orig. James Blanton
born October 1918, Chattanooga, Tenn., U.S.
died July 30, 1942, Monrovia, Calif.
U.S. jazz musician.
He joined Duke Ellington 's orchestra as a string bass player in 1939. Blanton's buoyant rhythmic approach and harmonic subtlety provided a supple, relaxed sense of swing for the band. His unprecedented dexterity, tone, and intonation enabled him to execute a melodic conception of the role of the bass in jazz, demonstrated on recordings made with Ellington such as "Jack the Bear" and "Pitter Panther Patter." His revolutionary technique changed jazz bass playing and became the major influence on subsequent bassists. He died of tuberculosis.