Alton Purnell
Alton Purnell (born April 16, 1911 in New Orleans , † January 14, 1987 in Inglewood ) was an American jazz pianist of hot jazz ; he combined elements from New Orleans Jazz with the Harlem Stride Piano .
Live and act
Purnell first emerged as a singer. He was active as a pianist since 1928. For the next decade, he worked in New Orleans with Isaiah Morgan , Alphonse Picou , Big Eye Louis Nelson , Sidney Desvigne, and Cousin Joe . In the mid 1940s he performed across America with Bunk Johnson . In 1946 he became a member of George Lewis ' Ragtime Band , to which he belonged for the next few years and with which he also went on tour in Europe.
In 1957 Purnell moved to Los Angeles , where he worked with Teddy Buckner , the so-called Young Men from New Orleans , Joe Darensbourg , Kid Ory , Barney Bigard and Ben Pollack . He has recorded several albums as a leader, for example for Warner Bros. Records , GHB and Alligator Jazz and has also performed in Europe with Trevor Richards , the White Eagle Jazz Band and the Maryland Jazz Band of Cologne .
Lexical entry
- Leonard Feather , Ira Gitler : The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz. Oxford University Press, New York 1999, ISBN 0-19-532000-X .
Web links
- Scott Yanow , Alton Purnell at Allmusic (English)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Purnell, Alton |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American jazz musician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 16, 1911 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | New Orleans |
| DATE OF DEATH | January 14, 1987 |
| Place of death | Inglewood |