Laurence “Larry” Howard Ridley II (born September 3, 1937) is an American jazz bassist and music educator.
He was fortunate enough to earn a violin scholarship that would help cover his continued education at the school of music at the university.
[3] In an interview, he stated that "the only thing that had been set up on sort of like a university type level was the Berklee College of Music, which was started in 1947.
During that decade, he appeared on records with Hubbard, Roy Haynes, Horace Silver, Hank Mobley, Lee Morgan, Jackie McLean, and Dexter Gordon.
During his career as a musician, the performances he has held closest to his heart were his yearly concerts at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York City.
These concerts were tributes to three pianists he played with throughout his career: Duke Pearson, Sonny Clark, and Kenny Drew.
As a result, Larry felt that holding these tribute concerts was something that he was moved to do to make sure they never fade away and become anonymous musicians.
He held it in very high regard as it was one of "the world's leading institutions as far as the type of information they have that relates to African or black culture.
[7] As a way of showing respect to the invaluable institution that the Schomburg Center had become, Larry would try to mix education with his performances.
He became extremely involved with the Rutgers Institute for Jazz Studies to help make it as important of a repository for intellect and history like the Schomburg Center.
He brought in to the program a multitude of jazz musicians: Ted Dunbar, Kenny Barron, Don Friedman, Jimmy Giuffre, Freddie Waits, Michael Carvin, Frank Foster, and more.
[9] He also earned his Master's in Cultural Policy at Empire State College and a Doctor of Performing Arts degree at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
"[13] One of Larry's personal motivations for being so involved was because he loves music, and he had the opportunity during his come-up to be mentored by Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, and Horace Silver.
Like he did when he established the jazz faculty at Rutgers, he would invite renowned African American artists in an attempt to provide reliable mentorship opportunities for aspiring musicians and educators.
He wanted educators to understand all ways that African Americans contributed to jazz's development in the United States: spirituality, individuality, diversity, improvisation, and theory, to name a few.
With Chet Baker With Bill Barron With Kenny Burrell With Al Cohn With Dameronia With Teddy Edwards With Red Garland With Dexter Gordon With Stéphane Grappelli and Joe Venuti 'With Bunky Green With Slide Hampton With Roy Haynes With Freddie Hubbard With Jackie McLean With Hank Mobley With James Moody With Wes Montgomery and Wynton Kelly With Lee Morgan With Horace Silver With Lucky Thompson With Gerald Wilson