George Duvivier

Biography

George Duvivier (August 17, 1920 – July 11, 1985) was an American jazz double-bassist.

Biography

Duvivier was born in New York City, the son of Leon V. Duvivier and Ismay Blakely Duvivier. He attended the Conservatory of Music and Art, where he studied violin. At age sixteen, he worked as assistant concertmaster for the Central Manhattan Symphony Orchestra. He began playing double bass and concentrated on composition at New York University. In the early 1940s, he accompanied Coleman Hawkins, Lucky Millinder, and Eddie Barefield. After serving in the U.S. Army, he worked as an arranger for Jimmie Lunceford, then as arranger and bassist for Sy Oliver.
In the 1950s, he accompanied Lena Horne on her tour in Europe. He recorded for commercials, television shows, and movie soundtracks. Although he spent most of his career as a sideman, he recorded as a leader in 1956 with Martial Solal for Coronet. For four years beginning in 1953, he worked steadily with Bud Powell. He also worked with Count Basie, Benny Carter, Benny Goodman, Chico Hamilton, Hank Jones, Shelly Manne, Oliver Nelson, Frank Sinatra, Clark Terry, Ben Webster, and Bob Wilber. As well as Tom Waits
He died of cancer in New York, aged 64.

Legacy

His mother Ismay Duvivier, once a dancer, donated a large collection of papers, including letters and scrapbooks of her career and his, to the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University.