Earl Theodore "Ted" Dunbar (January 17, 1937 – May 29, 1998) was an American jazz guitarist, composer, and educator.
Born in Port Arthur, Texas, Dunbar trained as a pharmacist at Texas Southern University, but by the 1970s only did pharmacy work part-time. He was also a trained numerologist and had studied other aspects of mysticism. He became interested in jazz at the age of seven and in the 1950s he joined several groups while studying pharmacy at Texas Southern University. At one point he received accolades from Ebony and Down Beat. In the 1950s he became influenced by Wes Montgomery. In 1966 he moved to New York City and gained more experience. In 1972 he became one of the first jazz professors at Rutgers University and taught Kevin Eubanks, Vernon Reid and Peter Bernstein, as well as many others. He published four volumes on jazz.
Dunbar died in 1998 of a stroke.
With Gene Ammons
With Kenny Barron
With Richard Davis
With Gil Evans
With Curtis Fuller
With Albert Heath
With Willis Jackson
With Charles McPherson
With Don Patterson