one of the most distinguished jazz musicians of the latter half of the 20th century. ... Earl Kenneth Hines, better known as Earl Hines or Fatha Hines (28 December 1903 near Pittsburgh – 22 April 1983 in Oakland, California) was a prominent jazz pianist. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Johnny Hodges in concert, Feb. ... Thelonious Sphere Monk (October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982) was a jazz pianist and composer. ... George Shearing George Shearing (born 13 August 1919 in London) is a well-known jazz pianist. ... Cal Tjader (July 16, 1925–May 5, 1982) was an American Latin jazz musician. ... Herbie Nichols (1919–1963) was an American jazz pianist and composer. ...

McKibbon has always been highly regarded (among other signs of this regard, he was the bassist for the Giants of Jazz), and continued to perform until 2004. In 1999, at age 80, he recorded his first album in his own name, Tumbao Para Los Congueros Di Mi Vida (Blue Lady Records), which was nominated for a Grammy for Best Latin Jazz Performance. McKibbon's second album, Black Orchid (Nine Yards Music), was released in 2004. He also wrote the Afterword to Raul Fernandez' book, Latin Jazz, part of the Smithsonian Institution's series of exhibitions on jazz. The Giants of Jazz was a jazz all-star group of the 1970s which featured Art Blakey, Dizzy Gillespie, Al McKibbon, Thelonious Monk, Sonny Stitt, and Kai Winding. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

• San Jose Mercury News report of death 30 July 2005

• Googled cache of Bassland article retrieved 18 June 2005

• Allmusic.com article on Al McKibbon

• http://extratv.warnerbros.com/cmp/presentations/99_grammy/ retrieved Aug. 5, 2005

• Frenandez, Raul. Latin Jazz: The Perfect Combination/La Combinacion Perfecta (Chronicle Books, 2002).