Jazz Reflections by Ron Wynn

    Ben Tucker's impact   Because so much jazz history and criticism tends to focus on either innovators or current events, it is easy to forget steady players who make immeasurable contributions to the music in places other than New York, Los Angeles, Chicago or New Orleans.

That's definitely the case with bassist Ben Tucker, who was killed Tuesday in a car crash in Savannah, Ga., where he lived for decades. The 82-year-old Tucker played with a host of great musicians, among them Quincy Jones, Buddy Rich, Grant Green, Dexter Gordon, Art Pepper, Warne Marsh, Gerry Mulligan, Billy Taylor and Peggy Lee.

Both Tucker and his twin brother grew up in Nashville. He taught himself both bass and tuba. Among his early triumphs, Tucker helped Bobby Hebb record the global hit "Sunny," and subsequently reinvested earned royalties into other business ventures.
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