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 76-100 of 102 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Decca | 107798 | 7/24/1959 | Just Arlene | Ellis Larkins | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | 107799 | 7/24/1959 | Now | Ellis Larkins | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | 107800 | 7/24/1959 | Down with love | Ellis Larkins | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | 107801 | 7/24/1959 | Good for nothin' Joe | Ellis Larkins | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | 107802 | 7/24/1959 | Wrap your troubles in dreams | Ellis Larkins | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Decca | 107803 | 7/24/1959 | I'm forever blowing bubbles | Ellis Larkins | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Signature | T-1905 | 10-in. | 12/8/1943 | Voodte | Coleman Hawkins Orchestra | instrumentalist, piano | ||
Signature | T-1906 | 10-in. | 12/8/1943 | How deep is the ocean | Coleman Hawkins Orchestra | instrumentalist, piano | ||
Signature | T-1907 | 10-in. | 12/8/1943 | Hawkins barrelhouse | Coleman Hawkins Orchestra | instrumentalist, piano | ||
Signature | T-1908 | 10-in. | 12/8/1943 | Stumpy | Coleman Hawkins Orchestra | instrumentalist, piano | ||
Signature | T-1917 | 12/18/1943 | Lover come back to me | Coleman Hawkins Quartet | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Signature | T-1918 | 10-in. | 12/18/1943 | Indiana | Coleman Hawkins Quartet | instrumentalist, piano | ||
Signature | T-1919 | 10-in. | 12/21/1943 | Linger awhile | Dicky Wells Orchestra | instrumentalist, piano | ||
Signature | T-1920 | 10-in. | 12/21/1943 | Hello babe | Dicky Wells Orchestra | instrumentalist, piano | ||
Signature | T-19001 | 12/18/1943 | Blues changes | Coleman Hawkins Quartet | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Signature | T-19002 | 12/18/1943 | These foolish things | Coleman Hawkins Quartet | instrumentalist, piano | |||
Signature | T-19003 | 12-in. | 12/21/1943 | I got rhythm | Dicky Wells Orchestra | instrumentalist, piano | ||
Signature | T-19004 | 12-in. | 12/21/1943 | I'm fer it too | Dicky Wells Orchestra | instrumentalist, piano | ||
Decca | N 2895 | 10-in. | 12/4/1944 | Opus 15 | The Edmond Hall Sexet | instrumentalist, piano | ||
Decca | N 2896 | 10-in. | 12/4/1944 | The Sheik of Araby | The Edmond Hall Sexet | instrumentalist, piano | ||
Decca | N 2897 | 10-in. | 12/4/1944 | Night and day | The Edmond Hall Sexet | instrumentalist, piano | ||
Decca | N 2898 | 10-in. | 12/4/1944 | The man I love | The Edmond Hall Sexet | instrumentalist, piano | ||
Decca | N 2899 | 10-in. | 12/4/1944 | Face | The Edmond Hall Sexet | instrumentalist, piano | ||
Decca | N 2900 | 10-in. | 12/4/1944 | I want to be happy | The Edmond Hall Sexet | instrumentalist, piano | ||
Decca | N 2901 | 10-in. | 12/4/1944 | Rompin' in 44 | The Edmond Hall Sexet | instrumentalist, piano |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Larkins, Ellis," accessed October 5, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/106913.
Larkins, Ellis. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved October 5, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/106913.
"Larkins, Ellis." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 5 October 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
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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