Eugene Wright

Wright (at left with bass) performing with the Dave Brubeck Quartet in West Germany, 1967.

Wright was a cornetist at high school and led the 16-piece band Dukes of Swing in his 20s. He was largely self-taught on bass until his early 30s, when he studied privately with Paul Gregory and others.[3] Walter Page was Wright's idol.[2]

He became more successful at the peak of the swing era, with bandleaders including Count Basie and Erroll Garner. Playing with Billie Holiday and Charlie Parker, after the swing era ended, he demonstrated his versatility in bebop with such musicians as Sonny Stitt as well as in Latin jazz with Cal Tjader.[4]

He also played with Lonnie Simmons, Gene Ammons, and Arnett Cobb in the late '40s and early '50s, then worked with Buddy DeFranco from 1952 to 1955, touring Europe with him. He played in the Red Norvo trio in 1955 and toured Australia with them. He was featured in a film short with Charlie Barnet.[5]

Wright's highest profile association was with the Dave Brubeck Quartet, which he joined in 1958. He remained with Brubeck until 1968, as part of the classic line-up with Paul Desmond and Joe Morello, and featured in the quartet's standards "Take Five" and "Blue Rondo à la Turk". He recorded more than 30 albums with the group. Brubeck himself wrote that Wright "grounded the group", allowing them "to play other tempos and do polyrhythmic things and he wouldn’t budge from this grounded beat".[4]

In 1962, he performed in Dave and Iola Brubeck's jazz musical The Real Ambassadors, which featured vocals by Louis Armstrong and Carmen McRae; the work explored, through satire, the role of musicians as cultural ambassadors during the Cold War, and the racism Black jazz musicians often endured. When Wright joined the group, concert promoters would not allow a Black musician alongside the rest of the White quartet, but Brubeck would refuse to perform without him.[4][6]

After leaving Brubeck, Wright led his own ensemble on a tour of Black colleges in 1969 and 1970, then played with Monty Alexander's trio from 1971 to 1974.[5]

He became known as "The Senator" or "Senator Eugene Wright" among jazz musicians.[7][5] Known for nimble soloing as well as providing rhythmic backing,[4] he worked with many other musicians including Buddy Collette, Vince Guaraldi, Kenny Drew, Gerald Wiggins, Kai Winding, Dottie Dodgion, Jerry Dodgion, Lee Shaw, and Dorothy Donegan.[3]

In his later life, Wright headed the jazz department at the University of Cincinnati and the International Society of Bassists. He was the last surviving member of the classic Dave Brubeck Quartet line-up.[4] He died at an assisted living facility in Los Angeles on December 30, 2020, at the age of 97.[2]

• Eugene Wright at AllMusic
• Eugene Wright discography at Discogs
• Eugene Wright Interview NAMM Oral History Library (2014)