Gales, Larry [Lawrence Bernard] (New York, 25 March 1936)

Double bass player

He studied double bass from the age of 11 with George Duvivier and later attended the Manhattan School of Music (1956). In 1960 he played with J. C. Heard and joined the quintet led by Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and Johnny Griffin. He then played with Herbie Mann (1962) and the trio led by Junior Mance (1963-4), with whom he had already recorded (1961); while with Mance he also worked as an accompanist to Joe Williams. Gales played with Thelonious Monk from 1964 until 1969, when he moved to California and joined Erroll Garner. During the 1960s he made many recordings with the groups to which he belonged and with other leaders, among them Buddy Tate (1960), Bennie Green (1961), Charlie Rouse (1962), and Sonny Stitt and Mary Lou Williams (1963-4). After 1970 he played again with Joe Williams and with Willie Bobo, Red Rodney, Harold Land, Harry Edison, and Bill Berry. With Benny Carter he toured Japan (1973) and performed in California (1973-5, 1981). He recorded with Blue Mitchell (1971), Jimmy Smith (1974), Sonny Criss (1975), Clark Terry (1975-6), Dave Frishberg, Joe Turner (1977), and Kenny Burrell (1978). A fine player in the mainstream tradition, Gales combines a dependable technique with creativity and a deep, rich sound.

Gary Carner

The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, © Macmillan Reference Ltd 1988