Monty Budwig

Monty Budwig
Birth nameMonte Rex Budwig
Born(1929-12-26)December 26, 1929
Pender, Nebraska, United States
DiedMarch 9, 1992(1992-03-09) (aged 62)
Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, California
GenresJazz
OccupationMusician
InstrumentDouble bass

Monte Rex Budwig (December 26, 1929 – March 9, 1992) was a West Coast jazz double bassist, professionally known as Monty Budwig.

Early life

Monte Rex Budwig was born in Pender, Nebraska, on December 26, 1929.[1] His parents were musical.[2] He began playing bass during high school, and continued in military bands while he was enlisted in the Air Force for three years.[3]

Later life and career

In 1954, Budwig moved to Los Angeles and performed and recorded under the name Monty Budwig with jazz musicians including Carmen McRae, Barney Kessel, Woody Herman, Red Norvo, and Shelly Manne.[3] Budwig played with pianist Vince Guaraldi in the 1960s,[4] including on the pianist's album Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus.[5] Budwig was part of Benny Goodman's band for performances in New York, and a tour of Japan in 1964.[1] He also began his career as a studio musician in the 1960s, which encompassed film and television shows, with Steve Allen, Johnny Carson, Merv Griffin and Judy Garland.[1] Budwig taught jazz bassist Scott Colley, then a teenager.

Budwig toured Australia with Goodman in 1973.[1] He made another international tour in 1974, this time to South America with Carmen McRae.[1] His one recording as a leader was Dig, for Concord Records.[3] He died of liver cancer at home in Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, on March 9, 1992.[3][2] He had a son, Darin, with his first wife. He married his second wife, Arlette McCoy, in 1977. His stepson, Dean McCoy, is a teacher and drummer.[2] Arlette McCoy Budwig, a jazz pianist and teacher, died in 2013.[6]

Discography

As leader

  • Dig (Dobre Records DR1057, 1978)

As sideman

With Toshiko Akiyoshi

With Chet Baker and Bud Shank

With Gary Burton

With Herb Alpert

With Frank Butler

With Conte Candoli

With Betty Carter

With June Christy

With Rosemary Clooney

With Bob Cooper (musician)

  • For All We Know (Fresh Sound 1991)

With Sonny Criss

With Herb Ellis

With Bill Evans

With Stan Getz

With Vince Guaraldi

With Richie Kamuca and Bill Holman

With Stan Kenton

With Barney Kessel

With Jimmy Knepper

With Stan Levey

  • Stan Levey Quintet (Vap 1957)

With Julie London

With Junior Mance

With Shelly Manne

With Charles McPherson

With Lennie Niehaus

  • The Octet # 2 Vol. 3 (Contemporary 1991)

With Joe Pass

With Art Pepper

With Spike Robinson

  • Reminiscin (Dedicated to Monty Budwig) (Capri 1992)

With Spike Robinson and Harry "Sweets" Edison

  • Jusa Bit 'O' Blues (Capri 1989)
  • Jusa Bit 'O' Blues Vol. 2 (Capri 1990)

With Shorty Rogers

With Bola Sete

With Bud Shank

With Zoot Sims

With Ira Sullivan

With Supersax

  • Supersax & L.A. Voices - The Complete Edition (CBS 1990)

With Cal Tjader

With Sarah Vaughan

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Feather, Leonard; Gitler, Ira (1999). The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz. Oxford University Press. pp. 92–93. ISBN 978-0-19-507418-5.His full birthname was Monte Rex Budwig, although he performed and recorded as Monty Budwig.
  2. ^ a b c "Monty Budwig, 62; Veteran L.A. Jazz Bass Player". Los Angeles Times. March 11, 1992.
  3. ^ a b c d Yanow, Scott. "Monty Budwig". AllMusic. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
  4. ^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 614. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
  5. ^ Ginnell, Richard S. "Vince Guaraldi / Vince Guaraldi Trio: Cast Your Fate to the Wind: Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus". AllMusic. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
  6. ^ Gourse, Leslie, (1995), Madame Jazz: Contemporary Women Instrumentalists, Oxford University Press, p. 242, ISBN 0-19-508696-1