John Adriano Acea (September 11, 1917 – July 25, 1963) 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. He was born in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

to Adriano Acea of Cuba and Leona Acea of Virginia. One of six children, he was expected to die during his first decade of life from

rheumatic fever Rheumatic fever (RF) is an inflammatory disease that can involve the heart, joints, skin, and brain. The disease typically develops two to four weeks after a streptococcal throat infection. Signs and symptoms include fever, multiple painful ...

, as did his youngest sister, Anna.

Session musician collaborations

During the 1930s, Acea started out as a trumpeter and saxophonist. After his military service (

US Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

) in 1946, he switched to playing the piano. He later became a

session musician Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a ...

with jazz veterans, including: *

Eddie Lockjaw Davis Eddie or Eddy may refer to: Science and technology *Eddy (fluid dynamics), the swirling of a fluid and the reverse current created when the fluid flows past an obstacle * Eddie (text editor), a text editor originally for BeOS and now ported to Lin ...

Cootie Williams Charles Melvin "Cootie" Williams (July 10, 1911 – September 15, 1985) was an American jazz, jump blues, and rhythm and blues trumpeter. Biography Born in Mobile, Alabama, Williams began his professional career at the age of 14 with the Y ...

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy Eldridge but a ...

* Illinois Jacquet *

Dinah Washington Dinah Washington (born Ruth Lee Jones; August 29, 1924 – December 14, 1963) was an American singer and pianist, who has been cited as "the most popular black female recording artist of the 1950s songs". Primarily a jazz vocalist, she performe ...

* James Moody *

Zoot Sims John Haley "Zoot" Sims (October 29, 1925 – March 23, 1985) was an American jazz saxophonist, playing mainly tenor but also alto (and, later, soprano) saxophone. He first gained attention in the "Four Brothers" sax section of Woody Herman's big ...

Roy Haynes Roy Owen Haynes (born March 13, 1925) is an American jazz drummer. He is among the most recorded drummers in jazz. In a career lasting over 80 years, he has played swing, bebop, jazz fusion, avant-garde jazz and is considered a pioneer of jaz ...

Compositions

Acea is listed as co-composer on "Nice 'N' Greasy" – the closing track to Lou Donaldson's 1962 album, ''

The Natural Soul ''The Natural Soul'' is an album by jazz saxophonist Lou Donaldson recorded for the Blue Note label in 1962 and performed by Donaldson with Grant Green, Tommy Turrentine, Big John Patton, and Ben Dixon. Reception The album was awarded 4 stars ...

''. He is also credited as a composer on recordings by Gillespie, Jacquet and Moody.

Discography

As sideman

With Grant Green *''

The Latin Bit ''The Latin Bit'' is an album by American jazz guitarist Grant Green featuring performances recorded in 1962 and released on the Blue Note label.

'' (Blue Note, 1962) With Dodo Greene *'' My Hour of Need'' (Blue Note, 1962) With

*''Busman's Holiday'' (EmArcy, 1954) With Illinois Jacquet *'' Groovin' with Jacquet'' (Clef, 1951-53

956 Year 956 ( CMLVI) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Summer – Emperor Constantine VII appoints Nikephoros Phokas to commander of th ...

*'' The Kid and the Brute'' (Clef, 1955) with

Ben Webster Benjamin Francis Webster (March 27, 1909 – September 20, 1973) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Career Early life and career A native of Kansas City, Missouri, he studied violin, learned how to play blues on the piano from ...

With Joe Newman *'' Locking Horns'' (Rama, 1957) with and

*'' The Happy Cats'' (Coral, 1957) With Leo Parker *''

Rollin' with Leo ''Rollin' with Leo'' is the second, and final, album as a leader by American jazz saxophonist Leo Parker, recorded in 1961 but not released on the Blue Note label until 1980.

'' (Blue Note, 1961) With Jesse Powell *''It's Party Time'' (Tru-Sound, 1962) With

Don Wilkerson Don Wilkerson (c. 1932 – 18 July 1986) was an American soul jazz / R&B tenor saxophonist born in Moreauville, Louisiana, probably better known for his Blue Note Records recordings in the 1960s as bandleader with guitarist Grant Green. Prior ...

*''

Elder Don ''Elder Don'' is an album by American saxophonist Don Wilkerson recorded in 1962 and released on the Blue Note label.American jazz pianists American male pianists Musicians from Philadelphia 1917 births 1963 deaths 20th-century American pianists Jazz musicians from Pennsylvania 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians United States Army personnel of World War II {{US-jazz-pianist-stub