Joseph "Chick" Finney ( – December 11, 1975) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and businessman known for his work with

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of music ...

Early life

Finney was a native of

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

and attended

Vashon High School Vashon High School is a high school of the St. Louis Public Schools in St. Louis, Missouri. When it opened in 1927, it was the second high school for black students in St. Louis. History Designed by Rockwell M. Milligan, the school opened on Sep ...

. He became interested in

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

after seeing

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1923 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was based ...

perform at the

St. Louis Coliseum The St. Louis Coliseum was a venue in St. Louis, Missouri. The closing of the 1904 World’s Fair left the city without a convention center for three years. A group of businessmen led by attorney Guy Golterman assembled $450,000 in private fun ...

and later purchased sheet music to begin self-study. Finney also took lessons with J. Roy Terry, a professor of music.

Career

Finney worked as a background pianist for the St. Louis Crackerjacks in 1933 and 1934. Finney later performed with Miles Davis. He also wrote and arranged music for

Tuba Skinny Tuba Skinny is a traditional jazz street band based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The band's instrumentation includes cornet, clarinet, trombone, tuba, tenor banjo, guitar, frottoir, and vocals. The ensemble draws its inspiration from the earl ...

and

Hot Lips Page Oran Thaddeus "Hot Lips" Page (January 27, 1908 – November 5, 1954) was an American jazz trumpeter, singer, and bandleader. He was known as a scorching soloist and powerful vocalist. Page was a member of Walter Page's Blue Devils, Artie Sh ...

. Finney later started a public relations firm and was a columnist for the ''

St. Louis Argus ''St. Louis Argus'' is an African-American-oriented weekly newspaper founded in 1912 by brothers Joseph Everett Mitchell and William Mitchell. It began as a newsletter for an insurance company named Western Union Relief Association. The ''Argus'' ...

''. He later produced a regional talent show called ''Stars of Tomorrow.''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Finney, Chick 1910s births 1975 deaths Year of birth uncertain Musicians from St. Louis Jazz musicians from Missouri American jazz pianists