Harold Ashby

A tenor saxophonist deeply shaped by Ben Webster’s approach, Harold Ashby integrated seamlessly into Duke Ellington’s orchestra during his years there. His career began in Kansas City in 1946, followed by engagements in Chicago throughout the early 1950s, where he worked primarily with R&B and blues ensembles even as his improvisational style remained grounded in swing. After relocating to New York in 1957, he encountered Ben Webster, who in turn facilitated his introduction to Ellington. Throughout the ensuing ten years Ashby remained at the edges of Ellington’s circle, performing in Mercer Ellington’s brief-lived group, recording alongside various Ellington sidemen, and taking part in the production of Duke’s My People. By the time he became a full member in 1968 he was fully prepared, and he remained a vital contributor until Ellington’s death. He stayed with Mercer Ellington through 1975, later appearing with Benny Goodman and Sy Oliver, touring frequently across Europe, and leading sporadic sessions such as the 1991 album What Am I Here For? and the 1999 release Just For You, thereby sustaining the Ellington tradition of swing tenor playing. Following a heart attack in May 2003, Ashby was admitted to a hospital in New York, the city he had long called home, where he died on June 13 at age 78.