Avery Sharpe

Avery Sharpe (born August 23, 1954) is an American jazz double-bassist.

Sharpe began playing piano at age eight and also studied accordion in his youth. He learned both electric and acoustic bass as a teenager, then studied with Reggie Workman at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He played with Wynton Marsalis and Pat Metheny before joining McCoy Tyner's sextet; from 1984 through 2002 he played with Tyner's trio. He has also played as a sideman with Archie Shepp, Yusef Lateef, Ricky Ford, Joe Ford, and others. As a leader, he has release on Sunnyside Records, and several albums on his own label, JKNM.

Although not as well known as Ron Carter or Christian McBride, he is remarkably versatile as a bassist. A switch-hitter on bass guitar and upright bass, his humming-and-bowing, à la Slam Stewart, as well as his chord work on stand-up bass make quite an impression when seeing and hearing him live.

As leader

 * Unspoken Words (Sunnyside Records, 1988)
 * Extended Family (JKNM, 1993)
 * Extended Family, Vol. 2: Thoughts of My Ancestors (JKNM, 1995)
 * Extended Family, Vol. 3: Family Values (JKNM, 2001)
 * Dragon Fly (JKNM, 2005)
 * Epic Ebony Journey (JKNM, 2005)
 * Legends and Mentors (JKNM, 2008)

As sideman
With McCoy Tyner
 * Double Trios (1986)
 * Major Changes (1987)
 * Live at the Musicians Exchange Cafe (1987)
 * Uptown/Downtown (1988)
 * Solar: Live at Sweet Basil (1991)
 * Blue Bossa (1991)
 * Remembering John (1991)
 * Journey (1993)
 * Infinity McCoy Tyner (1997)
 * Autumn Mood (1997)