Oscar Pettiford
Oscar Pettiford (
1922 –
1960 was an
American bebop bassist and
cellist. In 1942 he joined the
Charlie Barnet band and in 1943 gained wider public attention after recording with
Coleman Hawkins on his "The Man I Love." He also recorded with
Earl Hines and Ben Webster around this time. He and
Dizzy Gillespie led a bop group in 1944. in 1945 Pettiford went with Hawkins to California, where he appeared in
The Crimson Canary, a mystery movie known for its jazz soundtrack. He then worked with
Duke Ellington from 1945 to 1948 and for
Woody Herman in 1949 before working mainly as a leader in the
1950s.
As a leader he inadvertently discovered Cannonball Adderley. After one of his musicians had tricked him into letting Adderley, an unknown music teacher, onto the stand, he had Adderley solo on a demanding piece, on which Adderley performed impressively.
He recorded extensively during the 1950s, including after he moved to Copenhagen in 1958.
He composed "Tricotism," "Laverne Walk," "Bohemia After Dark," and "Swingin' Till the Girls Come Home."