ABBA

In 1955, he moved to the Big Apple and played with a variety of artists, including Kenny Dorham, Illinois Jacquet and Thelonious Monk. He played with Dizzy Gillespie’s band from 1958 to 1959 and then joined The Cannonball Adderley Quintet, with whom he would stay for about seven years. During this time, some of his own compositions were given voice, including “Del Sasser” and “Unit 7”. He also got to try his hand at leading his own ensembles on a series of albums on the Riverside label.

In 1966, he hooked up with The Oscar Peterson Trio, replacing fellow bassist-cellist Ray Brown. He stayed with them until the end of the decade and then went on to release a string of albums under his own name, including East Wind, Inner City, Interplay, Muse, SeaBreeze, SteepleChase and Xanadu. Sam was not quite done being a team player, however, and in 1975 joined Billy Higgins and Cedar Walton in a group called Eastern Rebellion.

In 1977, he released an LP entitled Something in Common on the Muse label that is now enjoying an audience again thanks to a re-issue. Something New, a 1979 album featuring a dozen musicians, is garnering a similar re-examination. The Bassist, also released in ’79, and co-starring Kenny Barron and Keith Copeland, is still available on vinyl.

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