Dorothy Ashby
- Born:
- , Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Died:
- , Santa Monica, California, USA
- Instrument:
- Harp
- Notable collaborations:
- Terry Pollard, Frank Wess, Richard Davis, Stevie Wonder
- Genres:
- Funk / Soul, Jazz, Pop, Electronic, Hip Hop, Rock, Latin, Folk, World, & Country, Classical, Non-Music
- Styles:
- Soul, Disco, Funk, Jazz-Funk, Soul-Jazz, Gospel, Easy Listening, Fusion, Ballad, Cool Jazz
Dorothy Ashby is a harpist who virtually single-handedly established the harp as a legitimate jazz instrument. Her career timeline shows her pioneering role: from her early Hard Bop recordings in Detroit during the late 1950s to her Soul-Jazz leadership on labels like Prestige and Cadet in the 1960s, producing albums like “The Rubaiyat of Dorothy Ashby” and “Afro-Harping”. Her technical mastery allowed her to navigate bebop changes and modal frameworks with the same facility as any pianist or guitarist. Beyond her leader work, she became an in-demand session musician in Los Angeles during the 1970s, contributing her distinctive sound to funk, soul, and jazz-funk recordings. Her work opened new sonic possibilities for the harp in modern music.
Essential Dorothy Ashby Albums
In A Minor Groove
Dorothy Ashby, Frank Wess
1958
Post Bop
The Rubáiyát Of Dorothy Ashby
Dorothy Ashby
1970
Soul-Jazz
Afro-Harping
Dorothy Ashby
1968
Soul-Jazz
The Fantastic Jazz Harp Of Dorothy Ashby
Dorothy Ashby
1965
Hip Harp
Dorothy Ashby, Frank Wess
1958
Dorothy's Harp
Dorothy Ashby
1969
Soul-Jazz
Django / Misty
Dorothy Ashby
1984
Dorothy Ashby
Dorothy Ashby
1962
Soul-Jazz
The Jazz Harpist
Dorothy Ashby
1957
Hard Bop
Concierto De Aranjuez = 恋のアランフェス、イエスタデイ~レインボー・ハープ
Dorothy Ashby, Dorothy Ashby
1983
Similar Artists
Top Labels
| Label | Releases |
|---|---|
| Columbia | 14 |
| Cadet | 9 |
| Not On Label | 9 |
| Strictly Breaks Records | 7 |
| Capitol Records | 6 |
| ARC | 6 |
| Mercury | 4 |
| Beverly Glen Music | 4 |
| Fat City | 4 |
| Verve Records | 4 |
Dorothy Ashby Collaborations
As Leader
| Musician | Role | Releases |
|---|---|---|
| Herman Wright | Bass | 4 |
| Frank Wess | Flute | 3 |
| Richard Evans | Conductor | 2 |
| Lenard Druss | Flute | 2 |
| Lenard Druss | Oboe | 2 |
| Yoko Ochida | Illustration | 2 |
| Eddie Jones | Bass | 1 |
| Wendell Marshall | Bass | 1 |
| Ed Thigpen | Drums | 1 |
| Ozzie Cadena | Supervised By | 1 |
As Sideman
| Musician | Role | Releases |
|---|---|---|
| James Gadson | Drums | 17 |
| George Bohanon | Trombone | 17 |
| Oscar Brashear | Trumpet | 15 |
| Bobby Bryant | Trumpet | 14 |
| Paulinho Da Costa | Percussion | 14 |
| Ronald Cooper | Cello | 12 |
| Rollice Dale | Viola | 12 |
| Garnett Brown | Trombone | 12 |
| Maurice Spears | Trombone | 12 |
| William Henderson | Violin | 11 |
Key Personnel
| Person | Role | Releases |
|---|---|---|
| Bernie Grundman | Mastered By | 6 |
| John Golden | Mastered By | 5 |
| Mike Reese | Mastered By | 5 |
| Ken Perry | Mastered By | 5 |
| Various | Leader | 5 |
| Leon Ndugu Chancler | Producer | 4 |
| Ross Pallone | Engineer [Assistant] | 4 |
| Rudy Van Gelder | Lacquer Cut By | 3 |
| Ira Gitler | Liner Notes | 3 |
| James Gadson | Producer | 3 |
Discography
Total: 165 releases
| Artist | Album | Label | Leader/Sideman | Style | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dorothy Ashby | The Fantastic Jazz Harp Of Dorothy Ashby | - | Sideman | 2025 | |
| Brian Bennett, Dorothy Ashby | Solstice (Edit) / Soul Vibrations (Edit) | Coolin Out | Leader | 2025 | |
| Mary Ocher | Your Guide to Revolution | Not On Label (Mary Ocher Self-relelased) | Sideman | Experimental | 2024 |
| Thomas McClary | Thomas McClary | - | Sideman | 2024 | |
| Vernon Burch | Playing Hard To Get | - | Sideman | 2024 | |
| Charles Veal* | Only The Best | - | Sideman | 2024 | |
| Dorothy Ashby / Phil Upchurch | Come Live With Me / Black Gold | Black Hole | Sideman | Soul-Jazz | 2024 |
| Dorothy Ashby / Phil Upchurch | Come Live With Me / Black Gold | - | Sideman | 2023 | |
| Brandee Younger | Brand New Life | - | Sideman | 2023 | |
| SQÜRL | A Mixed Tape Made By SQÜRL | Sacred Bones Records | Sideman | 2023 | |
| Tara Minton, Ed Babar | Two For The Road | Jazzizit Records | Sideman | Contemporary Jazz | 2022 |
| Dorothy Ashby | The Rubaiyat Of Dorothy Ashby | - | Sideman | 2022 | |
| Alina Bzhezhinska & HipHarpCollective | Reflections | - | Sideman | 2022 | |
| Dorothy Ashby | Afro-Harping | - | Sideman | 2022 | |
| Various | Jazz Ruined My Life | Hippie Scum | Sideman | 2021 | |
| Trevor Dunn | Flexes For Carrieta White Mix-Tape Vol 56 | - | Sideman | 2021 | |
| Saint Tropez | Belle De Jour | - | Sideman | 2021 | |
| Dorothy Ashby | Dorothy Edits | Galaxy Sound Co. | Sideman | Soul | 2020 |
| Brandee Younger | Soul Awakening | Not On Label (Brandee Younger Self-released) | Sideman | 2019 | |
| Vernon Burch | Lovely Lady / Joy And Pain | Dynamite Cuts | Sideman | Boogie | 2019 |
Styles & Genres Distribution
Styles
| Style | Releases | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Soul | 38 | 13.5% |
| Disco | 35 | 12.5% |
| Funk | 29 | 10.3% |
| Jazz-Funk | 18 | 6.4% |
| Soul-Jazz | 13 | 4.6% |
| Gospel | 9 | 3.2% |
| Easy Listening | 5 | 1.8% |
| Fusion | 5 | 1.8% |
| Ballad | 5 | 1.8% |
| Cool Jazz | 4 | 1.4% |
Genres
| Genre | Releases | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Funk / Soul | 85 | 30.2% |
| Jazz | 65 | 23.1% |
| Pop | 14 | 5% |
| Electronic | 12 | 4.3% |
| Hip Hop | 12 | 4.3% |
| Rock | 8 | 2.8% |
| Latin | 7 | 2.5% |
| Folk, World, & Country | 4 | 1.4% |
| Classical | 3 | 1.1% |
| Non-Music | 2 | 0.7% |