Al McKibbon
b. Alfred Benjamin McKibbon, 1 January 1919, Chicago, Illinois, USA. After playing bass in various mid-west bands in the late '30s and early '40s, McKibbon moved to Nw York where he established a solid reputaion with leaders of large and small bands, such as Lucky Millinder and Coleman Hawkins. His musical interests were, however, moving away from such late swing era stylists and from the late '40s he became a prominent member of important bop groups including Dizzy Gillespie's big band and the studio band assembled for the Miles Davis- Gil Evans BIRTH OF THE COOL sessions. He also worked with Thelonious Monk but maintained his connection with the mainstream and in 1951 joined George Shearing's quintet for a seven-year stint. Throughout the '60s and succeeding decades, McKibbon played and recorded with leading jazzmen, including Monk, Benny Carter and Gillespie. A meticulous sense of time, allied to a robust style has made McKibbon a much sought-after session musicain, able to adapt readily to mainstream and bop demands.