Tribute to bassist Earl May "Super Earl Day"

by Lawri Lala Moore

“He would take gigs and play with anybody--singers, R&B bands, I mean everybody--for whatever they wanted to pay and it used to get me so mad!” said legendary pianist Barry Harris about bassist Earl May who passed on 4 January 2008, and who along with drummer Leroy Williams comprised the Barry Harris Trio. “But that was the kind of person he was. He was really a beautiful person.” The Homecoming Service at Bethany Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey was filled with the who’s who in the jazz community, including Dr. Billy Taylor, Russell Malone, Frank Foster, Eddie Locke, Larry Ham, Winard Harper, Slyde Hampton, Bertha Hope, Pete Malinverni, Sheila Anderson, Yvette Glover, Leroy Williams, Ron Carter, Danny Mixon, Lee Hudson, David Glasser, Murray Wall and many others. All had come to pay a special tribute to the man who according to most “never said a bad word about anybody.” So many people turned out that the service was delayed nearly 45 minutes as guests continued to arrive. Earl May’s family exuded the same warmth and love that he did. One of his daughters announced at the beginning of the service that “We’re not gonna cry; no tears; we gonna hip walk through it.” She was making reference to Earl’s penchant for walking in a style popularized by African-American men, which he could do with more swagger than anyone I’ve seen—the dip, the arm swinging back, and the smoothness of which he did all that, oozing hipness and cool. All the while, his face would beam with a smile so genuine and real, that the combination of the “hip walk” and his smile would bring roars of laughter from anyone watching. Even now I can see his smile. Performing in the Barry Harris Ensemble, which encompasses nearly 40 chorus singers, we often find ourselves squeezed onto a small stage. Leroy and Earl would often be blocked from the audience’s view when the choir took the stage. As one of the taller members, I’m usually in one of the back rows, also unable to be seen by the audience, but close to the bass and drums. When you can’t make eye contact with the audience, you do so with the other musicians. How many times did I look back at Earl and Leroy and smile; the one that says “ain’t this fun.” Earl’s reaction was always immediate, a radiant smile that seemed to say not only, ‘yes this is fun, but this is the best place to be right now’. It was special. It’s still hard to believe that he won’t be there, smiling. Even at his funeral service I half expected to see him come in with his bass, ready to do the gig. The last time I spoke to Earl May he was encouraging me to get my husband Rossano Sportiello (based in Italy) to give him a call the next time he was in the United States. He loved Rossano’s playing and wanted to introduce him to people in the music business to increase his network of colleagues. That was also Earl. He gave to others without expecting anything in return. I can’t recall if it was Billy Taylor or Barry Harris who said it, but the comment captured the essence of Earl’s modest, yet generous character. He said, “Earl May was a man who would literally give you the shirt off his back, if he thought you needed it.” For those who are interested in attending, a tribute to Earl May is scheduled for Monday, 4 February 2008, 7:00pm at St. Peter’s Church at 619 Lexington Avenue at 54th Street, New York, NY, 212-935-2200 (www.saintpeters.org). Biographical Information Earl May was born in Bellevue Hospital on 17 September, 1927, and grew up in the New York area, including Jamaica, Long Island, Harlem and the Bronx. He attended Ben Franklin High School, where he wanted to continue studying the drums, but the class was too full and he was sent to the bass class. His first professional gig was in the Bronx at the 845 Club where the great Louis Armstrong told him “Keep it up. You’re doing fine.” Earl honed his craft in places like Minton’s Playhouse with musicians such as Lester Young and Mercer Ellington. He was also a protégé of the legendary Charles Mingus. In 1951 he joined the Billy Taylor Trio and appeared regularly in clubs such as the Hickory House, Birdland and the Downbeat Club. During that period, Earl also worked with Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, and recorded the classic “Lush Life” with John Coltrane. Earl left the Billy Taylor Trio in 1959 to form his own group and act as musical director and arranger for Gloria Lynne. During the mid-sixties, Earl took up the electric bass and led a quartet at the New York Playboy Club. The Earl May Quartet rapidly became the epitome of great music in the New York club scene. Over the years, Earl performed with Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Foster, Cab Calloway, Tommy Flanagan, Linda Hopkins, Doc Cheatham, Charles Brown, john Hendricks, Marlena Shaw, Ruth Brown, Winard Harper and Phyllis Hyman to name a few. He was also featured with the Barry Harris Trio. Early had many fans in the New York swing scene, having played with the Junior Mance Trio, Benny Powell’s “The Gift of Love” Quintet and with this own Quartet. Earl May has an extensive discography and was included on more than 200 recordings. His most recent work was his own “Swinging the Blues” on Arbors Records? Earl was never one for grandstanding solos and was definitely a team player. He genuinely benefited from doing things for other people and helping others was a core value, both on and off the bandstand. When not playing or recording, Earl loved sharing his music and playing at senior homes around the city, and since 2005, he brought his music and love to the patients at Englewood Hospital. Earl is survived by his wife, daughters, grandchildren, great-granddaughter and a host of nieces, nephews and extended family members. As he approached the 8th decade of his life, Earl was disturbed by the fact that jazz music was not reaching many of the inner city neighborhoods. He was attempting to bring Jazz-mobile to the City of Newark, New Jersey, and envisioned taking it to Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and other major cities in the country. On behalf of Earl May, the family has requested that donations be made in his honour to Jazz-mobile.