Block played violin as a child, and grew up in Cleveland and Brooklyn.
He picked up bass in high school and worked professionally in big bands from the late 1930s.
[2] Block worked with Van Alexander, Chick Webb, Alvino Rey, and Tommy Dorsey and recorded with Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald.
After the 1950s, Block worked extensively as a studio musician, including for folk ensembles such as The Greenbriar Boys.
He played with Jimmy McPartland and Johnny Costa, but went into semi-retirement after the 1960s.