Artist: Jimmy Blanton

Jimmy Blanton was an American jazz double bassist. Blanton is credited with being the originator of more complex pizzicato and arco bass solos in a jazz context than previous bassists. Nicknamed "Jimmie," Blanton's nickname is usually misspelled as "Jimmy," including by Duke Ellington. 

Blanton left university in 1938 to play full-time in St Louis with the Jeter-Pillars Orchestra. Blanton joined Duke Ellington's band in October 1939 when the Ellington Orchestra came to St. Louis for a residence and the band became enamored with Blanton's playing at local late-night jam sessions. Ellington offered Blanton the job the same night he met him. 

On November 22 of that year, Blanton and Ellington recorded two tracks – "Blues" and "Plucked Again" – which were the first commercially recorded piano–bass duets.  Further duet recordings were made in 1940, and Blanton was also featured in orchestra tracks.  In May 1940, the band recorded hits such as "Jack the Bear" and "KoKo" which featured Blanton's chops. He was soon the talk of the town everywhere the Ellington Orchestra went.

Ellington put Blanton front-and-center on the bandstand nightly, unheard of for a bassist at the time. Such was his importance to Ellington's band at the time, together with tenor saxophonist Webster, that it became known as the Blanton–Webster band also played in the "small group" sessions led by Barney Bigard, Rex Stewart, Johnny Hodges, and Cootie Williams in 1940-41.