Born: October 27, 1924 | Died: February 15, 1993 Primary Instrument: Piano
George Wallington, accomplished pianist, composer, and arranger, had been closely associated with the progressive jazz movement since the mid-40s when this new phase of American music was being nurtured in New York’s Harlem and along 52nd St. He was, in fact, the pianist with Dizzy Gillespie’s first bop band at the Onyx club in 1944, where his contributions reflected his innate creative ability, a talent that established him as one of the best composers in the progressive field.
Wallington’s astonishing, fast-moving eloquence as a pianist, contrasted strangely with his introvert, laconic manner as a person. He has too long been taken for granted, but his reissued trio sessions prove he was one of the most incisive and creative of pianists who helped write an important new chapter in jazz.
