Bassist Tim Drummond dead at 74
Word has come this afternoon of the death of bassist Tim Drummond. Best known for his work with Bob Dylan; Crosby, Stills and Nash; and Neil Young, he died Saturday at age 74. No cause of death has been announced.
Drummond performed on some of classic rocks most iconic albums – Young’s “Harvest,” “After the Gold Rush” and “Comes a Time,” Dylan’s “Slow Train Coming,” CSN’s “CSN” and Don Henley’s “Building the Perfect Beast,” among them. He’s featured on the Beach Boys’ “15 Big Ones” and a slew of Ry Cooder discs, among his many other credits.
Drummond was also deeply rooted in blues and jazz. He performed on the Paul Butterfield Blues Band’s “Put It In Your Ear” album, John Mayall’s “Bottom Line,” Roy Buchanan’s “Black Autumn” and Lonnie Mack’s “Second Sight” and “Strike Like Lightning.” And he played on a number of James Brown tracks, including “Licking Stick” and “I Can't Stand Myself (When You Touch Me).”
And then there’s “The Hot Spot,” the 1990 soundtrack to Dennis Hopper’s daptation of a Charles Williams’ noir potboiler starring Don Johnson (remember when he had a film career?) and Virginia Madsen. The disc is a long-standing favorite of mine, an atmospheric trip through Texas jazz-blues featuring Miles Davis on almost every track, often in collaboration with John Lee Hooker and Taj Mahal.
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