187:, he was drafted and served an additional year in the Air Force, based in Denver and the Philippines. After leaving the military he spent a year studying English and music at the Morningside College Conservatory of music, before transferring to the nearby University of South Dakota. He began performing on string bass in local jazz combos during this period, including a combo led by legendary Kansas City expatriate trumpet player and bandleader Clarence Kenner. Kenner had worked in Kansas City-based big bands in the 1920s and early 1930s and had largely defined the bluesy and swinging style of jazz for which Sioux City later became known. Kenner took the young bassist under his wing, providing Aton with much early valuable professional experience.
31:
337:, where he joined some of the most talented session players in the business. He recorded un-credited on hundreds of radio and TV commercial jingles as well as sessions backing a string of pop singers and he also doubled on piano on various studio sessions. In 1959, Aton joined pianist-singer Nancy Malcom, guitarist
396:
Quartet, and as a first-call bassist for numerous shows in the Reno-Tahoe area. In later years Aton frequently led small combos—often including trumpeter Fred Padden, bassist Chuck DiLaura and drummer Pete Spomer backing various vocalists. Aton continued to work as a single or with a trio until just
225:
review immediately solidified Aton's bona fides in the nationwide jazz community and new opportunities quickly surfaced. While not a commercial success, the Fields band of 1950, consisting of a 12-man unit and a six-man combo, nurtured several talented future jazz stars, including pianist
364:
summoned Aton to Denver to join her on an extended engagement at the Band Box, beginning a professional and personal relationship that would continue off and on for the next nine years. Aton was a prominent—though unnamed—figure in O'Day's 2004 autobiography,
280:
band, then under the direction of Miller's arranger Jerry Gray, and with whom Aton made his first commercial recording. There followed a steady stream of work in
Hollywood clubs with a variety of Jazz stars including Conley Graves, The
357:. Thereafter Aton collaborated with Cochrane composing songs while Aton formally studied music composition (Aton was inducted into The American Society of Composers and Publishers (ASCAP) in 1966).
183:
in 1925. His father owned a music store there, and he studied violin and piano while attending the Sioux City public schools. Following service in the
Merchant Marine near the close of
405:
Jim was the older brother of
Richard "Dick" Aton (1927-2003), also an accomplished jazz pianist who performed over a long career with such West Coast recording artists as saxophonists
532:
333:
with a regular weekly radio air-shot that soon attracted overflow crowds. Aton departed the quintet (replaced by Carson Smith) to become a staff bassist at
211:
on a three-month tour from
Chicago to Cleveland, Pittsburgh, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Richmond and back. Aton won high praise in
163:
522:
502:
497:
537:
527:
507:
238:. Following the Holiday tour, the band returned to Chicago where it recorded a number of "V-Discs" for broadcast over Armed Forces radio.
261:, while undertaking some additional concentrated formal study on double bass. Aton subsequently was a member of the bass section of the
317:
at this period and was subsequently offered the job as the original bassist in the piano-less quintet that
Collette co-led with drummer
199:
while awaiting the transfer of his
Musicians Union card to the Chicago local, Aton responded to an advertisement in the
376:
In 1969, Aton relocated to Reno where he led a six-piece band at Harrah's Casino that at various times included either
207:
Band. Winning the audition, Aton subsequently toured with Fields during the summer of 1950 accompanying jazz legend
125:, was an American jazz bassist, pianist, vocalist and composer. He worked with numerous notable artists including
350:
313:
and Mavis Rivers among others featured on the show throughout 1956-57. Aton became acquainted with saxophonist
286:
266:
262:
139:
195:
Aton moved to
Chicago in 1949 to become a full-time professional player. After working small clubs in
517:
512:
218:
434:
326:
322:
334:
213:
272:
In 1955, Aton moved to Los
Angeles on the recommendation of fellow bassist and Sioux Cityan
254:
231:
158:
58:
370:
349:(later reissued on CD). In 1960, Aton recorded on the Monument label with pianist-singer
361:
318:
314:
310:
282:
250:
235:
208:
130:
126:
30:
491:
381:
204:
154:
414:
377:
277:
258:
184:
406:
298:
294:
290:
273:
242:
217:
during the tour and was even compared by a
Downbeat reviewer to Jazz bass giant
144:
276:. Aton was soon working Hollywood clubs with small combos and then joined the
393:
389:
330:
302:
246:
227:
180:
168:
149:
134:
410:
385:
373:
recorded his song, "Love Is A Thing" as a novelty number on one of her LPs.
342:
196:
338:
392:, where he worked a multi-year casino engagement playing organ in the
369:. Meanwhile, Aton's composition work was rewarded when pop singer
301:
Trio and
Quintet, as well as with pianist Bill Austin and drummer
77:
245:
Band followed by more club work in Chicago—often with
99:
91:
83:
73:
65:
52:
42:
37:
21:
397:three months before his death in September 2008.
305:on episodes of the popular ABC television series
265:for one year, playing alongside an up-and-coming
241:Aton next substituted briefly as bassist for the
203:trade journal to audition with the Chicago-based
117:(1925 – September 16, 2008), best known as
297:in 1956 and he subsequently appeared with the
329:. This unit opened at a beach-front bar in
8:
460:
458:
456:
454:
452:
345:on the critically acclaimed RCA-Camden LP,
18:
221:for his talents on the instrument. The
426:
7:
533:20th-century American male musicians
355:I Sing, I Play, I'm Charlie Cochrane
16:American jazz musician and composer
14:
29:
523:20th-century American musicians
137:. He appeared in films such as
164:They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?
