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Al McKibbon

1919 – 2005

American musician

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About Al McKibbon

Lived 1919 – 2005 (aged 86). Al McKibbon was an American jazz musician, bassist and musician.

Al McKibbon (January 1, 1919 – July 29, 2005) was an American jazz double bassist, known for his work in bop, hard bop, and Latin jazz.

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, Mongo Santamaria, George Shearing, Cal Tjader, Herbie Nichols and Hawkins. McKibbon was credited with interesting Tjader in Latin music while he played in Shearing's group.

In 1999, the first album in his own name, Tumbao Para Los Congueros De Mi Vida, was released. McKibbon's second album, Black Orchid, was released in 2004.

Discography

As leader Tumbao Para Los Congueros De Mi Vida (Blue Lady, 1999) Black Orchid (Departure Records, 2004)

As sideman

With Nat Adderley To the Ivy League from Nat (EmArcy, 1956) With Lorez Alexandria Alexandria the Great (Impulse!, 1964) More of the Great Lorez Alexandria (Impulse!, 1964) With The Byrds The Notorious Byrd Brothers (Columbia Records, 1968) With Nat King Cole Nat King Cole Sings/George Shearing Plays (Capitol, 1962) With Sonny Criss Sonny's Dream (Birth of the New Cool) (Prestige, 1968) With Miles Davis Birth of the Cool (Capitol, 1957) With Victor Feldman Latinsville! (Contemporary, 1960) With Dizzy Gillespie Carter, Gillespie Inc. (Pablo, 1976) with Benny Carter The Complete RCA Victor Recordings (Bluebird, 1995) With Coleman Hawkins The Coleman Hawkins, Roy Eldridge, Pete Brown, Jo Jones All Stars at Newport (Verve, 1957) With Johnny Hodges Castle Rock (Norgran, 1955) With The Jazz Crusaders Chile Con Soul (Pacific Jazz, 1965) With Charles Kynard and Buddy Collette Warm Winds (World Pacific, 1964) With Thelonious Monk Genius of Modern Music: Volume 2 (Blue Note, 1955) The Giants of Jazz (Atlantic) with Art Blakey, Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Stitt and Kai Winding (Atlantic, 1971) The London Sessions (Black Lion) with Art Blakey (1971) With Randy Newman 12 Songs (Reprise, 1970) With The Night Blooming Jazzmen The Night Blooming Jazzmen (1971) With Herbie Nichols The Prophetic Herbie Nichols Vol. 1 (Blue Note, 1955) The Prophetic Herbie Nichols Vol. 2 (Blue Note, 1955) Herbie Nichols Trio (Blue Note, 1956) With Shuggie Otis Here Comes Shuggie Otis (Epic, 1969) With Van Dyke Parks Discover America (Warner Bros., 1972) With Freddie Redd Live at the Studio Grill (Triloka, 1990) With Martha Reeves We Meet Again (Fantasy, 1978) With George Shearing Latin Escapade (1956) On the Sunny Side of the Strip (Capitol, 1960) With George Shearing and Dakota Staton In the Night (Capitol, 1958) With Frank Sinatra Sinatra and Swingin' Brass (Reprise, 1962) With Robert Stewart The Movement (Exodus, 2002) With Billy Taylor Piano Panorama (Atlantic, 1952) With Cal Tjader Cal Tjader, Vibist (Savoy, 1954) Cal Tjader Plays Afro-Cuban (Fantasy, 1955) Ritmo Caliente! (Fantasy, 1956) Tjader Plays Tjazz (Fantasy, 1956) Mas Ritmo Caliente (Fantasy, 1957) Latin for Lovers (Fantasy, 1958) Cal Tjader's Latin Concert (Fantasy, 1958) A Night at the Blackhawk (Fantasy, 1958) Cal Tjader Goes Latin (Fantasy, 1959) Cal Tjader's Concert by the Sea (Fantasy, 1959) Cal Tjader's Concert by the Sea, Vol. 2 (Fantasy, 1959) Demasiado Caliente (Fantasy, 1960) Cal Tjader Plays Harold Arlen (Fantasy, 1960) In a Latin Bag (Verve, 1961) Live at the Monterey Jazz Festival 1958-1980 (Concord, 2008) With Mel Tormé Right Now! (Columbia, 1966) With Jack Wilson The Jack Wilson Quartet featuring Roy Ayers (Atlantic, 1963)

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
Cass Technical High School

People in Al McKibbon's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Al McKibbon's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Al McKibbon?

American musician (1919–2005)

When was Al McKibbon born?

Al McKibbon was born on 1 January 1919 in Chicago.

When did Al McKibbon die?

Al McKibbon died on 29 July 2005 in Los Angeles.

What was Al McKibbon's occupation?

Al McKibbon was a jazz musician, bassist and musician.

What nationality was Al McKibbon?

Al McKibbon was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Al McKibbon

· Wikidata: Q720184

· DBpedia: Al McKibbon

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Al McKibbon. https://biography.guide/al-mckibbon/

MLA: "Al McKibbon." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/al-mckibbon/.

Chicago: "Al McKibbon." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/al-mckibbon/.

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