Ralph Sutton
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Ralph Earl Sutton (born November 4, 1922 in New Hamburg, Missouri — died December 30, 2001 in Evergreen, Colorado) was a renowned American jazz pianist. He was known as a "stride" pianist in the tradition of James P. Johnson and Fats Waller.
[edit] Background
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.
He died in 2001 and was inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame the following year.
