Tiny Grimes

Genres:	Big Band & Swing, Jazz
Descriptive "tags":	jazz, jump blues, guitar, rockabilly soul
Decades Active:	1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s

Biography

Lloyd Grimes, 7 July 1916, Newport News, Virginia, USA, d. 4 March 1989, New York City, New York, USA. After playing drums and piano, Grimes turned to the guitar. Unusual among guitarists, he played a four-string instrument and was also an early experimenter with electrical amplification. In the late 30s and early 40s he worked in New York, attracting great attention when he joined Slam Stewart, succeeding Slim Gaillard. Grimes and Stewart then became accompanists to Art Tatum. In the mid-40s Grimes led several small groups, some of which dabbled in early bebop and featured artists such as Charlie Parker. In striking contrast, Grimes also played rock ‘n’ roll and cocktail lounge jazz to make ends meet. In the 70s and 80s he played clubs and festivals around the world.

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