Larry Ridley, born September 3, 1937, is an American jazz musician and music educator. Ridley was raised in Indianapolis, IN. In the 1950s, he began his professional career as a performer while still in highschool. He attended the Indiana University School of Music, and then the Lenox School of Jazz. Ridley was involved in jazz education and headed the Rutgers University jazz program. He was also mentored by Dr. David Baker, an Indianapolis native and a well-known jazz musician. During his time at Indiana University, Ridley was the bassist in David Baker’s Big band. Ridley was chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts’ Jazz Panel. He also served as the National Coordinator for the “Jazz Artists in Schools” Program for five consecutive years (1978-1982). Ridley was a recipient of MidAtlantic Arts Foundation’s “Living Legacy Jazz Award”, a 1998 inductee of International Association for Jazz Education Hall of Fame and a recipient of Downbeat Magazine Jazz Education Hall of Fame’s Benny Golson Jazz Award. He was also honored with a Juneteenth 2006 Proclamation Award by the New York City Council. Ridley is the current Executive Director of African American Jazz Caucus, Inc., which is an affiliate of IAJE. Ridley is also the IAJE Northeast Region Coordinator. He is still active as a Professor of Jazz Bass at Manhattan School of Music. Ridley currently serves as Jazz Artist in Residence at Harlem’s New York Public Library/Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Ridley established an annual series to present the compositions of jazz masters, which is performed by Ridley with his Jazz Legacy Ensemble. From Wikipedia
