Ellis Larkins
Ellis Larkins (May 15, 1923 – September 30, 2002) was an American jazz pianist born in Baltimore, Maryland, known for his two recordings with Ella Fitzgerald: the albums Ella Sings Gershwin (1950) and Songs in a Mellow Mood (1954). He was also the pianist on the first solo sides by singer Chris Connor on her album Chris (1954). Larkins was the first African American to attend the Peabody Conservatory of Music, an institute in Baltimore. He began his professional playing career in New York City after moving there to attend the Juilliard School. While still at Juilliard, Larkins performed jazz piano with guitarist Billy Moore at Café Society Uptown and over the next ten years in his own groups, or in support of, clarinetist Edmond Hall and singers Helen Humes and Mildred Bailey. He recorded with Coleman Hawkins, and Dicky Wells in the 1940s. In the 1950s, he recorded with Ella Fitzgerald, Ruby Braff, and Beverly Kenney. His 1960s work included recordings or performances with Eartha Kitt, Joe Williams, Georgia Gibbs and Harry Belafonte. Though he was best known as an accompanist, Larkins recorded several solo albums in the 1950s. In the 1970s, he performed regularly at several New York venues, including Gregory's, a small bar on the Upper East Side. |
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 51-75 of 102 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Decca | 103869 | 12/2/1957 | A Summer romance | Beverly Kenney | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | 103870 | 12/2/1957 | Try a little tenderness | Beverly Kenney | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | 103871 | 12/2/1957 | What is there to say | Beverly Kenney | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | 103872 | 12/2/1957 | A lover like you | Beverly Kenney | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | 103873 | 12/2/1957 | It's a most unusual day | Beverly Kenney | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | 103874 | 12/2/1957 | You're my boy | Beverly Kenney | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | 103875 | 12/2/1957 | What it's like in Paris | Beverly Kenney | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | 103876 | 12/2/1957 | Sing a rainbow | Beverly Kenney | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | 103877 | 12/2/1957 | Brooklyn love song | Beverly Kenney | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | 104190 | 1/23/1958 | Blue star-1 | Ellis Larkins | instrumentalist, piano, celeste | |||
Decca | 104191 | 1/23/1958 | Golden earrings | Ellis Larkins | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | 104192 | 1/23/1958 | Sweet Sue, just you-2 | Ellis Larkins | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | 104193 | 1/23/1958 | Love me | Ellis Larkins | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | 104194 | 1/23/1958 | Can't we talk it over?-2 | Ellis Larkins | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | 104195 | 1/23/1958 | A love like this-1 | Ellis Larkins | instrumentalist, piano, celeste | |||
Decca | 104211 | 1/28/1958 | Do it again | Beverly Kenney | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | 104212 | 1/28/1958 | A woman's intuition | Beverly Kenney | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | 104213 | 1/28/1958 | Life can be beautiful | Beverly Kenney | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | 104214 | 1/28/1958 | Mama do I gotta? | Beverly Kenney | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | 107792 | 7/22/1959 | A ship without a sail | Ellis Larkins | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | 107793 | 7/22/1959 | In love in vain | Ellis Larkins | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | 107794 | 7/22/1959 | Who can I turn to? | Ellis Larkins | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | 107795 | 7/22/1959 | Moon and sand | Ellis Larkins | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | 107796 | 7/22/1959 | Always you | Ellis Larkins | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | 107797 | 7/22/1959 | Ecstasy | Ellis Larkins | instrumentalist, piano |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Larkins, Ellis," accessed November 7, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/106913.
Larkins, Ellis. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 7, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/106913.
"Larkins, Ellis." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 7 November 2024.
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External Sources
Wikipedia: Ellis Larkins
Discogs: Ellis Larkins
Allmusic: Ellis Larkins
Grove: Ellis Larkins
IMDb: Ellis Larkins
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Larkins, Ellis - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n93068128
Wikidata: Ellis Larkins - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q488340
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/5120113
MusicBrainz: Ellis Larkins - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/e45c753d-226c-4ed7-9eba-0dee4b96b12d
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