Paul Bascomb

by Scott Yanow It is easy to divide Paul Bascomb's career into two, for he was a top soloist with Erskine Hawkins' swing orchestra and later on recorded a popular series of early rhythm & blues records. The brother of trumpeter Dud Bascomb (another star of the Hawkins band), the tenorman was one of the founding members of the 'Bama State Collegians (which eventually became the Erskine Hawkins big band) in the early '30s and, except for a period in 1938-1939 when he replaced the late Herschel Evans with Count Basie's orchestra, he was with Hawkins until 1944. Bascomb co-led groups with Dud (1944-1947) and in the early '50s recorded extensively for the United label; the accessible performances have been partially reissued by Delmark. Paul Bascomb was active (if maintaining a low profile) into the mid-'80s.