Paul Bascomb

It is easy to divide Paul Bascomb's career into two, for he was a top soloist with <a href="spotify:artist:56FeQ03tAPYJ2gwmGhrpbF">Erskine Hawkins</a>' swing orchestra and later on recorded a popular series of early rhythm & blues records. The brother of trumpeter Dud Bascomb (another star of the <a href="spotify:artist:56FeQ03tAPYJ2gwmGhrpbF">Hawkins</a> band), the tenorman was one of the founding members of the 'Bama State Collegians (which eventually became the <a href="spotify:artist:56FeQ03tAPYJ2gwmGhrpbF">Erskine Hawkins</a> big band) in the early '30s and, except for a period in 1938-1939 when he replaced the late <a href="spotify:artist:7ah9Qnmd9ylOjot0DedCQa">Herschel Evans</a> with <a href="spotify:artist:2jFZlvIea42ZvcCw4OeEdA">Count Basie</a>'s orchestra, he was with <a href="spotify:artist:56FeQ03tAPYJ2gwmGhrpbF">Hawkins</a> until 1944. Bascomb co-led groups with Dud (1944-1947) and in the early '50s recorded extensively for the United label; the accessible performances have been partially reissued by Delmark. Paul Bascomb was active (if maintaining a low profile) into the mid-'80s. ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi