Linton Garner (March 25, 1915 in

Greensboro, North Carolina Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte, North Car ...

– March 6, 2003 in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

) was a jazz pianist. He was

Erroll Garner Erroll Louis Garner (June 15, 1921 – January 2, 1977) was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his swing playing and ballads. His instrumental ballad " Misty", his best-known composition, has become a jazz standard. It was first r ...

's older brother.

Biography

As a youngster he was keener to play cornet than piano, but due to problems with his teeth, was forced to concentrate on the keyboard. From the age of 8 until 10 he had piano lessons, as did his three sisters (Martha, Ruth and Berniece), unlike his brother Erroll. He was arranger and pianist with Fletcher Henderson's band before the Second World War, then spent 1943 to 1946 in the army, where he played both piano and trumpet in different bands. Afterwards he was pianist and arranger for a number of distinguished bands including those of Billy Eckstine and Dizzy Gillespie. He also accompanied Sarah Vaughan,

Nat King Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's music career began after he dropped out of school at the age of 15, and continued f ...

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 ...

and

Della Reese Delloreese Patricia Early (July 6, 1931 – November 19, 2017), known professionally as Della Reese, was an American jazz and gospel singer, actress, and ordained minister whose career spanned seven decades. She began her long career as a s ...

. He also wrote songs, including "You're the One For Me." He moved to Canada in 1963. In 1974, Arni May invited him to Vancouver to accompany him at the opening of the Richmond Inn Hotel. Linton stayed in Vancouver and worked in many venues. He was resident pianist for seven years at the Four Seasons Hotel. In the 1990s he played at the Three Greenhorns in Vancouver. He also sang and played the piano in Rossini's restaurant in Kitsilano. The Linton Garner Legacy Quartet, featuring drummer Don Fraser, bassist Russ Botten pianist Ron Johnston, pianist Miles Black continues to play Garner's music. He died of kidney failure in Vancouver at the age of 87.

External links

Biography at vancouverjazz.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Garner, Linton Bebop pianists Swing pianists 1915 births 2003 deaths Musicians from Greensboro, North Carolina 20th-century American pianists Jazz musicians from North Carolina American male pianists 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians