Coleridge Goode
Encyclopedia
Coleridge George Emerson Goode (born November 29, 1914) is a former British
Jamaican-born jazz
bassist
most noteworthy for his long collaboration with alto saxophonist Joe Harriott
. Goode was a key figure in Harriott's innovatory jazz quintet
throughout its eight year existence as a regular unit (1958–1965). He was also an important contributor to Harriott's later pioneer fusions of jazz and Indian music
.
Goode came to Britain
in 1934 as a student at the Royal Technical College in Glasgow (later the University of Strathclyde
), and then went on to read for a degree in engineering
at Glasgow University. He was already proficient as an amateur classical violin
ist but turned to jazz and took up the bass after hearing the music of such stars as Count Basie
, Duke Ellington
, Billie Holiday
and Louis Jordan
. Abandoning his plans to return to Jamaica
to work as an engineer, he decided to embark upon a musical career.
His primary early influences as a bassist have been Walter Page
, Slam Stewart
and Jimmy Blanton
. Moving to London
in 1942, he subsequently worked with Johnny Claes
, Eric Winstone
, Lauderic Caton
and Dick Katz
, became a founder member of the Ray Ellington
Quartet and recorded with Django Reinhardt
in 1946. Later he played in Tito Burns
' sextet and led his own group before being invited to join Harriott's new band in 1958. During the 1960s and 1970s he worked extensively with pianist/composer Michael Garrick
.
One of the finest jazz bassists who has worked in Europe
, he is an important link to a proud heritage of Caribbean
contributions to the music. His achievements through a long career have been an important inspiration for some leading contemporary black British jazz musicians. In 2002, his autobiography
, co-authored with his friend, the academic and jazz writer Roger Cotterrell
, not only told his own story but provided poignant and vivid memories of the brilliant and tragic Harriott and of the birth of free form jazz in Britain.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
Jamaican-born jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
most noteworthy for his long collaboration with alto saxophonist Joe Harriott
Joe Harriott
Joseph Arthurlin 'Joe' Harriott was a Jamaican jazz musician and composer, whose principal instrument was the alto saxophone....
. Goode was a key figure in Harriott's innovatory jazz quintet
Quintet
A quintet is a group containing five members.It is commonly associated with musical groups, such as a string quintet, or a group of five singers, but can be applied to any situation where five similar or related objects are considered a single unit....
throughout its eight year existence as a regular unit (1958–1965). He was also an important contributor to Harriott's later pioneer fusions of jazz and Indian music
Music of India
The music of India includes multiple varieties of folk, popular, pop, classical music and R&B. India's classical music tradition, including Carnatic and Hindustani music, has a history spanning millennia and developed over several eras. It remains fundamental to the lives of Indians today as...
.
Goode came to Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1934 as a student at the Royal Technical College in Glasgow (later the University of Strathclyde
University of Strathclyde
The University of Strathclyde , Glasgow, Scotland, is Glasgow's second university by age, founded in 1796, and receiving its Royal Charter in 1964 as the UK's first technological university...
), and then went on to read for a degree in engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
at Glasgow University. He was already proficient as an amateur classical violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist but turned to jazz and took up the bass after hearing the music of such stars as Count Basie
Count Basie
William "Count" Basie was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. Basie led his jazz orchestra almost continuously for nearly 50 years...
, Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
, Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday was an American jazz singer and songwriter. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and musical partner Lester Young, Holiday had a seminal influence on jazz and pop singing...
and Louis Jordan
Louis Jordan
Louis Thomas Jordan was a pioneering American jazz, blues and rhythm & blues musician, songwriter and bandleader who enjoyed his greatest popularity from the late 1930s to the early 1950s. Known as "The King of the Jukebox", Jordan was highly popular with both black and white audiences in the...
. Abandoning his plans to return to Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
to work as an engineer, he decided to embark upon a musical career.
His primary early influences as a bassist have been Walter Page
Walter Page
Walter Sylvester Page , nicknamed "Hoss," was an African American jazz bassist and leader of the Oklahoma City Blue Devils jazz orchestra from 1925–1931...
, Slam Stewart
Slam Stewart
Leroy Eliot "Slam" Stewart was an African American jazz bass player whose trademark style was his ability to bow the bass and simultaneously hum or sing an octave higher. He was originally a violin player before switching to bass at the age of 20.-Biography:Stewart was born in Englewood, New...
and Jimmy Blanton
Jimmy Blanton
Jimmie Blanton was an influential American jazz double bassist. Blanton is credited with being the originator of pizzicato and bowed bass solos....
. Moving to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1942, he subsequently worked with Johnny Claes
Johnny Claes
Octave John "Johnny" Claes was a racing driver from Belgium. Before his fame as a racing driver, Claes was also a jazz trumpeter and successful bandleader in Britain.-Early life and jazz career:...
, Eric Winstone
Eric Winstone
Eric Winstone was an English big band leader and composer.Playing piano in his spare time from a job as Westminster Gas and Coke Company led him to form his first band in 1935...
, Lauderic Caton
Lauderic Caton
Lauderic Caton was a Trinidadian guitarist. He was an early proponent of the use of electric guitar in Britain, particularly in jazz music....
and Dick Katz
Dick Katz
Dick Katz was an American jazz pianist and arranger. He freelanced throughout much of his career, and worked in a number of ensembles. He co-founded Milestone Records in 1966 with Orrin Keepnews....
, became a founder member of the Ray Ellington
Ray Ellington
Ray Ellington was a popular English singer, drummer and bandleader. He is best known for his appearances on The Goon Show from 1951 to 1960...
Quartet and recorded with Django Reinhardt
Django Reinhardt
Django Reinhardt was a pioneering virtuoso jazz guitarist and composer who invented an entirely new style of jazz guitar technique that has since become a living musical tradition within French gypsy culture...
in 1946. Later he played in Tito Burns
Tito Burns
Tito Burns was a British musician and impresario, who was active in both jazz and rock and roll.-Biography:...
' sextet and led his own group before being invited to join Harriott's new band in 1958. During the 1960s and 1970s he worked extensively with pianist/composer Michael Garrick
Michael Garrick
Michael Garrick MBE was an English jazz pianist and composer, and a pioneer in mixing jazz with poetry recitations.-Biography:...
.
One of the finest jazz bassists who has worked in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, he is an important link to a proud heritage of Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
contributions to the music. His achievements through a long career have been an important inspiration for some leading contemporary black British jazz musicians. In 2002, his autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
, co-authored with his friend, the academic and jazz writer Roger Cotterrell
Roger Cotterrell
Roger Cotterrell is the Anniversary Professor of Legal Theory at Queen Mary, University of London and was made a Fellow of the British Academy in 2005...
, not only told his own story but provided poignant and vivid memories of the brilliant and tragic Harriott and of the birth of free form jazz in Britain.