Hughart, Jim (28th July 1936-Present)

He is a bass player, recording engineer and composer born James David Hughart in Minneapolis, Minnesota to a family where his father was the bassist Fritz Hughart who performed with the Minneapolis and San Diego symphonies and his mother’s family were professional musicians and teachers including being the sister of the jazz bassists Biddy and Billy Bastien.

In 1953 he started out as a musician and in 1957 earned his BA degree from the University of Minnesota. After he graduated he went into his military service and performed with the Seventh Army Symphony Orchestra throughout Europe.

After serving for two years he returned to civilian life and the bassist Ray Brown recommended him to become a member of Ella Fitzgerald’s touring band. He remained with the band for three years and soon he was turning his concentration on being a recording musician.

He moved to Los Angeles in 1964 and studied the electric bass with the session musician Carol Kaye. He also performed as a sideman for artists such as Tom Waits and Joe Pass and worked with Frank Sinatra for about 5 years in the 1980s followed by about eight and a half years with Natalie Cole.

Over time he became a very sought after session musician who has performed on TV shows, in excess of 300 film scores and more than 200 albums.

His work has seen him playing for numerous artists during his career that include Alessi Brothers, Steve Allen, David Axelrod, Louis Bellson, Tim Buckley, Dennis Budimir, Vikki Carr, Keith Carradine, Shaun Cassidy, Roy Clark, Stanley Clarke, Rosemary Clooney, Ray Conniff, Don Costa, Count Basie, Blossom Dearie, Nick De Caro, Michael Feinstein, Leif Garrett, Joao Gilberto, Lani Hall, Bill Henderson, Milt Jackson, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Barney Kessel, Peggy Lee, Henry Mancini, Barry Manilow, Carmen McRae, Mike Melvoin, Bette Midler, Liza Minnelli, Wayne Newton, The Partridge Family, Nelson Riddle, Johnny Rivers, Carole Bayer Sager, Nina Simone, Edwin Starr, Van Dyke Parks, Paul Williams and many others.

Just a small selection of the albums he has worked on include Just You and Me by Herb Alpert, Gracias a la Vida by Joan Baez, Chapter Two: Hasta Siempre by Gato Barbieri, 15 Big Ones/Love You by The Beach Boys, Snowflakes by Toni Braxton, Porgy & Bess by Ray Charles and Cleo Laine, Unforgettable…With Love by Natalie Cole, Celine Dion by Celine Dion, Ella & Duke at the Cote D’Azur by Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington, A Christmas to Remember by Amy Grant, Beauty on a Back Street by Daryl Hall & John Oates, The Christmas Album by The Manhattan Transfer, Hits by Joni Mitchell, Head by The Monkees, Rhapsody in Blue by Walter Murphy, Time Is On My Side by Tracy Nelson, Aaron Neville’s Soulful Christmas by Aaron Neville, The Man Behind the Music by Claus Ogerman, Summer Nights, Les Incontournables and Resonance by Joe Pass, Sessions 4 U by Lou Rawls, What’s New by Linda Ronstadt, My Time: The Anthology (1969-1997) by Boz Scaggs, The Christmas Collection and Live from Las Vegas by Frank Sinatra, Magic Voices by The Singers Unlimited and The Heart of Saturday Night, Mainstreet and Foreign Affairs by Tom Waits along with many collections, compilations and soundtracks.

He has written music for television and film and three years running was awarded the Most Valuable Player Award for string bass by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, later receiving the MVP Emeritus Award for string bass in 1987.

In the field of musical education he has held many college workshops and clinics.

Joan Baez recordings
Guantanamera (Jose Marti/Pete Seeger/Hector Angulo)
(A&M 1516-S, 2634-S) (US 45)

Sources:

Hughart, Jim (28th July 1936-Present)

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