Irving Ashby with his Stromberg guitar, about 1950
Guitarist Irving Ashby died on April 22, 1987, in Perris, CA, just a few miles south of San Bernardino. He helped make that Route 66 town famous during his time with Nat King Cole.
Irving Ashby was born in Somerville Mass. December 29, 1920 and started with the guitar at age 9. He either did or did not study at the New England Conservatory; some biographies have him attending, while others say he was granted a scholarship but declined it. He was, however, working with pianist Eddie Watson and bassist Ed Plunkett in a trio at Alpini’s in Boston in 1939-40, and that’s where Lionel Hampton heard and hired him. Ashby and alto saxophonist/violinist Ray Perry joined the Hampton band together in 1940.
Ashby stayed with Hampton until late 1942, when he moved to Los Angeles. He worked in a wartime defense plant and kept his hand in studio work, for example playing in a few of the musical numbers in the 1943 film, Stormy Weather. He also wrote a column, “Guitar & Guitarists,” for Down Beat. After the war he became very active on the LA scene, working with Gerald Wilson, Wardell Gray, Lester Young, and others, as well as Jazz at the Philharmonic.
His highest profile jobs were with a pair of celebrated trios. In September 1947 he joined the King Cole Trio, staying until March 1951. He joined the Oscar Peterson Trio in 1952. Then Ashby got off the road and settled into a career of teaching and studio work. In 1973 he recorded with Count Basie for Norman Granz’s Pablo label, and under his own name recorded Memoirs, an obscure 1976 LP on Accent (SCS-5091). Long bothered by heart ailments, he died of a heart attack.
Ashby played Stromberg guitars, the big 19-inch archtops made in Boston that mid-century jazz players favored. The Stromberg Ashby is holding in this publicity shot is now in the the collection of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.
Ashby’s sister Phyllis also had a taste of jazz, singing with Sabby Lewis in the late 1940s. Her Boston-born son Kenneth Kamal Scott has had a rather remarkable career in the arts, from dancing with Alvin Ailey to playing the lead in The Wiz on Broadway.
Here is video of Ashby taking a nice solo turn on “Route 66” with the King Cole Trio, a setting that was just right for Ashby’s Charlie Christian-inspired lines.
My Dad played bass with Mr. Ashby in the Eddie Watson trio. When Mr. Ashby left, my Dad bought a Stromberg and moved to guitar and Sam Woods took over on upright bass. Dad said those were the best years! (at Rio Casino and The Panama Club)
Thanks for posting.
Eddie Watson has an honored place in the Unsung Heroes department. Was your father Jack Pena? I know he played a lot with Watson, and they were both living down the Cape–a short commute to the Panama Club.
Hello Yvette this is Sherie do you remember my late father JB Bell? I remember spending a lot of time at the ranch in Perris, CA in the 80s and 90s.
I am so glad I found this website to post what a giant of a man my guitar teacher was to me. I studied with Mr. Ashby as his youngest student at the time. I was 12 in 1966. I took a bus from Western & Century to 18th street every Sat. Loved our time together, Everything I have under my fingers is because of him. Darn that Dream I still play. I saw Mr. Ashby in Perris in 1986, he showed me the church he was helping build. Never forget the fond memories.
Love to his family. I wish I could find his surviving students…..I know we all appreciated him.
Love you Ash forever and always.
Thank you Mr. Vacca
A fine and heartfelt testimonial to Irving Ashby. Thanks for stopping by to share it!
I wanted to let you both know that the Somerville City Memorialization Committee voted to name the Band Room in the new Somerville High School in honor of Irving Ashby. No plaque has been installed yet, but hopefully in the next few months.
That a city has a Memorialization Committee sounds like something out of fiction, but I’m happy that Somerville has one, and has chosen to honor a jazzman in this way. I wonder if the Ashby material the committee reviewed is publicly available. I’d like to see it.
I’m crying thanks for honoring my father. I am his younger daughter Yvette Ashby Vuono
Your father is a jazz hero! I am happy you found this post and enjoyed it. Thank you for stopping by.