Born January 7, 1936, in Chicago, Illinois, into a household steeped in music, Eldee Young emerged as a leading jazz bassist throughout the 1950s and 1960s. His father played mandolin, prompting the young Eldee to take up guitar alongside his brother before switching to bass during high school and college years. Once his studies ended, he joined King Kolax’s band in 1951 and remained until 1954, when he moved into Chuck Willis’s group. Beyond jazz settings, he also accompanied blues figures such as T-Bone Walker and Joe Turner. Throughout the latter 1950s and early 1960s he circulated among ensembles led by Ramsey Lewis, Lorez Alexandria, James Moody, and additional artists, while issuing the solo album Just for Kicks in 1962. In 1966 he joined drummer Isaac “Redd” Holt to launch their own unit. Initially called the Young-Holt Trio, the group notched a modest success with the novelty track “Wack Wack” before adopting the name Young-Holt Unlimited and cultivating the soul-jazz style that defined their identity. The ensemble continued until the mid-1970s. Thereafter Young lent his skills to numerous pop and rock performers in addition to his jazz work; his contributions earned gold certifications for the 1960s smashes “The In Crowd” and “Hang on Sloopy.” Session activity gradually lessened, yet he still made occasional live and recorded appearances. During the 1980s he reemerged, beginning with vocalist April Aloisio before returning to jazz collaborators and original projects. In 2000 he issued his second solo recording, The Long and Short of Jazz, a collaboration with pianist Marshall Vente. On February 12, 2007, he suffered a fatal heart attack while performing in Thailand.
