Robert Hurst

One of the most successful and well-known jazz bassists of his generation, Robert "Bob" Hurst is best recognized for his work with <a href="spotify:artist:1gPY6jETlC02stpXOUmSBH">Branford</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:375zxMmh2cSgUzFFnva0O7">Wynton Marsalis</a>, as well as his time with the Tonight Show Band. Born in Detroit, Hurst first started playing professionally with local Detroit musicians including trumpeter <a href="spotify:artist:3RCx5My8byOMt36OUepQrX">Marcus Belgrave</a>, who hired the bassist at age 15. Hurst made his recording debut in 1985 with Out of the Blue, the self-titled release from the <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Blue+Note+Records%22">Blue Note Records</a> young all-star ensemble. He then appeared on trumpeter <a href="spotify:artist:0yvEf1tqWWPiZu4ZbjyKGs">Woody Shaw</a>'s 1986 album Bemsha Swing.

Upon the recommendation of drummer <a href="spotify:artist:0hZXvDnljkma4aThiBMQ6h">Jeff "Tain" Watts</a>, Hurst joined trumpeter <a href="spotify:artist:375zxMmh2cSgUzFFnva0O7">Wynton Marsalis</a>' band, of which he was a member from 1986-1991, appearing on such albums as J Mood (1986), Live at Blues Alley (1987), Standard Time, Vol. 1 (1987), and Standard Time, Vol. 2: Intimacy Calling (1990). Also during this time, Hurst recorded albums with such artists <a href="spotify:artist:6u17YlWtW4oqFF5Hn9UU79">Harry Connick, Jr.</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:2BiwOj6ssDQ2KfqaowIpHH">Terumasa Hino</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:4vDfWi1S8RneRAgCPOIThL">Vincent Herring</a>, among many other musicians. He also appeared with <a href="spotify:artist:1gPY6jETlC02stpXOUmSBH">Branford</a> and trumpeter <a href="spotify:artist:7IbO8NvxclKsk7WTOZ42bv">Terence Blanchard</a> on the soundtrack to Spike Lee's 1990 film 'Mo Better Blues.

In 1991, Hurst joined <a href="spotify:artist:1gPY6jETlC02stpXOUmSBH">Branford</a> as a member of the Tonight Show Band, on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. After <a href="spotify:artist:1gPY6jETlC02stpXOUmSBH">Branford</a> stepped down as leader of the Tonight Show Band in 1995, Hurst continued to play on-and-off with new Tonight Show Band leader, guitarist <a href="spotify:artist:690Ga2On7ndvWPZJ4LUGrr">Kevin Eubanks</a>. Since the '90s, Hurst has toured and/or recorded with a bevy of name artists including <a href="spotify:artist:0jqAOYfo9ipclW7ATXPhHg">Geri Allen</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:4U5eHAv5qBumRcWEl84ZCb">Russell Malone</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:7nwrblOf59ulOiB6djwPVh">Dianne Reeves</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0vEcYt4JfhftX0oarZQLHZ">Steve Coleman</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:5Dl3HXZjG6ZOWT5cV375lk">Yo-Yo Ma</a>, among others. As a solo artist he has released several albums including Robert Hurst Presents: Robert Hurst (1992), One for Namesake (1993), Unrehurst, Vol. 1 (2002), Unrehurst, Vol. 2 (2010) and Bob Ya Head (2010).

In 2013, Hurst released his sixth studio album, Bob: A Palindrome, featuring such longtime associates as <a href="spotify:artist:3RCx5My8byOMt36OUepQrX">Belgrave</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:1gPY6jETlC02stpXOUmSBH">Branford</a>, drummer <a href="spotify:artist:0hZXvDnljkma4aThiBMQ6h">Watts</a>, and pianist <a href="spotify:artist:5cM1PvItlR21WUyBnsdMcn">Robert Glasper</a>. He then paired with <a href="spotify:artist:3r7bArUGKhCBqsEQltrNSr">Bela Szakcsi</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:50gQgt0jID5KyhB1voSBds">Tim Ries</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:0ILg6S11FRLlqKHKOfTJyY">Rudy Royston</a> for 2015's Climate Change. The rhythmically diverse Bob's Black Current Jam followed in 2017. ~ Matt Collar, Rovi