Carl Perkins (pianist)


Carl Perkins was an American jazz pianist.

Biography

Perkins was born in Indianapolis but worked mainly in Los Angeles. He is best remembered for his performances with the Curtis Counce Quintet, which also featured Harold Land, Jack Sheldon and drummer Frank Butler. He also performed with Tiny Bradshaw, Big Jay McNeely in 1948–49, and played dates with Miles Davis in 1950. Following a short stint in the Army, he worked intermittently with the Oscar Moore Trio and the Clifford Brown–Max Roach group in 1954. He recorded with Frank Morgan in 1955, and with his own group in 1956. Perkins composed the standard "Grooveyard".
His playing was influenced by his polio-affected left arm, which he held parallel to the keyboard. He used his elbow to play deep bass notes. He was thus known as "the crab".
He died of a drug overdose at age 29, in Los Angeles, California. He recorded one album, Introducing Carl Perkins, and a short series of singles under his own name. Authors Paul Tanner, Maurice Gerow, and David Megill cite Perkins as one of the best "funky", or hard bop, piano players, but his early death prevented him from leaving a legacy.

Discography

As leader

Shared leadership

As sideman

With Pepper Adams
With Chet Baker and Art Pepper
With Clifford Brown and Max Roach
With Curtis Counce
With Buddy DeFranco
With Victor Feldman
With Dizzy Gillespie
With Dexter Gordon
With Jim Hall
With Illinois Jacquet
With Richie Kamuca
With Harold Land
With Oscar Moore
With Frank Morgan
With Art Pepper
  • The Complete Art Pepper Aladdin Recordings The Perkins recordings were released long after recording
With Stuff Smith
  • Have Violin, Will Swing
With Leroy Vinnegar