Dorothy Jeanne Thompson (August 6, 1932 – April 13, 1986), better known as Dorothy Ashby, was an American jazz harpist and composer.
Dorothy Thompson was born in Detroit. Her father, Wiley
Thompson, was a jazz guitarist, who would often bring home fellow musicians to
jam. Young Dorothy would be a part of some of these sessions, sitting in on
piano. She attended Detroit’s famed Cass Technical High School, where her
classmates included jazz
luminaries Kenny Burrell and Donald Byrd. Her early instruments were the sax and the bass before turning to the harp. She studied piano and music education at Wayne State University.
luminaries Kenny Burrell and Donald Byrd. Her early instruments were the sax and the bass before turning to the harp. She studied piano and music education at Wayne State University.
In 1952, Dorothy set out to make a living on the
competitive Detroit jazz scene. She easily could have found work as a pianist,
but she made the gutsy decision to concentrate on her beloved harp. The cats in
Detroit weren’t too keen on making the harp and its perceived ethereal, effete
sound part of a jazz combo. To overcome this resistance, Dorothy organized free
shows and played at dances and weddings with her harp-led
combo, which included her husband, John Ashby, on drums. Eventually she won doubters over and the gigs and recordings began to come with some regularity.
combo, which included her husband, John Ashby, on drums. Eventually she won doubters over and the gigs and recordings began to come with some regularity.
Being a jazz harpist presented many challenges for Ashby.
The improvisations and musical structures of jazz were more difficult to
execute on a harp than on other instruments, and even achieving the kind of
mastery that Ashby attained did little to undercut the prejudices of the
professional music business. Talking about the national scene, Ashby said that
"Often the harpists who got write-ups and the media coverage were very
pretty, and that seemed to be about all that they were interested in."
Even in her hometown of Detroit, where talent counted most, the notion of harp
as a jazz instrument was initially met with scepticism.
Her first full jazz LP, The Jazz Harpist, was recorded
for Savoy in 1957, with Frank Wess on flute, Eddie Jones and Wendell Marshall
on bass and Ed Thigpen on drums. The album was a mix of standards, such as
“Thou Swell” and “Stella by Starlight”, and Ms. Ashby’s originals. It was
critically well received, but the record buying public ignored it. Her next
album Hip Harp, (1958) on Prestige, was one her best, with Wess, Dave Brubeck’s
bassist Gene Wright and Art Taylor on drums. In all Dorothy led ten sessions
between 1957 and 1970 Atlantic, Cadet and many other labels. She also hosted a
jazz radio show in Detroit during the 1960s called "The Lab."
She was fearless in her musical choices as she played not
just bop, but soul, Brazilian, African, Middle Eastern and like her
contemporary (and other great jazz harpist) Alice Coltrane, free
jazz. Ashby pioneered the use of the Japanese koto in jazz on her 1970 album The Rubaiyat of Dorothy Ashby, which was somewhat maligned in its time, but has become appreciated as an iconoclastic marriage of soul, world music and free jazz.
jazz. Ashby pioneered the use of the Japanese koto in jazz on her 1970 album The Rubaiyat of Dorothy Ashby, which was somewhat maligned in its time, but has become appreciated as an iconoclastic marriage of soul, world music and free jazz.
Music was not Dorothy Ashby’s only love. In the ‘60’s
Dorothy and her husband formed a theatrical group in Detroit that produced
plays with theme’s relevant to the Motor City’s black community. The group went
by several names, the most common being “The Ashby Players”. Many of these
productions were musical, with John writing the scripts and Dorothy the music
and lyrics, as well as playing harp, piano and leading the musicians. In the
late ‘60’s the Ashbys moved to
California and continued their theatrical endeavours. Among the actors in their early California troupe was Ernie Hudson, of Ghostbusters fame.
California and continued their theatrical endeavours. Among the actors in their early California troupe was Ernie Hudson, of Ghostbusters fame.
