Juini Booth

Who is Juini Booth?

Arthur Edward Booth is an American jazz double-bassist. His professional name is currently Juini Booth, though his nickname has been spelled Jiunie, Junie, Joony, Jooney, Joonie, Juni, Juney, and Junius, over the course of his career.

Booth began playing piano at about age eight, and switched to bass at 12. He worked with Chuck Mangione in his hometown in 1964-65 before moving to New York City around 1966, where he played with Eddie Harris, Art Blakey, Sonny Simmons, Marzette Watts, Freddie Hubbard, and Gary Bartz. He played with Shelly Manne in Hollywood in 1969.

In the early 1970s Booth played with Tony Williams's Lifetime and McCoy Tyner, also recording during this time with Larry Young, Takehiro Honda, and Masabumi Kikuchi, the last two during a tour of Tokyo in 1974. After a short period with Hamiett Bluiett in 1976 he returned to Buffalo, though he also worked with Chico Freeman in Los Angeles and Junior Cook in New York in 1977. In 1977-78 he played with Elvin Jones and Charles Tolliver.

From 1980 to 1982 he played with Ernie Krivda in Cleveland, as well as locally in Buffalo. He recorded freelance with Beaver Harris, Steve Grossman and Joe Chambers, and others.