Eddie Gómez
Edgar Gómez (born October 4, 1944) is a Puerto Rican jazz double bassist, known for his work with the Bill Evans Trio from 1966 to 1977.
Eddie Gómez
Biography[edit]
Gómez moved with his family from Puerto Rico at a young age to New York, where he was raised.[1] He started on double bass in the New York City school system at the age of eleven and at age thirteen went to the New York City High School of Music & Art.[2] He played in the Newport Festival Youth Band (led by Marshall Brown) from 1959 to 1961, and graduated from Juilliard in 1963.[2]
He has played with musicians such as Gerry Mulligan, Marian McPartland, Paul Bley, Tania Maria, Steps Ahead, and Chick Corea.[1] He spent a total of eleven years with the Bill Evans Trio, which included performances in the United States, Europe and Asia, as well as dozens of recordings.[1]
His career mainly consists of working as an accompanist, a position suited for his quick reflexes and flexibility.[2] In addition to working as a studio musician for many famous jazz musicians, he has recorded as a leader for Columbia Records, Projazz and Stretch.[1] Many of his recent recordings as a leader are co-led by the jazz pianist Mark Kramer.[2]
In May 2013, Gómez was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music in Valencia, Spain.[3] This was the first honorary doctorate granted at the college's new international campus in Spain.[3]