Bill Pemberton

A solid bassist who was most notable for his versatility and ability to support soloists (he rarely took solos himself), Bill Pemberton worked steadily for over 40 years. He started out on violin, taking ten years of lessons before switching to bass when he was 18. In the 1940s, Pemberton worked regularly with Frankie Newton (1941-45), Herman Chittison (1945-47), Mercer Ellington, Eddie Barefield, Barbara Carroll, Eddie South, Lucky Millinder and Billy Kyle, among others. He mostly freelanced in small-group swing settings during the next decade (including recording with Art Tatum in 1956), and he was part of the Fletcher Henderson Reunion Band (1957-58) despite never having played with Henderson. Later on, Pemberton worked with Buck Clayton, Sammy Price, Budd Johnson, Claude Hopkins and Earl Hines (1966-69) and was a member of the co-op JPJ Quartet (1969-75). In demand for mainstream sessions, Pemberton played with Ruby Braff, Max Kaminsky, Vic Dickenson and many veteran all-stars. Panama Francis' Savoy Sultans was a perfect position for Pemberton from 1979-83, and he gigged and recorded with Doc Cheatham in 1984, shortly before his death at age 66. Pemberton never led his own record date but appeared as a sidemen on many sessions. ~ Scott Yanow