Eric Edward Szafranski, also known as Edward Safranski, born on December 25, 1918, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was an American jazz double bassist, composer, and arranger. He began playing violin as a child and later switched to the double bass during high school. His professional career started in 1941 with Hal McIntyre's orchestra, where he played bass and wrote arrangements until 1945. Safranski then worked with Miff Mole, Stan Kenton, and Charlie Barnet before moving to New York City and becoming a studio musician for NBC. In the 1950s, he collaborated with notable artists such as Benny Goodman and Marian McPartland. He won the Down Beat Readers' Poll for bassist from 1946 to 1953. Safranski died in Los Angeles on January 10, 1974, at the age of 55.
