Frank Fields

Frank Nomer Fields (May 2, 1914 – September 18, 2005) was an American double bass player who was involved in many R&B, rock and roll and jazz recordings made in New Orleans.

He was born in Plaquemine, Louisiana. In the 1930s, he played with local jazz groups and with bandleader Claiborne Williams. After serving in the US Navy during World War II, he joined Dave Bartholomew's band as bass player, and became one of the key session musicians at Cosimo Matassa's J&M Studios in New Orleans, along with guitarist Ernest McLean, drummer Earl Palmer, pianist Salvador Doucette, and saxophonists Lee Allen and Red Tyler. Fields played on many of the seminal rhythm and blues and early rock and roll records made in New Orleans, including Fats Domino's "The Fat Man" (recorded in 1949), and many of Domino's later hits; Little Richard's "Tutti Frutti" (1955) and his later records on Specialty; and recordings by Professor Longhair, Smiley Lewis, Shirley & Lee, Lloyd Price, Huey "Piano" Smith, Ray Charles and many others. Fields was several years older than most of the other regular musicians. Tyler described him as "about the most steady bass player I've ever worked with.... He plays correct, nothing fancy, very strong and dominant in his bass playing."

He worked as a television repair man at the same time as maintaining his career as a musician. He continued to record as a session musician in New Orleans until the early 1990s. He also played with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band until at least 1994.

He died in 2005 at the age of 91, and was buried at Port Hudson National Cemetery in Zachary, Louisiana.

Birth and Death Data: Born Louisiana (state of the United States of America), Died September 18, 2005 (New Orleans (largest city of the state of Louisiana, United States) )

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1949 - 1958

Roles Represented in DAHR: string bass

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 165 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Imperial IM-112 10-in. 11/29/1949 Boogie woogie mama Tommy Ridgley instrumentalist, string bass  
Imperial IM-113 10-in. 11/29/1949 Shrewsbury blues Tommy Ridgley instrumentalist, string bass  
Imperial IM-114 10-in. 11/29/1949 Early dawn boogie Tommy Ridgley instrumentalist, string bass  
Imperial IM-115 10-in. 11/29/1949 Lonely man blues Tommy Ridgley instrumentalist, string bass  
Imperial IM-118 10-in. 11/29/1949 Don't marry too soon Jewel King instrumentalist, string bass  
Imperial IM-119 10-in. 11/29/1949 3 x 7 = 21 Jewel King instrumentalist, string bass  
Imperial IM-134 10-in. 12/10/1949 Hide away blues Fats Domino instrumentalist, string bass  
Imperial IM-135 10-in. 12/10/1949 She's my baby Fats Domino instrumentalist, string bass  
Imperial IM-136 10-in. January, 1950 Brand new baby Fats Domino instrumentalist, string bass  
Imperial IM-139 10-in. January, 1950 Hey! la bas boogie Fats Domino instrumentalist, string bass  
Imperial IM-152 10-in. January or February, 1950 Carnival day Dave Bartholomew instrumentalist, string bass  
Imperial IM-153 10-in. January or February, 1950 That's how you got killed before Dave Bartholomew instrumentalist, string bass  
Imperial IM-160 10-in. March, 1950 Tee-nah-nah Smiley Lewis instrumentalist, string bass  
Imperial IM-161 10-in. March, 1950 Lowdown Smiley Lewis instrumentalist, string bass  
Imperial IM-190 10-in. April, 1950 Story to tell Dave Bartholomew Orchestra ; Joe Turner instrumentalist, string bass  
Imperial IM-191 10-in. April, 1950 Jumpin' tonight Dave Bartholomew Orchestra ; Joe Turner instrumentalist, string bass  
Imperial IM-215 10-in. 9/30/1950 Korea blues Fats Domino instrumentalist, string bass  
Imperial IM-216 10-in. 9/30/1950 Every night about this time Fats Domino instrumentalist, string bass  
Imperial IM-217 10-in. Early September, 1950 Careless love Dave Bartholomew's Band ; Fats Domino instrumentalist, string bass  
Imperial IM-274 10-in. April, 1951 Bee's boogie Smiley Lewis instrumentalist, string bass  
Imperial IM-276 10-in. April, 1951 My baby was right Smiley Lewis instrumentalist, string bass  
Imperial IM-341 10-in. 9/13/1951 When night falls James Wayne instrumentalist, string bass  
Imperial IM-343 10-in. 9/13/1951 Home town blues James Wayne instrumentalist, string bass  
Imperial IM-345 10-in. 9/19/1951 Ageable woman James Wayne instrumentalist, string bass  
Imperial IM-346 10-in. 9/19/1951 Vacant pillow blues James Wayne instrumentalist, string bass  
(Results 1-25 of 165 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Fields, Frank," accessed December 24, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/315287.

Fields, Frank. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 24, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/315287.

"Fields, Frank." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 24 December 2025.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/315287

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