Leroy Vinnegar


Leroy Vinnegar was an American jazz bassist. Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, the self-taught Vinnegar established his reputation in Los Angeles, California, during the 1950s and 1960s. His trademark was the rhythmic "walking" bass line, a steady series of ascending or descending notes, and it brought him the nickname "The Walker". Besides his jazz work, he also appeared on a number of soundtracks and pop albums, notably Van Morrison's 1972 album, Saint Dominic's Preview.

Music career

He recorded extensively as both a leader and sideman. He came to public attention in the 1950s as a result of recording with Lee Konitz, André Previn, Stan Getz, Shorty Rogers, Chet Baker, Shelly Manne, Joe Castro and Serge Chaloff.
He played bass on Previn and Manne's My Fair Lady album, one of the most successful jazz records ever produced. He also performed on another of jazz's biggest hit albums, Eddie Harris and Les McCann's Swiss Movement, released in 1969. Vinnegar also performed at the Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach, California, and Diggers in East Los Angeles in the late 1950s, with drummer and pianist Don Joham along with other musicians. He moved to Portland, Oregon in 1986. In 1995, the Oregon State Legislature honored him by proclaiming May 1 Leroy Vinnegar Day.
Vinnegar died of a heart attack, at the age of 71, on August 3, 1999, in a hospital in Portland.

Discography

As leader

With Pepper Adams
With Stan Getz and Lionel Hampton
With Chet Baker
With Tom Ball and Kenny Sultan
  • Who Drank My Beer?
  • Bloodshot Eyes
With Conte Candoli
  • West Coast Wailers with Lou Levy
  • Little Band Big Jazz
With Benny Carter
With Joe Castro
  • Live at Falcon's Lair!
  • Groove Funk Soul
  • At Falcon's Lair with Joe Castro
With Serge Chaloff
  • Blue Serge
With Dolo Coker
With Buddy Collette
With Sonny Criss
  • Saturday Morning
With The Doors
With Barbara Dane & Earl Hines
  • Livin' with the Blues
With Kenny Dorham
With Kenny Drew
With Harry Edison
With Teddy Edwards
  • Teddy Edwards at Falcon's Lair
  • It's About Time
  • Sunset Eyes
  • Teddy's Ready!
  • Good Gravy!
  • Heart & Soul
  • Young at Heart with Howard McGhee
  • Wise in Time with Howard McGhee
  • Mississippi Lad
With Victor Feldman
  • Vic Feldman on Vibes
With Red Garland
  • Keystones!
With Stan Getz
  • West Coast Jazz
  • Hamp and Getz
  • Stan Getz and the Cool Sounds
  • The Steamer
With Dexter Gordon
  • Daddy Plays the Horn
  • Dexter Blows Hot and Cool
With Eddie Harris and Les McCann
  • Swiss Movement
With Hampton Hawes
  • The Sermon
  • Something Special
With Elmo Hope
With The Jazz Crusaders
With Fred Katz
  • Fred Katz and his Jammers
With Barney Kessel
  • Let's Cook!
With Eric Kloss
  • First Class Kloss!
With Harold Land
  • Harold in the Land of Jazz
With Gordon Lee
With Shelly Manne
  • Concerto for Clarinet & Combo
  • Swinging Sounds
  • More Swinging Sounds
  • Shelly Manne & His Friends
  • My Fair Lady
With Les McCann
  • Les McCann Ltd. Plays the Truth
  • Les McCann Ltd. Plays the Shout
  • From the Top of the Barrel
  • On Time
  • Les McCann Plays the Hits
  • Bucket O' Grease
  • Much Les
  • Fish This Week
With Howard McGhee
  • Maggie's Back in Town!!
  • Young at Heart with Teddy Edwards
  • Wise in Time with Teddy Edwards
With Frank Morgan
  • Frank Morgan
With Van Morrison
  • Saint Dominic's Preview
With Gerry Mulligan and Ben Webster
  • Gerry Mulligan Meets Ben Webster
With Phineas Newborn, Jr.
With Art Pepper
  • The Return of Art Pepper
With Carl Perkins
  • Introducing Carl Perkins
With Randy Porter
  • Modern Reflections
With Sonny Rollins
With Shorty Rogers
  • Martians Come Back!
  • Way Up There
With Jimmy Smith
  • Bluesmith
With Sonny Stitt
  • Sonny Stitt Blows the Blues
  • Saxophone Supremacy
  • Sonny Stitt Swings the Most
With Cedar Walton
  • Cedar!
With Jessica Williams
  • Encounters
  • Encounters II
With Don Wilkerson
With Gerald Wilson
  • Portraits
With Jack Wilson'