Birth name Ralph Earl Sutton Associated acts Bob Scobey Occupation(s) Musician Name Ralph Sutton | Instruments Piano Role Jazz Pianist Labels Arbors Records Genres Jazz | |
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Born November 4, 1922
Hamburg, Missouri, U.S. ( 1922-11-04 ) Died December 30, 2001, Evergreen, Colorado, United States Albums It's so Nice It Must Be Illegal! Music group World's Greatest Jazz Band Similar People Kenny Davern, Bob Wilber, Dick Hyman, Ruby Braff, Dick Wellstood | ||
Ralph sutton fussin
Ralph Earl Sutton (November 4, 1922 – December 30, 2001) was an American jazz pianist born in Hamburg, Missouri. He was a stride pianist in the tradition of James P. Johnson and Fats Waller.
Contents
- Ralph sutton fussin
- Ralph sutton tain t nobody s biz ness if i do
- Biography
- As leader
- As sideman
- References
Ralph sutton tain t nobody s biz ness if i do
Biography
Sutton had a stint as a session musician with Jack Teagarden's band before joining the US Army during World War II. After the war, he played at various venues in Missouri, eventually ending up at Eddie Condon's club in Greenwich Village. In 1956, he relocated to San Francisco, California, where he recorded several albums with Bob Scobey's dixieland band. From the 1960s onward, he worked mostly on his own. However, when the World's Greatest Jazz Band was established in 1968, he was the natural choice for piano. He left that band in 1974 due to the extensive travel involved, and joined an old sidekick, Peanuts Hucko, in a quartet in Denver, near his home in Evergreen, Colorado.
Fellow jazz pianist Jess Stacy said this about Ralph Sutton: "He is a superb piano player and a great guy. There's nothing upstage about him. I really admire the way he plays. He's one of the few piano players who uses both hands, and it's sure nice to know that a player like Ralph is still around. I can't say enough good things about him. He's one of the greats, and I hope he gets the recognition he deserves."
Sutton died of a stroke in Evergreen, Colorado at the age of 79.
As leader
As sideman
With Ruby Braff
With Dick Cary
With Kenny Davern
With Jay McShann
With Johnny Varro