Dud Bascomb

Wilbur Odell "Dud" Bascomb (May 16, 1916, Birmingham, Alabama – December 25, 1972, New York City)¹ was an American jazz trumpeter, best known for his tenure with Erskine Hawkins.² He was a 1979 inductee of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame.

Bascomb was born the youngest of a family of ten children, another of whom was future tenor saxophonist Paul Bascomb. He played piano as a child but settled on trumpet, first playing with Erskine Hawkins at the Alabama State Teachers' School (now Alabama State University) in 1932, where Hawkins led the Bama State Collegians band.¹

Bascomb remained in Hawkins's employ until 1944 and soloed with him on many of his most well-known recordings.¹

He eventually left Hawkins to play in his brother's septet, which became a big band later in the decade.¹ He played briefly with Duke Ellington in 1947.¹ In the 1950s, Bascomb played for three years at Tyle's Chicken Shack in New Jersey, leading a quintet which counted Lou Donaldson among its members. He toured Japan three times with Sam Taylor² and Europe with Buddy Tate in the 1960s,¹ in addition to touring and recording with James Brown. He recorded sparingly as a leader; his Savoy Records sessions in 1959–60 were not issued until 1986.

• James Brown, Out of Sight (Smash, 1964)
• James Brown, Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud (King, 1969)
• Freddie McCoy, Listen Here (Prestige, 1968)
• Buddy Tate, Buddy Tate and His Celebrity Club Orchestra (Black & Blue, 1969)
• Buddy Tate, Unbroken (MPS, 1970)