John Donald Abney (March 10, 1923 – January 20, 2000) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

pianist.

Early life

Abney was born in

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

. He studied piano and

french horn The French horn (since the 1930s known simply as the horn in professional music circles) is a brass instrument made of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. The double horn in F/B (technically a variety of German horn) is the horn most ...

at the Manhattan School of Music. He joined the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

where he played the French horn in the army band and achieved the rank of technician fifth grade.

Later life and career

After returning from the army he played in ensembles with Wilbur de Paris, Bill Harris, Kai Winding,

Chuck Wayne Chuck Wayne (February 27, 1923 – July 29, 1997) was an American jazz guitarist. He came to prominence in the 1940s, and was among the earliest jazz guitarists to play in the bebop style. Wayne was a member of Woody Herman's First Herd, the f ...

Sy Oliver Melvin James "Sy" Oliver (December 17, 1910 – May 28, 1988) was an American jazz arranger, trumpeter, composer, singer and bandleader. Life Sy Oliver was born in Battle Creek, Michigan, United States. His mother was a piano teacher, and his ...

, and

Louis Bellson Louie Bellson (born Luigi Paulino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni, July 6, 1924 – February 14, 2009), often seen in sources as Louis Bellson, although he himself preferred the spelling Louie, was an American jazz drummer. He was a composer, ...

. He had a sustained career as a session musician, playing on recordings for Louis Armstrong,

Benny Carter Bennett Lester Carter (August 8, 1907 – July 12, 2003) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. With Johnny Hodges, he was a pioneer on the alto saxophone. From the beginning of his career ...

Oscar Pettiford Oscar Pettiford (September 30, 1922 – September 8, 1960) was an American jazz double bassist, cellist and composer. He was one of the earliest musicians to work in the bebop idiom. Biography Pettiford was born in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, United ...

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...

Carmen McRae Carmen Mercedes McRae (April 8, 1920 – November 10, 1994) was an American jazz singer. She is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century and is remembered for her behind-the-beat phrasing and ironic interpre ...

, Sarah Vaughan, Eartha Kitt, and Pearl Bailey. He also played on many recordings for more minor musicians and on R&B, pop, rock, and doo wop releases. After moving to Hollywood, he worked as a musical director for Universal Studios/MCA. He appeared as a pianist in the film '' Pete Kelly's Blues'' behind Ella Fitzgerald. Additional credits include recording and arrangements for the film ''Lady Sings the Blues''. He toured with

Anita O'Day Anita Belle Colton (October 18, 1919 – November 23, 2006), known professionally as Anita O'Day, was an American jazz singer and self proclaimed “song stylist” widely admired for her sense of rhythm and dynamics, and her early big band app ...

in the 1980s. Early in the 1990s, he moved to Japan and toured there with considerable success, playing weekly at the Sanno Hotel in Tokyo. Upon his return to the United States on January 20 2000, he died of complications from kidney dialysis in Los Angeles, California. He was interred at Forest Lawn Cemetery, in Burbank, California. He is survived by 5 children.

Discography

As sideman

With

*''Ella at Zardi's'' (Verve, 2017) With

*'' Louis Bellson Quintet'' (Norgran, 1954) *'' Drumorama!'' (Verve, 1957) *''

Louis Bellson at The Flamingo ''Louis Bellson at The Flamingo'' is a live album by American jazz drummer Louis Bellson featuring performances recorded in Las Vegas in 1957 for the Verve label.

'' (Verve, 1957) With

*'' Benny Carter Plays Pretty'' (Norgran, 1954) *'' New Jazz Sounds'' (Norgran, 1954) *''Moonglow: Love Songs by Benny Carter and his Orchestra'' (Verve, 1957) With

Harry Edison Harry "Sweets" Edison (October 10, 1915 – July 27, 1999) was an American jazz trumpeter and a member of the Count Basie Orchestra. His most important contribution was as a Hollywood studio musician, whose muted trumpet can be heard backi ...

*'' "Sweets" for the Sweet'' (Sue, 1964) With

*'' Birds of a Feather'' (Decca, 1958) With

*'' Another One'' (Bethlehem, 1955) With

Al Sears Albert Omega Sears (February 21, 1910 – March 23, 1990) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and bandleader, sometimes credited as Big Al Sears. Sears was born in Macomb, Illinois, United States. His first major gig came in 1928 when he r ...

*'' Rockin' in Rhythm'' (Swingville, 1960) as The Swingville All-Stars with

Taft Jordan Taft Jordan (February 15, 1915 – December 1, 1981) was an American jazz trumpeter. Life and career He was born in Florence, South Carolina, United States. Jordan played early in his career with the Washboard Rhythm Kings, before becoming a me ...

and

Hilton Jefferson Hilton Jefferson (July 30, 1903 – November 14, 1968) was an American jazz alto saxophonist born in Danbury, Connecticut, United States, perhaps best known for leading the saxophone section from 1940–1949 in the Cab Calloway band. Jefferson ...

*'' Swing's the Thing'' (Swingsville, 1960) With Carol Sloane *'' As Time Goes By'' (Four Star, 1990)

References

* Don Abneyat

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Abney, Don 1923 births 2000 deaths Musicians from Baltimore American jazz pianists American male pianists American session musicians 20th-century American pianists Jazz musicians from Maryland 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians United States Army soldiers