RIP: YS-TSB TJB Bassist, Ernie McDaniel

[Mr Bill]

This one touches me personally because when I was 14 (right after YS-TSB came out) we were having a garge sale and this friendly bearded guy wearing an A&M T-dhirt came by to browse (can't recall if he bought anything or not) and I started talking to him about his shirt. He told me he played bass on most of the LP but just left the brass because he was beter off as a studio musician (Papito Hernandez replaced him). Since the LP had no credits I was somewhat disappointed to know that the new brass only had Alpert and a few others from the original TJB, but was thrilled that the new TJB had Julius Wechter full-time...

--Mr Bill

ERNIE McDANIEL, 68; JAZZ MUSICIAN
Ernie McDaniel was a highly regarded musician. Born in Coates, Kansas, 1937, he was to become one the most sought after bassists in the business. He died on November 7, 2005, in Tarzana, California. He has performed and recorded with many great artists including Benny Goodman, Errol Garner, Dean Martin and Dinah Shore, as well as Frank Sinatra, Billy Eckstein, Maynard Ferguson, Lou Rawls, Charlie Barnett, Duke Ellington and Stan Kenton. After working in Las Vegas in the 1960's he moved to Los Angeles where he came to the attention of Earl Palmer
(drummer) and Red Mitchell (bass), who among others mentored him. His career flourished which led to jobs with Burt Bacharach, Herb Alpert
and the Tijuana Brass, Nelson Riddle and Ray Charles, among others. His
range of music included jazz, R&B, Latin and pop from the 1920's to the
present. Extremely memorable were his two Vietnam Christmas tours with Bob Hope for which he received an acknowledgement from the Department of Defense for entertaining our troops. He is cherished and respected by all his fellow musicians. Ernie is survived by his wife, Bonnie; and daughter, Leslie. His other daughter, Kelly, died several years ago.

A Memorial Service will be held at Church of the Hills, Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, Saturday, November 12, 2005, 3:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to UC Davis School Veterinary Medicine, Davis, CA (www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/).

Photo: http://www.amcorner.com/gallery/album05/a5_copy

 

[whippedflea]

This is sad, as Ernie contributed some fine bass lines on the YOU SMILE... album, especially "I Can't Go On Living Without You Baby." According to press clippings I have of the first shows of the reunited TJB, Ernie was playing live with the group as of the Spring of 1974. The group played Texas, Vegas, California and (maybe?) Florida. So, he definitely gave it his best.