Alvin Ashley: Biography

• Overview
• Discography
• Biography
• Related Artists

• Jack DeJohnette
• Al Foster
• Ed Soph
• Louie Bellson
• Ralph Peterson
• Ed Blackwell
• Jeff "Tain" Watts

• Art Taylor
• Billy Higgins
• Art Blakey
• Max Roach
• Elvin Jones

Born:

Mar 25, 1946 in Welch, VA

Genre:

Jazz Music

Decades Active:

1970's|1980's|1990's|2000's

Although not a major name in the jazz world, Alvin Lee Ashley (who goes by Al Ashley for short) is a reliable, swinging drummer who has been playing hard bop and postbop since the ‘70sfirst in his native Virginia, more recently in New York City. Ashley (not to be confused with the Alvin Lee who played with the famous bluesrock band Ten Years After) hasn't been documented on CD extensively; in fact, he was close to 56 when he finally got around to recording an album as a leader. But over the years, Ashley has crossed paths with well known improvisers ranging from vibists Terry Gibbs and Milt Jackson to tenor saxophonists Al Cohn and Jimmy Forrest to multihornman Ira Sullivan. Most of the people that Ashley has played with are instrumentalists, but he has backed some well known vocalists as well, including Chris Connor, Mose Allison and Carol Sloane. Ashley's influences have included, among others, Max Roach, Elvin Jones, Art Taylor (as in Taylor's Wailers), Billy Higgins and Art Blakey.

Ashley was born in Welch, VA on March 25, 1946 but has lived in New York City since 1985. After going so long without recording an album, Ashley finally got into a Brooklyn studio on March 23, 2002only two days before his 56th birthdayand recorded his first album as a leader, These Are Them, which boasts the flexible Dave Liebman on both tenor and soprano sax. Three of the songs on These Are Them are Ashley originals: "Blue Note," "Fats Write" (which was written in memory of the late pianist/organist Fats Wrightanother person Ashley played with) and the title track. The Brooklynbased Jazzand Productions (as opposed to Jazzland Productions) gave These Are Them a February 2005 release date.

- Alex Henderson, All Music Guide