John Goldsby

by Al CampbellSteeped in the tradition of Jimmy Blanton and Oscar Pettiford, bassist John Goldsby was born and raised in Louisville, KY. During his early musical training, he played numerous instruments, including piano, guitar, and electric bass, before taking up the double bass at 18. At the time, Goldsby was working gigs with national acts traveling through his hometown that included Jimmy Rainey and Helen Humes. In 1980, he moved to New York and began developing associations with John Hicks, Benny Bailey, and Bob Wilber. In 1988, 1990, and 1993, Goldsby received jazz grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, which funded the John Goldsby plays Oscar Pettiford concerts to critical acclaim. Goldsby spent several years as a jazz educator, teaching in Germany while working with the WDR (westdeutscher rundfunk) big band setting up television and radio projects with American musicians traveling through Europe. He has written two instructional method books: Bowing Techniques for the Improvising Bassist and Bass Notes. Goldsby has been involved in various recordings over the years and released his first date, Tale of the Fingers, in 1993 on Concord.