Ron McClure

Ron McClure (born November 22, 1941) is a jazz bassist.

McClure was born in New Haven, Connecticut. He started on piano at age five, and later played accordion and bass. McClure studied privately with Joseph Iadone and, later, with Hall Overton and Don Sebesky. McClure attended the Hartt School of Music, graduating in 1963.

McClure worked in the Buddy Rich Sextet in 1963. He then joined Maynard Ferguson's big band and, afterwards, Herbie Mann in 1964; and then assumed the bass chair in the Wynton Kelly Trio vacated by Paul Chambers in 1965 (playing behind guitarist Wes Montgomery).

From 1966 to 1969 he was a member of Charles Lloyd's "classic quartet" with pianist Keith Jarrett and drummer Jack DeJohnette, which was voted "Group of the Year" in 1967 by Downbeat magazine.

In 1970, with pianist-composer Mike Nock, drummer Eddie Marshall and violinist Michael White, he co-founded the jazz-rock group The Fourth Way. He also participated in Carla Bley's album Escalator over the Hill and worked with saxophonist Joe Henderson.

In 1974, McClure joined Blood, Sweat & Tears, staying through 1975 and performing on three albums: Mirror Image, New City and In Concert.

In the 1980s, he joined Quest, led by saxophonist Dave Liebman, which also included drummer Billy Hart and pianist Richie Beirach. He also recorded a duo album with pianist Michel Petrucciani. McClure's major engagements in the 1990s through the early 2000s were with Lee Konitz, and then with the reassembled Quest.

His solo output include the contributions of John Scofield, John Abercrombie, Vic Juris, Paul Bley, Michael Eckroth, Richie Beirach, and Randy Brecker.

As leader

• McJolt (SteepleChase, 1990)
• Never Forget (SteepleChase, 1991)
• Tonite Only (SteepleChase, 1991)
• Sunburst (SteepleChase, 1992)
• Inner Account (SteepleChase, 1993)
• Never Always (SteepleChase, 1995)
• Concrete Canyon (SteepleChase, 1996)
• Closer to Your Tears (SteepleChase, 1997)
• Pink Cloud (Naxos Jazz, 1997)
• Dream Team (SteepleChase, 1998)
• Double Triangle (Naxos Jazz, 1999)
• Soft Hands (SteepleChase, 2006)
• New Moon (SteepleChase, 2009)
• Mac Straight Ahead (American Showplace, 2010)
• Dedication (Steeplechase, 2011)
• Crunch Time (Steeplechase, 2012)
• Hello Stars (Audio & Video Labs, 2016)

As sideman

With Burak Bedikyan

• Leap of Faith (SteepleChase)

With Carla Bley

• Escalator over the Hill (JCOA, 1971)

With Paul Bley

• The Nearness of You (SteepleChase, 1989)

With George Cables

• Quiet Fire (SteepleChase, 1994)

With Stanley Cowell

• Sienna (SteepleChase, 1989)

With Don Friedman

• Almost Everything (SteepleChase, 1995)

With Joe Henderson

• If You're Not Part of the Solution, You're Part of the Problem (Milestone, 1970)

With Lee Konitz

• Zounds (Soul Note, 1990)
• It's You (SteepleChase, 1996)
• Dig-It (SteepleChase, 1999) with Ted Brown

With David Liebman

• The Opal Heart (44, 1979)
• Doin' It Again (Timeless, 1979)
• If They Only Knew (Timeless, 1980)

With Charles Lloyd

• Love-In (Atlantic, 1967)
• Journey Within (Atlantic, 1967)
• Charles Lloyd in the Soviet Union (Atlantic, 1967)
• Soundtrack (Atlantic, 1968)

With Michel Petrucciani

• Cold Blues (OWL, 1985)

With Julian Priester

• Love, Love (ECM, 1973)

With George Russell

• Live in an American Time Spiral (Soul Note, 1983)

With Jarmo Savolainen

• First Sight (Timeless, 1992)
• True Image (A-Records, 1995)

With James Spaulding

• The Smile of the Snake (HighNote, 1997)

With Wynton Kelly

• Full View (Milestone, 1967)