Jymie Merritt

Jymie Merritt (May 3, 1926 – April 10, 2020) was an American jazz bassist, bandleader and composer. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

In the early 1950s he toured with rock and roll musicians Bullmoose Jackson and Chris Powell moving on to work with bluesman BB King from 1955 to 1957. From 1965 to 1968, Merritt worked with the drummer, composer and activist Max Roach. In 1962, Merritt formed and fronted the Forerunners in Philadelphia.

Merritt died on April 10, 2020 of liver cancer in Philadelphia, aged 93.