Beryl Booker
Background information
BornJune 7, 1922 (1922-06-07)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedSeptember 30, 1978(1978-09-30) (aged 56)
GenresSwing
Post bop
Cool jazz
Occupation(s)Musician
Instrument(s)Piano

Beryl Booker (June 7, 1922 – September 30, 1978) was an American swing pianist. She was born in Philadelphia.

Career

Booker performed with Slam Stewart's trio in 1946, and played intermittently with him until 1951. She was Dinah Washington accompanist for a period. In 1951, she became part of the newly formed Austin Powell Quintet (consisting of former Cats and the Fiddle members Doris Knighton, Johnny Davis and Stanley Gaines, and also Dottie Smith) which recorded one Decca single entitled "All This Can't Be True" before disbanding.[1]

Beginning her own combo

In early 1952, Booker led a quintet which played Birdland, featuring Don Elliot, Chuck Wayne, Clyde Lombardi and Connie Kay. Recordings with Miles Davis sitting in on the group have been preserved.[2] In 1953, she formed her own trio with Bonnie Wetzel and Elaine Leighton (de) (nl) (1926–1912).[3][4] This group toured Europe in 1954 as part of a show entitled "Jazz Club USA", which featured Billie Holiday.[2] After another stint with Dinah Washington in 1959, she slipped into obscurity.

Later career

In the 1970s, she continued to perform and record with small groups.[5] Philadelphia writer Thom Nickels, who knew Booker in the 1970s, nominated her several times for Philadelphia's Walk of Fame on Broad Street. The project to get Booker on the Walk of Fame remains in progress.

Discography

  • A Girl Met a Piano (EmArcy, 1952)
  • (With Teddi King) 'Round Midnight (Storyville, 1953)
  • Beryl Booker Trio (Discovery, 1954)
  • Don Byas with Beryl Booker (Discovery, 1954)
  • The Beryl Booker Trio (Cadence, 1954)

References

  1. ↑ Warner, Jay. American Singing Groups: A History From 1940 To Today. Hal Leonard Corporation, 2006; ISBN 0634099787, 9780634099, p. 17
  2. 1 2 Schenker, Anatol. Chronological Classics: 1946-1952. Liner Notes
  3. ↑ Dahl, Linda (born 1949) (1989) [1984]. Stormy Weather: The Music and Lives of a Century of Jazzwomen. pp. 76, 92 – via Google Books (limited preview).{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) LCCN 83-19456, LCCN 89-12352; ISBN 0-8791-0128-8, 978-0-8791-0128-2; OCLC 19888394 (all editions).
  4. ↑ "New Jersey, U.S., Death Index, 1848–1878, 1901–2017" (Elaine Leighton → Date of birth: 22 May 1926 → Place of birth: New York City → Date of death: 13 May 2012 → Place of death: New Jersey). Lehi, Utah. 2016 – via Ancestry.com.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  5. ↑ Dahl, Linda. Stormy Weather: The Music and Lives of a Century of Jazzwomen. London 1984; ISBN 0-7043-2477-6, p. 76.
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