Dorothy also sought work as a harpist in the Los Angeles
area recording studios in the early ‘70’s, which was no small feat considering
that there were quite a few harpists out there already. However, she had made
the acquaintance of singer Bill Withers, who used her on his classic +Justments
album. Bill introduced Dorothy to Stevie Wonder,
who happened to be working on the sessions that would become Songs in the Key of Life. He had written a tune that was meant to be a duet between himself and a harpist. Stevie had Alice Coltrane in mind, but she was unavailable at the time of the recording session. So instead, he called Dorothy Ashby. Those who don’t know another thing about Ms. Ashby’s music know her unforgettable performance on “If it’s Magic”.
who happened to be working on the sessions that would become Songs in the Key of Life. He had written a tune that was meant to be a duet between himself and a harpist. Stevie had Alice Coltrane in mind, but she was unavailable at the time of the recording session. So instead, he called Dorothy Ashby. Those who don’t know another thing about Ms. Ashby’s music know her unforgettable performance on “If it’s Magic”.
That performance opened studio doors for Dorothy. Jazz
was struggling in the late ‘70’s but Dorothy was very busy, recording with
artist such as Earth, Wind and Fire (All ‘n All), The Emotions, Rick James and
The Gap Band. Though she would not record
another album as a leader, she continued to work steadily until her death from cancer on April 13, 1986, in Santa Monica, California. She was 53.
another album as a leader, she continued to work steadily until her death from cancer on April 13, 1986, in Santa Monica, California. She was 53.
Ashby's Cadet albums have come to be viewed as among the
best early examples of acid jazz, and now fetch eye-watering prices among
collectors. Breaks and rhythm tracks from the superb Richard Evans arrangements
have become favourites for sampling and remix artists.
(Edited mainly from thejazzarts.org)
4 comments:
Today's Celebrity was suggested by egroj.
For “DOROTHY ASHBY - Four Classic Albums Plus” go here:
CD1
https://www.upload.ee/files/12108785/Dorothy_Ashby_CD1.rar.html
Jazz Harpist
1-1 Thou Swell 3:59
1-2 Stella By Starlight 3:06
1-3 Dancing On The Ceiling 7:28
1-4 Aeolian Groove 4:13
1-5 Quietude 2:48
1-6 Spicy 3:38
1-7 Lamentation 3:58
Hip Harp
1-8 Pawky 7:04
1-9 Moonlight In Vermont 5:14
1-10 Back Talk 5:03
1-11 Dancing In The Dark 4:42
1-12 Charmaine 4:01
1-13 Jollity 3:34
1-14 There's A Small Hotel 5:49
In A Minor Groove
1-15 Rascallity 3:52
1-16 You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To 3:56
1-17 It's A Minor Thing 3:55
CD2
https://www.upload.ee/files/12108822/Dorothy_Ashby_CD2.rar.html
2-1 Yesterdays 4:21
2-2 Bohemia After Dark 6:17
2-3 Taboo 6:13
2-4 Autumn In Rome 5:30
2-5 Alone Together 4:58
Dorothy Ashby
2-6 Lonely Melody 3:46
2-7 Secrete Love 3:32
2-8 Gloomy Sunday 2:35
2-9 Satin Doll 4:41
2-10 John R 3:14
2-11 Li'l Darlin' 4:29
2-12 Booze 2:10
2-13 Django 4:33
2-14 You Stepped Out Of A Dream 2:56
2-15 Stranger In Paradise 3:18
5 Tracks From "Soft Winds"
2-16 The Man I Love 2:58
2-17 My Ship 3:44
2-18 Love Is Here To Stay 2:44
2-19 I've Never Been In Love Before 2:25
2-20 Laura 3:05
Below is a selected discography found on egrojs world blog All the links are active. So give egroj a visit
https://egrojworld.blogspot.com/search/label/Dorothy%20Ashby
(1958) Dorothy Ashby • Dorothy Ashby Plays For Beautiful People
(1961) Dorothy Ashby • Soft Winds
(1966) Dorothy Ashby • The Fantastic Jazz Harp Of Dorothy Ashby
(1968) Dorothy Ashby • Afro Harping
(1969) Dorothy Ashby • Dorothy's Harp
(1970) Dorothy Ashby - The Rubaiyat Of Dorothy Ashby
(1972) Dorothy Ashby • The Best Of Dorothy Ashby
(1984) Dorothy Ashby • Concierto de Aranjuez
(1984) Dorothy Ashby - Django Misty
(2015) Dorothy Ashby • Blue Haze
(2015) Dorothy Ashby • Jazz After Midnight
;)
Hey Bob,
In the photo of Dorothy and her husband and child, Ray McKinney is the bassist. Haven't seen that pic before!
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