Leonard Gaskin
b. 25 August 1920, New York City, New York, USA. Gaskin first entered jazz at the deep end, playing bass in the regular rhythm section at Clark Monroe's Uptown House where bebop was forged in the early '40s. Among the musicians Gaskin backed there were Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. Despite his involvement with bebop, Gaskin was also in demand by mainstream jazz artists and played with such diverse groups as those led by Eddie South and Erroll Garner. In 1953 he recorded with Miles Davis and in 1956 joined the traditional line-up led by Eddie Condon. Throughout the '60s and beyond, Gaskin's versatility ensured him a successful career in the studios, from where he regularly emerged to play with many musicians including David ‘Panama’ Francis and Oliver Jackson. He also became a sought-after teacher.