Carl Perkins (Pianist)

Carl Perkins ( born August 16, 1928 in Indianapolis, † March 17, 1958 in Los Angeles ) was an American jazz pianist of the hard bop.

Perkins learned to play the piano mostly self-taught (and also did not read the notes). Because of a polio disease his left arm was disabled, which affected his game accordingly ( he held his left hand sideways at the game ). He had first appearances on Tiny Bradshaw and Big Jay McNeely. Since the late 1940s he lived in Los Angeles. In 1950 he played with Miles Davis, from 1953 to 1955 with the trio of Oscar Moore, 1954 in the band of Clifford Brown and Max Roach and then in the " Curtis Counce Group" with Harold Land, Jack Sheldon and Frank Butler. He also took with Art Pepper (1957 ), Stuff Smith (1957 ), Quincy Jones, Richie Kamuca, Dexter Gordon, Leroy Vinnegar, Jim Hall, Illinois Jacquet, Chet Baker, Buddy DeFranco and an album under his own name ( Introducing Carl Perkins, Dootone 1956 with Larance Marable, Leroy Vinnegar in the trio ). He also composed, inter alia, Groove Yard, Mia ( Way Crosstown ) Carl 's Blues. He died at age 29 from an overdose of heroin.

After Billy Taylor stands as one of the first pioneers of soul- and gospel -influenced jazz style of the 1960s.