Albert Dailey Biography

Albert Preston Dailey, 16 June 1938, Baltimore, Maryland, USA, d. 26 June 1984, Denver, Colorado, USA. After studying music intensively during early childhood, in his teens Dailey played piano in the pit band at a local theatre. His studies continued throughout much of the 50s and in 1960 he became accompanist to singer Damita Jo, then formed his own small band before moving to New York in 1964. Dailey began associating with leading jazzmen including Freddie Hubbard, with whom he recorded, and in 1967 he appeared with Woody Herman at the Monterey Jazz Festival. He was then hired by Art Blakey for the first of two spells with his Jazz Messengers. In the early 70s he worked with Sonny Rollins and Stan Getz, and, later in the decade, with other important figures, including Phil Woods and Elvin Jones. He continued working, mostly in and around New York, into the early 80s, recording with Getz (1983’s Poetry) and Buddy De Franco. Although modern in his outlook and style, Dailey’s playing carried a distinctive awareness of the long history of jazz piano. In addition to his playing, he also composed music and before his untimely death had completed several short and some longer pieces, all of which strongly suggested a powerful and still developing talent in this area of jazz.

Source: The Encyclopedia of Popular Music by Colin Larkin. Licensed from Muze.