Arnold Fishkin

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Arnold Fishkin, more often Arnold Fishkind in the sources, was an American jazz bassist, born on 20 July 1919 in Bayonne, New Jersey. He grew up in Freeport on Long Island, where he formed a lifelong friendship with Chubby Jackson. He began on the violin at the age of seven, and at fourteen he played bass. His first professional work was in 1937 with Bunny Berigan. After that he played with Jack Teagarden and Les Brown. Three years of service in the Second World War interrupted his career.

Music and breakthrough

In 1946 he met the pianist Lennie Tristano in New York. From 1947 to 1949 he played with him, and afterwards he recorded with Lee Konitz and on Johnny Smith's Moonlight in Vermont. He also played with Charlie Barnet, where he met Stan Getz. In the 1950s he became a much-in-demand studio musician for radio, television and pop singers such as Frankie Laine. He worked for fifteen years at ABC and played, among other things, in The Andy Williams Show in 1961. Jack Kerouac mentioned him in his novel Visions of Cody. Later he moved to California, where he worked for the television shows of Dean Martin and Bob Hope. He also toured with Les Brown and Lena Horne. Fishkind appeared on more than a hundred albums and named Jimmy Blanton as his greatest example.

Influence

In the 1970s he converted to Christianity and became an elder in the community of Keith Green. He died in 1999 in Palm Desert. He shows how many jazz bassists worked in studios and television orchestras, out of sight of the big magazines.

Listening

In School of Rock

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