Earl May

Earl Charles Barrington May (September 17, 1927 – January 4, 2008) was an American jazz bassist. Allmusic described him as "one of the most prodigious and prolific bassists of the postwar era". He "played left-handed on an instrument strung for a right-handed player". His earliest music influences came from his family. His father, Vernon May, was a classically trained vocalist who took May along with him to his rehearsals. Alongside this, his extended family lived in Jamaica, Queens, where he discovered he wanted to play music. As a child, he played the drums and changed to the acoustic bass at the age of 14. May’s rebellion was prominent, stating that "I would play right-handed. And when he wouldn’t look I would play left handed. Then he would stop the band — ‘get on the other side!’ So it took me a while before I decided, well I don’t know what side to stand on, I’m more comfortable playing left handed, but I’d never heard of a left handed bass player. But I decided to just stay [with playing back-to-front] and make myself comfortable."

He adapted full-time to this playstyle in his time with Billy Taylor, influenced by the burden traveling put on him.

As a leader Following his prolific and high-demand career as a bassist, May formed his own quintet in early 2000. Following an invite to play the Shanghai Jazz Club with trumpeter Spanky Davis, he began to enlist a crew of New York Jazz musicians whom he knew.

Once assembled, the group featured Catherine Russell on vocals, Larry Ham on piano, Eddie Locke on drums, and David Glasser on sax The group recorded one album, Live At Shanghai Jazz - introducing Catherine Russell, featuring a mix of original compositions, and some standards, including A Night In Tunisia. May remarked at the uniqueness of the quartets compositions. Their composition of new, younger players mixed with two old-time swingers gave them a “Modern Jazz Quartet kind of swing”.

As sideman With Mose Allison Wild Man on the Loose (Atlantic, 1965) With George Benson 20/20 (Warner Bros., 1985) With Carmen Bradford Finally Yours (Amazing, 1992) With Charles Brown One More for the Road (Blue Side, 1986) All My Life (Bulls Eye Blues, 1990)