Henry Franklin

For the English cricketer, see Henry Franklin (cricketer). For the English trade unionist, see Harry Franklin.

Henry Franklin
Franklin in 2018
Background information
Born	(1940-10-01) October 1, 1940 Los Angeles, California
Genres	Jazz
Occupation	Musician
Instrument	Double bass
Years active	1960–present
Labels	Black Jazz

Henry "Skipper" Franklin (born October 1, 1940) is an American jazz double bassist.

Biography

Franklin played on Hugh Masekela's 1968 number one single, "Grazing in the Grass," as well as with Masekela's band at the Monterey International Pop Festival in June 1967. In addition, Franklin has played and recorded with Gene Harris & the Three Sounds, Hampton Hawes, Freddie Hubbard, Bobbi Humphrey, Willie Bobo, Archie Shepp, O.C. Smith, Count Basie, Stevie Wonder and Al Jarreau. Franklin's recording—composed by Sanifu Al Hall, Jr.-- "Soft Spirit" was featured on the breakbeat compilation Tribe Vibes as it had been sampled by the musical group A Tribe Called Quest.

Encourage by his father, Sammy Franklin, a jazz trumpeter and bandleader, he studied with Al McKibbon and George Morrow and listening to Paul Chambers and Doug Watkins.

While attending the Manual Arts High School he played with his first professional band – the Roy Ayers Latin Jazz Quintet. Around that time, Franklin worked with Harold Land and Hampton Hawes. Years later he would tour Europe with Hawes and record five albums with him. In Los Angeles, Franklin also played with Ornette Coleman, Don Cherry, Billy Higgins and Scott LaFaro.

In 1968, after a year-long tour of the East Coast playing with Willie Bobo and working gigs on his days off with Archie Shepp, Lamont Johnson, Beaver Harris and Roswell Rudd, Hugh Masekela heard Henry play and made him an offer. Three and a half years later the two would collaborate on Grazing in the Grass.

He continued touring over the next few years, working internationally with singer O.C. Smith, The Three Sounds, Freddie Hubbard and Count Basie. Franklin collected another gold record with Stevie Wonder on Journey Through The Secret Life of Plants.

Working with John Carter and Bobby Bradford, he produced two albums: Self-Determination Music and Secrets.

With Dennis Gonzales, John Purcell and William Richardson he performed on five albums played extensively with Pharoah Sanders, Joe Williams, Sonny Rollins, Bobby Hutcherson, Sonny Fortune and Milt Jackson.

Franklin appears on more than 100 albums, with many of them produced under his leadership, and has also published a method book for all bass players entitled, Bassically Yours.

Discography

As leader

• The Skipper (Black Jazz, 1972)
• The Skipper at Home (Black Jazz, 1974)
• Tribal Dance (Catalyst, 1977)
• We Came to Play (Daagnim, 1985)
• Sakura with Steve Katsuyama, Tony Austin (WJ3, 2002)
• Ears Wide Open with Marc Seales, Steve Clover (Beezwax, 2003)
• Colemanology with Marc Seales, Steve Clover (Beezwax, 2004)
• All God's Children (Skipper Productions, 2005)
• If We Should Meet Again (Skipper, 2007)
• O, What a Beautiful Morning! (Skipper, 2008)
• Prayer for My Ancestors with Azar Lawrence, Nate Morgan, Alphonse Mouzon (Furthermore, 2008)
• Home Cookin (Skipper, 2009)
• The Soul of the World (SP, 2011)
• Shanghai with Bob Mocarsky (Skipper, 2011)

As sideman

With John Carter and Bobby Bradford

• Self Determination Music (Flying Dutchman, 1970)

With Dennis González

• Stefan (Silkheart, 1987)

With Hampton Hawes

• Blues for Walls (Prestige, 1973)

With Bobbi Humphrey

• Bobbi Humphrey Live: Cookin' with Blue Note at Montreux (Blue Note, 1973)

With Hugh Masekela

• Hugh Masekela Is Alive and Well at the Whisky (Uni, 1967)
• The Promise of a Future (Uni, 1968)
• Masekela (uncredited) (Uni, 1969)

With Julian Priester

• Love, Love (ECM, 1973)

With Freddie Redd

• Straight Ahead! (Interplay, 1977)

With Woody Shaw

• Song of Songs (Contemporary, 1972)

With The Three Sounds

• Soul Symphony (Blue Note, 1969)

External links

• Henry Franklin
• Wide Hive Records Henry Franklin Page
• Wide Hive Records "Perseverance" Page