Re: Henry Grimes, missing person

In reply to Noriyuki Tsunofuri's question about Henry Grimes:

I always loved Henry Grimes's playing and have occasionally asked musician friends about what happened to him. I've heard two similar reports about his whereabouts. About three years ago, Cecil McBee told me that he had been crossing Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, and Henry Grimes passed him in the crosswalk. He had bright orange hair. My memory about the rest of the story is a little vague. Cecil was sure it was Henry, however, and was very surprised to see him. I'm not sure when this occurred, but it was many years after Grimes disappeared from the music scene.

The other report was from Randy Kaye, the drummer who was a member of a trio with Perry Robinson and Henry Grimes in the mid-60's; played as a high school student with James Jacson; played gigs with Gilmore, Jimmy Lyons, and others in the early 60's (sometimes billed as Ran DK); with Jimi Hendrix in his unrecorded Woodstock "jazz" rehearsal band; and with the Jimmy Giuffre Quartet for the past 22 years (oral historians take note!). Randy told me he had heard that Henry Grimes was in L.A., was not playing, and was some kind of preacher and/or involved in some kind of religious activities. (Someone told me Perry Robinson may know more about his whereabouts now, but Perry's in Europe 'til late October.)

There are two nice videos of Henry Grimes that I know of: Jazz on a Summer's Day (with Thelonious Monk Trio), 1958 Sonny Rollins Trio (Grimes and Joe Harris, drums), 1959?

Allan Chase