Friends, family pay tribute to late jazz musician Jamil Nasser

George Joyner (Jamil Nasser); from the album "The George Joyner Quarter"

A local tribute will be today for renowned Memphis-born jazz bassist Jamil Nasser.

Nasser, born George Joyner, died after suffering a stroke and massive cardiac arrest at hospital in Englewood, N.J., on Feb. 13. He was 77.

A longtime East Coast resident, Nasser will be remembered by his Memphis family and friends today at 6:30 p.m. at the Mt. Nebo Baptist Church, 555 Vance Ave.

Nasser's 102-year-old mother, his three brothers and four of his five sisters still reside in the Memphis area.

Nasser began his musical career locally as a student at Booker T. Washington High School. After playing with childhood friend and famed Memphis jazzman Phineas Newborn, Nasser went on to study music at Arkansas A&M, before entering the Army where he continued his career playing service shows.

"After he got out of the service he started playing with a lot of people locally," said his sister, Dorothy Robinson. "He played with B.B. King, with Willie Mitchell, and a lot of musicians that were around town back then."

After working for King as his arranger, Nasser eventually moved to New York where he became one of the city's top jazz bassists, playing with a who's who of jazz greats including Sonny Rollins, Red Garland, Ahmad Jamal, George Coleman and Lester Young.

Nasser returned to Memphis to help produce the jazz portion of the inaugural Beale Street Music Festival in 1977. He later worked with Memphis actress-singer Cybil Shepherd.

In later years, Nasser was a tireless proponent and preservationist of jazz heritage. He served as a vice president for the Jazz Foundation of America, music director for the Universal Jazz Coalition, and founded his own company, Global International Art.

Nasser is also survived by his wife, Barbara, his sons Najee, Umar, Muneer and Zaid; and daughter Aliyah.

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