- Ronnie Boykins
Infobox musical artist
Name = Ronnie Boykins
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Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
Birth_name = Ronald Boykins
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Born = birth date|1935|12|17|mf=y
Died = death date and age|1980|4|20|1935|12|17|mf=y
Origin = flagicon|USAChicago, Illinois , U.S.
Instrument =Double Bass
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Genre =Jazz
Occupation = Bassist
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Associated_acts =Sun Ra
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Notable_instruments =Ronnie Boykins (
December 17 ,1935 -April 20 ,1980 ) was ajazz bassist and is best known for his work with pianist/bandleaderSun Ra , although he had played with such disparate musicians asMuddy Waters ,Johnny Griffin , andJimmy Witherspoon prior to joining Sun Ra's Arkestra.He joined the Arkestra during the
Chicago period, travelled with them toCanada and then toNew York City . Boykins has been described as "the pivot around which much of Sun Ra's music revolved for 8 years". [cite book | last=Wilmer|first=Val | title=As Serious as your life | publisher=Quartet | year=1977 | id=ISBN 0-7043-3164-0]This is especially pronounced on the key recordings from 1965 (
The Magic City ,The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra, Volume One andThe Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra, Volume Two ) where the intertwining lines of Boykins' bass and Ra's electronickeyboards provide the cohesion. He was a regular member of Sun Ra's band from 1958 until 1966, and occasionally thereafter up to 1973.His percussive bass style inspired and formed the foundation of many Ra compositions.Fact|date=February 2008
Like his fellow Sun Ra bandmates,
John Gilmore andPat Patrick ,Boykins attendedChicago 'sDuSable High School and studied under its famed music teacher "Captain"Walter Dyett . He also studied withErnie Shepard , who would later work withDuke Ellington .Before joining Ra, Boykins had joined with a
trombonist friend to open a private club --The House of Culture -- with the intent of promoting black culture.Boykins' arco solo on Sun Ra's "
Rocket No. 9 Take Off for Planet Venus " from 1959 may be the first recorded example of the bass being played in a horn-like manner within a relatively free context, predating similar work byAlan Silva andDavid Izenzon . Boykins worked with both free and straight-ahead musicians.In 1962, he recorded with the hard
bop tenor saxophonist Bill Barron and, the next year, withpianist Elmo Hope . Boykins worked with tenor saxophonistArchie Shepp 'sNew York Contemporary Five in 1964. Boykins left Ra in 1966, ostensibly to pursue more lucrative opportunities; Ra had a difficult time finding a replacement, at times settling for playing his own bass lines on keyboard.In 1967, Boykins also recorded with
Rahsaan Roland Kirk on his album "Now Please Don't You Cry, Beautiful Edith ". In the late '60s, he formed his own group,the Free Jazz Society , which included thepianist John Hicks.In the '70s, Boykins played with the
Melodic Art-tet , a cooperativefree jazz ensemble that also includeddrummer Roger Blank ,saxophonist Charles Brackeen , andtrumpeter Ahmed Abdullah .In 1975, the bassist led a session for
ESP Disk that produced his self-titled LP,The Will Come, Is Now .In 1979 he played with
Steve Lacy andDennis Charles onNew York Capers and Quirks . In the course of his career, Boykins also worked withMary Lou Williams ,Marion Brown , andSarah Vaughan , among others.He died of a heart attack in 1980 at the age of 45.
His son,
Ronnie Boykins Jr. is afilm maker ,film editor andmusic producer . He scored the feature film "Urchin (film) " [http://www.urchinthemovie.com] '.ideman appearances
Among his sideman recordings, he appeared on recordings of:
*Marion Brown
*Johnny Griffin
*Elmo Hope
*Rahsaan Roland Kirk
*Steve Lacy
*Sam Rivers
*Charles Tyler [ [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:fzfwxqt5ldfe~T4 allmusic ((( Ronnie Boykins > Credits ))) ] ]
*Sarah Vaughan
*Muddy Waters
*Mary Lou Williams
*Jimmy WitherspoonReferences
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