John Adriano Acea (September 11, 1917 – July 25, 1963) was an American jazz pianist. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Adriano Acea of Cuba and Leona Acea of Virginia. One of six children, Johnny and was expected to die during his first decade of life from Rheumatic fever, as did his youngest sister, Anna. In addition to beating the odds, he would end up with a rather impressive résumé backing several notable artists.
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During the 1930s, Acea started out as a trumpeter and saxophonist. Upon conclusion of military service (US Army) in 1946, he switched to playing the piano. He would later become a sought-after session musician with jazz veterans, including (but not limited to):
Acea is listed as co-composer on "Nice 'N' Greasy" – the closing track to Lou Donaldson's 1962 effort, The Natural Soul. He is also credited as a composer on recordings by Gillespie, Jacquet and Moody.
With Leo Parker
With Don Wilkerson