Melbourne Robert Cranshaw (December 10, 1932 â November 2, 2016) was an American jazz bassist. His career spanned the heyday of Blue Note Records as a house bassist. He is known for his long association with Sonny Rollins, starting with a live appearance at the 1959 Playboy jazz festival in Chicago and Rollins's 1962 album The Bridge.
Cranshaw died at the age of 83 on November 2, 2016, in Manhattan, New York, of cancer.
Cranshaw was born Dec. 10, 1932 in Evanston, Illinois. His parents were of Madagascan and Native American descent. His father, Stanley Irvine Cranshaw, was a jazz drummer from Kansas City who moved to Evanston and worked as an electrician. Bob's brother Stanley Jr. became a jazz pianist. Their adopted brother Emanuel became a vibraphonist.
In a 2016 interview with The New York Times, Rollins called Cranshaw "impeccable" and said that he "played with probably every musician in New York." In addition to five decades of collaboration with Rollins, Cranshaw contributed to Lee Morgan's "The Sidewinder" and Joe HendersonâÂÂs âÂÂInner Urge.âÂÂ
Cranshaw performed with Wes Montgomery, Coleman Hawkins, Johnny Hodges, Horace Silver, McCoy Tyner, Thelonious Monk, Jimmy Heath, James Moody, Buddy Rich, George Shearing, Joe Williams, Ella Fitzgerald, and Oscar Peterson. He also collaborated with musicians outside of jazz, including Paul Simon, Barry Manilow, Eddie Kendricks, Judy Collins, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton, Dolly Parton, Marvin Gaye, James Brown, and Debbie Gibson.
Cranshaw had an extensive career in television. He was a member of the first band for Saturday Night Live, and the bands backing the broadcasts of Dick Cavett and Merv Griffin. Cranshaw played for three decades with Joe Raposo composing music for Sesame Street.
He was an active supporter of the Jazz Foundation of America and the American Federation of Musicians.
With Pepper Adams
With Nat Adderley
With Eric Alexander
With Mose Allison
With Gene Ammons
With Carole Bayer Sager
With Kenny Barron
With George Benson
With Walter Bishop Jr.
With Paul Bley
With Jonathan Butler
With Jaki Byard
With Donald Byrd
With Betty Carter
With Ray Charles
With Johnny Coles
With Judy Collins
With Hank Crawford
With Sonny Criss
With Frank Foster
With George Freeman
With Debbie Gibson
With Dexter Gordon
With Bunky Green
With Grant Green
With Grachan Moncour III
With Friedrich Gulda
With Slide Hampton
With Barry Harris
With Eddie Harris
With Hampton Hawes
With Coleman Hawkins
With Jimmy Heath
With Joe Henderson
With Maurice Hines
With Johnny Hodges
With Bobby Hutcherson
With Milt Jackson
With Willis Jackson
With Howard Johnson and Gravity
With J. J. Johnson
With Quincy Jones
With Clifford Jordan
With Eddie Kendricks
With Morgana King
With Eric Kloss
With Irene Kral
With Yusef Lateef
With Mike Longo
With Johnny Lytle
With Junior Mance
With Barry Manilow
With Jack McDuff
With Jimmy McGriff
With Jackie McLean
With Carmen McRae
With MJT + 3
With Hank Mobley
With Grachan Moncur III
With Wes Montgomery
With James Moody
With Lee Morgan
With Oliver Nelson
With Duke Pearson
With Houston Person
With Esther Phillips
With Dave Pike
With Sonny Red
With Leon Redbone
With Irene Reid
With Max Roach
With Sonny Rollins
With Charlie Rouse
With Lalo Schifrin
With Shirley Scott
With Wayne Shorter
With Horace Silver
With Paul Simon
With Frank Sinatra
With Jimmy Smith
With Rod Stewart
With Billy Taylor
With Clark Terry and Bob Brookmeyer
With Bobby Timmons
With Stanley Turrentine
With McCoy Tyner
With Harold Vick
With Cedar Walton
With Cris Williamson
With Joe Williams
With Mary Lou Williams
With Victoria Williams
With Larry Willis
With Gerald Wilson
With Jack Wilson
With Reuben Wilson
With Kai Winding
With The Young Lions
With Joe Zawinul