Irving Ashby
Irving Conrad Ashby (December 29, 1920 – April 22, 1987) was an American jazz guitarist. Ashby was born in Somerville, Massachusetts and started playing guitar when he was nine. His career started in 1940 when he became a member of Lionel Hampton's band, and he played on Hampton's hit "Flying Home". In 1947, he took over for Oscar Moore in the Nat King Cole Trio. He then briefly replaced Charlie Smith, a drummer, in the Oscar Peterson Trio, producing a line-up (piano, guitar, bass) similar to the Cole Trio's; the substitution of a guitarist for a drummer continued until 1958. After leaving the Peterson Trio, Ashby concentrated on session work, which included recording with Norman Granz, Sheb Wooley, LaVern Baker, Howard Roberts, B.B. King, Louis Jordan, and Pat Boone. In addition to guitar, Ashby played the upright bass. Ashby died in April 1987 in Perris, California, at the age of 66. |
Birth and Death Data: Born Somerville (city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States), Died April 22, 1987 (Perris (city in Riverside County, Southern California, United States) )
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1940 - 1957
Roles Represented in DAHR: guitar, composer, vocalist, songwriter
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 28 records)
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | PBS-055230 | 10-in. | 12/19/1940 | Altitude | Lionel Hampton Sextet | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
| Victor | PBS-055236 | 10-in. | 12/20/1940 | Smart aleck | Lionel Hampton Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
| Exclusive | EXC-1230 | 10-in. | 12/31/1949 | Tatoe pie | Jack McVea Orchestra ; Jack McVea | composer | ||
| Atlantic | 2365 | 10-in. | 3/15/1957 | Jim dandy got married | LaVern Baker | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Atlantic | 2366 | 10-in. | 3/15/1957 | Love me right | LaVern Baker | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Imperial | BW-726 | 10-in. | 1945 | Harlem bop, pt. 1 | Howard McGhee | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Imperial | BW-727 | 10-in. | 1945 | Harlem bop, pt. 2 | Howard McGhee | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Imperial | IM-1042 | 10-in. | 4/4/1956 | Return to me | Ernie Freeman | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Imperial | IM-1044 | 10-in. | 4/4/1956 | Spring fever | Ernie Freeman | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Imperial | IM-1045 | 10-in. | 4/4/1956 | Walking the beat | Ernie Freeman | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Imperial | IM-1048 | 10-in. | 4/12/1956 | Rainy day | Ernie Freeman | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Imperial | IM-1049 | 10-in. | 4/12/1956 | Funny face | Ernie Freeman | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Imperial | IM-1163 | 10-in. | 10/8/1956 | Night winds | Irving Ashby | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist | ||
| Imperial | IM-1165 | 10-in. | 10/8/1956 | Loco-motion | Irving Ashby | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, songwriter | ||
| Imperial | IM-1430 | 10-in. | 10/14/1957 | Raunchy | Ernie Freeman | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Imperial | IM-1431 | 10-in. | 10/14/1957 | Puddin' | Ernie Freeman | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 70100 | 10-in. | 12/24/1941 | Just for you | Lionel Hampton Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 70101 | 10-in. | 12/24/1941 | Southern echoes | Lionel Hampton Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 70102 | 10-in. | 12/24/1941 | My wish | Lionel Hampton Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 70103 | 10-in. | 12/24/1941 | Nola | Lionel Hampton Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 70416 | 10-in. | 3/2/1942 | Royal family | Lionel Hampton Sextet | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 70417 | 10-in. | 3/2/1942 | I can't believe that you're in love with me | Lionel Hampton Sextet | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 70418 | 10-in. | 3/2/1942 | Blues in the news | Lionel Hampton Sextet | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 70419 | 10-in. | 3/2/1942 | Exactly like you | Lionel Hampton Sextet | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 70771 | 10-in. | 5/26/1942 | Now I know | Lionel Hampton Orchestra | instrumentalist, guitar |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Ashby, Irving," accessed December 24, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106396.
Ashby, Irving. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 24, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106396.
"Ashby, Irving." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 24 December 2025.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Irving Ashby
Discogs: Irving Ashby
Allmusic: Irving Ashby
Grove: Irving Ashby
IMDb: Irving Ashby
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Ashby, Irving, 1920-1987 - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n91090384
Wikidata: Irving Ashby - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1577823
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/10032431
MusicBrainz: Irving Ashby - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/ccd9e73d-5cbd-49c6-b3e8-4fa3d8423934
Fast: https://id.worldcat.org/fast/291460 - https://id.worldcat.org/fast/291460
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