Larry Ridley

Larry Ridley has proven himself both a skilled accompanist and an introspective soloist through participation in countless sessions as a supporting musician. His formal training occurred at Indiana University and the Lenox School of Jazz. Following performances in his native city with Freddie Hubbard, James Spaulding, and Wes Montgomery, he moved to New York and has remained active there ever since. Key musical partnerships during the 1960s encompassed Slide Hampton, Max Roach, Red Garland, Art Farmer, Jackie McLean, Sonny Rollins, Horace Silver, Lee Morgan, and George Wein's Newport All-Stars (1969). Serving as Thelonious Monk's regular bassist from 1970 through 1973, Ridley directed his energies toward jazz education by leading the jazz program and music department at Rutgers. He performed with Philly Joe Jones' Dameronia between 1981 and 1985 while sustaining an ongoing presence in the scene. Although Larry Ridley issued only a modest number of leader dates, among them an obscure 1975 Strata East LP, he has contributed valuably as a sideman across numerous recordings.