1:
503:American male double-bassists
498:American jazz double-bassists
468:, Sioux City, IA, March 2004.
464:Hittle, Jon B., "JAZZ TOWN,"
309:. Aton also backed vocalists
179:James Gable Aton was born in
538:American male jazz musicians
528:20th-century double-bassists
508:People from Sioux City, Iowa
388:. In 1972, Aton settled in
384:on trumpet and saxophonist
554:
347:The West Coast of Broadway
95:Double bass, piano, vocals
253:. Aton also worked with
28:
353:on Cochrane's first LP,
263:Chicago Civic Orchestra
479:High Times, Hard Times
367:High Times, Hard Times
38:Background information
437:. Tahoe Daily Tribune
435:"James G. "Jim" Aton"
191:Later life and career
140:Bop Girl Goes Calypso
321:, joining guitarist
466:Weekender Magazine
87:Musician, composer
69:September 16, 2008
335:Gold Star Records
307:The Stars of Jazz
214:Downbeat Magazine
109:
108:
545:
482:
475:
469:
462:
447:
446:
444:
442:
431:
351:Charles Cochrane
255:Maynard Ferguson
249:—backing singer
232:Jimmy Nottingham
159:Barbara Stanwyck
143:(1957) with the
102:
59:Sioux City, Iowa
45:
33:
19:
553:
552:
548:
547:
546:
544:
543:
542:
488:
487:
486:
485:
476:
472:
463:
450:
440:
438:
433:
432:
428:
423:
403:
371:Debbie Reynolds
234:and trombonist
193:
177:
112:
100:
57:
43:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
551:
549:
541:
540:
535:
530:
525:
520:
515:
510:
505:
500:
490:
489:
484:
483:
477:O'Day, Anita.
470:
448:
425:
424:
422:
419:
413:and trumpeter
402:
399:
319:Chico Hamilton
315:Buddy Collette
287:Calvin Jackson
283:Page Cavanaugh
251:Lurlean Hunter
236:Frank Rosolino
209:Billie Holiday
192:
189:
176:
173:
127:Billie Holiday
111:Musical artist
110:
107:
106:
103:
97:
96:
93:
89:
88:
85:
81:
80:
75:
71:
70:
67:
63:
62:
54:
50:
49:
46:
40:
39:
35:
34:
26:
25:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
550:
539:
536:
534:
531:
529:
526:
524:
521:
519:
516:
514:
511:
509:
506:
504:
501:
499:
496:
495:
493:
480:
474:
471:
467:
461:
459:
457:
455:
453:
449:
436:
430:
427:
420:
418:
416:
412:
408:
400:
398:
395:
391:
387:
383:
382:Conte Candoli
379:
374:
372:
368:
363:
358:
356:
352:
348:
344:
340:
336:
332:
328:
324:
320:
316:
312:
308:
304:
300:
296:
293:. He joined
292:
288:
284:
279:
275:
270:
268:
267:Richard Davis
264:
260:
256:
252:
248:
244:
239:
237:
233:
229:
224:
220:
216:
215:
210:
206:
205:Herbie Fields
202:
198:
190:
188:
186:
182:
174:
172:
170:
166:
165:
160:
156:
155:Elvis Presley
152:
151:
146:
142:
141:
136:
132:
128:
124:
120:
116:
115:James G. Aton
104:
98:
94:
92:Instrument(s)
90:
86:
84:Occupation(s)
82:
79:
76:
72:
68:
64:
60:
55:
51:
48:James G. Aton
47:
41:
36:
32:
27:
20:
478:
473:
465:
439:. Retrieved
429:
415:Jack Sheldon
404:
378:Pete Candoli
375:
366:
359:
354:
346:
341:and drummer
325:and cellist
306:
278:Glenn Miller
271:
259:Georgie Auld
240:
230:, trumpeter
222:
212:
200:
194:
185:World War II
178:
167:(1969) with
162:
153:(1964) with
148:
138:
122:
118:
114:
113:
101:Years active
518:2008 deaths
513:1925 births
441:31 December
407:Harold Land
362:Anita O'Day
311:Betty Roché
299:Bobby Troup
295:Bobby Troup
291:Harold Land
274:John Mosher
243:Stan Kenton
145:Bobby Troup
131:Anita O'Day
492:Categories
421:References
394:Earl Hines
390:Lake Tahoe
331:Long Beach
303:Stan Levey
247:Bill Evans
228:Bill Evans
181:Sioux City
175:Early life
169:Jane Fonda
150:Roustabout
135:Bill Evans
123:Jimmy Aton
105:1940s–2008
44:Birth name
411:Zoot Sims
386:Med Flory
360:In 1960,
343:Mel Lewis
327:Fred Katz
219:Ray Brown
197:Milwaukee
161:, and in
339:Al Viola
323:Jim Hall
223:Downbeat
119:Jim Aton
23:Jim Aton
481:, 2004.
201:Variety
401:Family
285:Trio,
147:Trio,
74:Genres
61:, U.S.
443:2012
409:and
289:and
257:and
157:and
133:and
78:Jazz
66:Died
56:1925
53:Born
380:or
121:or
494::
451:^
417:.
269:.
171:.
129:,
445:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
