Advisor

Applegate, Erik

Committee Member

White, Jim

Committee Member

Caffey, H. David

Committee Member

Kovalcheck, Steve

Department

College of Performing and Visual Arts; School of Music, Jazz Studies

Institution

University of Northern Colorado

Type of Resources

Text

Place of Publication

Greeley (Colo.)

Publisher

University of Northern Colorado

Date Created

5-2020

Extent

359 pages

Digital Origin

Born digital

Abstract

This study focuses on the career of Bob Cranshaw by examining his musical attributes and his leadership within the jazz community. Cranshaw’s career exceeded sixty years and yielded more than 400 recordings with artists such as Sonny Rollins, Ella Fitzgerald, James Brown, Paul Simon, Rod Stewart, Dexter Gordon, and numerous others. His career is examined using recordings, interviews, articles, discographies, and other publications. Biographical information about Cranshaw’s upbringing, education, military service, and family dynamic offers perspective on how he established himself as a professional bassist and clarifies certain important decisions regarding his work. A timeline of Cranshaw’s career is constructed using discographies, articles, and interviews to show the development of his professional life. New interviews with Cranshaw, his colleagues, and his students further illuminate the range and scope of his work musically and non-musically. The identification of important events and key elements in Cranshaw’s professional and personal life makes it possible to better understand how and why he achieved success. In so doing, this study recognizes Cranshaw’s significant place in jazz history.

Degree type

PhD

Degree Name

Doctoral

Local Identifiers

Lewis_unco_0161D_10839.pdf

Rights Statement

Copyright is held by the author.

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