Bob Cranshaw Honored as a “Giant of Jazz”

Bob Cranshaw will be honored at the upcoming “Giants of Jazz” concert to be held in South Orange, New Jersey. The Giants of Jazz focuses on celebrating under appreciated players in jazz, and Cranshaw is surely in that category.

In addition to working with legendary saxophonist Sonny Rollins on and off for over 50 years, Cranshaw was the house bassist for the Saturday Night Live Band during the show’s formative years, the sole session bassist for Sesame Street, and was a leading force in introducing the electric bass into jazz.

“People tend to focus on horn and piano players in jazz,” says Giants of Jazz founder John Lee (also a bassist). “But he was really the first bass player to bring electric bass to the forefront of jazz, and he’s still playing that today.”

The December 4th concert will take place at the South Orange Middle School, and will include over two dozen musicians, with fellow jazz bass legend Ron Carter as well as Jimmy Heath, Paquito D’Rivera and Roy Hargrove.

Cranshaw, who is an advocate for fellow musicians through his work with the Jazz Foundation of America, is humbled by the award. “I never look for credit; with music, I try to give back,” he said. “I’m just putting back into a pot I’ve taken a lot out of.”