Dud Bascomb

Wilbur Odell "Dud" Bascomb (May 16, 1916, Birmingham, Alabama – December 25, 1972, New York City)^[1] was an American jazz trumpeter, best known for his tenure with Erskine Hawkins.^[2] He was a 1979 inductee of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame.

Bascomb was born the youngest of a family of ten children, another of whom was future tenor saxophonist Paul Bascomb. He played piano as a child but settled on trumpet, and first played with Hawkins at the Alabama State Teachers' School (now Alabama State University) in 1932, where Hawkins led the Bama State Collegians band.^[1]

He remained in Hawkins's employ until 1944, and soloed with him on many of his most well-known recordings.^[1]

Bascomb eventually left Hawkins to play in his brother's septet, which became a big band later in the decade.^[1] He played briefly with Duke Ellington in 1947.^[1] In the 1950s, Bascomb played for three years at Tyle's Chicken Shack in New Jersey, leading a quintet which counted Lou Donaldson among its members. He toured Japan three times with Sam Taylor^[2] and Europe with Buddy Tate in the 1960s,^[1] in addition to touring and recording with James Brown. He recorded sparingly as a leader; his Savoy Records sessions in 1959-60 were not issued until 1986.

• James Brown, Out Of Sight (Smash, 1965)
• James Brown, Say It Loud I'm Black and I'm Proud (King, 1969)
• Freddie McCoy, Listen Here (Prestige, 1968)
• Buddy Tate, Buddy Tate and His Celebrity Club Orchestra (Black and Blue, 1969)
• Buddy Tate, Unbroken (MPS, 1970)

• Wilbur "Dud" Bascomb at Alabama Music Hall of Fame
• Official website of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame