Ben Tucker

For the nineteenth-century American anarchist, see Benjamin Tucker.

Benjamin M. "Ben" Tucker (December 13, 1930 - June 4, 2013) was an American jazz bassist who appeared on hundreds of recordings. Tucker played on albums by Art Pepper, Billy Taylor, Quincy Jones, Grant Green, Dexter Gordon, Hank Crawford, Junior Mance, and Herbie Mann.

He was born in Tennessee. As bass player in the Dave Bailey Quintet in 1961, he wrote the original instrumental version of the song "Comin' Home Baby!", first issued on the album Two Feet in the Gutter. Bob Dorough later wrote a lyric to the song, and the vocal version became a Top 40 hit for American jazz singer Mel Tormé in 1962.

In 1963 Tucker released the album Baby, You Should Know It, with Victor Feldman, Larry Bunker, Bobby Thomas, Ray Crawford, Tommy Tedesco and Carlos "Patato" Valdes.

By 1972, Tucker owned two radio stations, WSOK-AM, which had over 400,000 listeners, and WLVH-FM. Both of these were located in his hometown of Savannah, Georgia.

He died in a traffic collision in Hutchinson Island, Georgia, on June 4, 2013.

Discography

With Mose Allison

• The Word from Mose (Atlantic, 1964)

With Dave Bailey

• Reaching Out (Jazztime, 1961)
• Bash! (Jazzline, 1961)
• 2 Feet in the Gutter (Epic, 1961)

With Kenny Burrell

• On View at the Five Spot Cafe (Blue Note, 1959)
• Freedom (Blue Note, 1964 [1980])

With Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis

• Love Calls (RCA Victor, 1968)

With Lou Donaldson

• Gravy Train (Blue Note, 1961)

With Teddy Edwards

• Sunset Eyes (Pacific Jazz, 1960)
• It's All Right! (Prestige, 1967)

With Gil Evans

• The Individualism of Gil Evans (Verve, 1964)

With Dexter Gordon

• Clubhouse (Blue Note, 1965 [1979])

With Grant Green

• Green Street (Blue Note, 1961)
• Sunday Mornin' (Blue Note, 1961)
• Grantstand (Blue Note, 1961)

With Chico Hamilton

• Chico Hamilton Trio Introducing Freddie Gambrell (World Pacific, 1958)

With Willis Jackson

• Gator's Groove (Prestige, 1969)

With Illinois Jacquet

• The Message (Prestige, 1963)
• Bottoms Up (Prestige, 1968)

With Quincy Jones

• Quincy's Got a Brand New Bag (Mercury, 1965)

With Clifford Jordan

• Soul Fountain (Vortex, 1966 [1970])

With Yusef Lateef

• The Centaur and the Phoenix (Riverside, 1960)

With Junior Mance

• The Soulful Piano of Junior Mance (Jazzland, 1960)

With Herbie Mann

• Herbie Mann at the Village Gate (Atlantic, 1961)
• Herbie Mann Live at Newport (Atlantic, 1963)
• Standing Ovation at Newport (Atlantic, 1965)

With Pat Martino

• Strings! (Prestige, 1967)
• East! (Prestige, 1968)

With James Moody

• The Blues and Other Colors (Milestone, 1969)

With Gerry Mulligan

• Jeru (Columbia, 1962)

With Mark Murphy

• That's How I Love the Blues! (Riverside, 1963)

With Oliver Nelson

• Fantabulous (Argo, 1964)

With Lalo Schifrin

• Samba Para Dos (Verve, 1963) - with Bob Brookmeyer

With Bola Sete

• Bossa Nova (Fantasy, 1962)

With Sonny Stitt

• Sax Expressions (Roost, 1965)

With Billy Taylor

• I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free (Tower, 1968)
• Sleeping Bee (MPS, 1969)

With Harold Vick

• Commitment (Muse, 1967 [1974])