Richard MacQueen Wellstood (November 25, 1927 – July 24, 1987) 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.

Career

He was born in

Greenwich, Connecticut Greenwich (, ) is a town in southwestern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. At the 2020 census, the town had a total population of 63,518. The largest town on Connecticut's Gold Coast, Greenwich is home to many hedge funds and othe ...

, United States. Wellstood's mother was a graduate of the

Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a Private university, private performing arts music school, conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely ...

who played church organ. Wellstood took piano lessons as a boy, though he was self-taught as a performer of stride and boogie-woogie. Beginning in 1946, he played boogie-woogie, swing, stride piano, and dixieland with bands led by

Bob Wilber Robert Sage Wilber (March 15, 1928 – August 4, 2019) was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, and band leader. Although his scope covers a wide range of jazz, Wilber was a dedicated advocate of classic styles, working throughout his care ...

. A year later he began two years of accompanying

Sidney Bechet Sidney Bechet (May 14, 1897 – May 14, 1959) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. He was one of the first important soloists in jazz, and first recorded several months before trumpeter Louis Armstrong. His erratic tempe ...

. In 1952, he toured Europe with

Jimmy Archey Jimmy Archey (12 October 1902 – 16 November 1967) was an American jazz trombonist born in Norfolk, Virginia, perhaps most noteworthy for his work in several prominent jazz orchestras and big bands of his time (including his own). He performed ...

, then worked with

Roy Eldridge David Roy Eldridge (January 30, 1911 – February 26, 1989), nicknamed "Little Jazz", was an American jazz trumpeter. His sophisticated use of harmony, including the use of tritone substitutions, his virtuosic solos exhibiting a departure from ...

. Through the 1950s, he worked with a band led by

Conrad Janis Conrad Janis (February 11, 1928 – March 1, 2022) was a jazz trombonist and actor who starred in film and television during the Golden Age Era in the 1950s and 1960s. He played the role of Mindy McConnell's father, Frederick, on television's ' ...

. He also worked with Red Allen,

Buster Bailey William C. "Buster" Bailey (July 19, 1902 – April 12, 1967) was an American jazz clarinetist. Career history Early career Buster Bailey was taught clarinet by classical teacher Franz Schoepp, who also taught Benny Goodman. Bailey gained his ...

, Wild Bill Davison, Vic Dickenson,

Coleman Hawkins Coleman Randolph Hawkins (November 21, 1904 – May 19, 1969), nicknamed "Hawk" and sometimes "Bean", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.Yanow, Scot"Coleman Hawkins: Artist Biography" AllMusic. Retrieved December 27, 2013. One of the first p ...

, and

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 ...

. He went to school and received a law degree, though thirty years would pass before he spent a brief time practicing law. In the 1960s, he worked with

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

and

Odetta Odetta Holmes (December 31, 1930 – December 2, 2008), known as Odetta, was an American singer, actress, guitarist, lyricist, and a civil rights activist, often referred to as "The Voice of the Civil Rights Movement". Her musical repertoire co ...

. With

Carl Warwick Carl Wayne Warwick (born February 27, 1937) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played six seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1961 to 1966 for the Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Colt .45s, Ba ...

, he performed on military bases in Greenland. He toured South America with

Gene Krupa Eugene Bertram Krupa (January 15, 1909 – October 16, 1973), known as Gene Krupa, was an American jazz drummer, bandleader and composer who performed with energy and showmanship. His drum solo on Benny Goodman's 1937 recording of " Sing, Sing, ...

, then spent two years with Kenny Davern. During the 1970s, he played with

Captain John Handy Captain John Handy (June 24, 1900 – January 12, 1971), was an American jazz alto saxophonist, who was part of the New Orleans jazz revival. Career Handy was born in Pass Christian, Mississippi, United States. He played clarinet in New Orleans ...

and Punch Miller, then with Yank Lawson and

Bob Haggart Robert Sherwood Haggart (March 13, 1914 – December 2, 1998) was an American dixieland jazz double bass player, composer, and arranger. Although he is associated with dixieland, he was one of the finest rhythm bassists of the Swing Era. Music ...

. For the rest of his career, he turned his attention from big bands to small groups and solo piano, performing often at the

Newport Jazz Festival The Newport Jazz Festival is an annual American multi-day jazz music festival held every summer in Newport, Rhode Island. Elaine Lorillard established the festival in 1954, and she and husband Louis Lorillard financed it for many years. They hir ...

and touring with Davern and Bob Rosengarden. In the 1980s, he joined the Classic Jazz Quartet with

Marty Grosz Martin Oliver Grosz (born February 28, 1930) is an American jazz guitarist, banjoist, vocalist, and composer born in Berlin, Germany, the son of artist George Grosz. He performed with Bob Wilber and wrote arrangements for him. He has also worked ...

Joe Muranyi Joseph P. Muranyi (January 14, 1928 – April 20, 2012) was an American jazz clarinetist, producer and critic. Muranyi studied with Lennie Tristano but was primarily interested in early jazz styles such as Dixieland and swing. After playing ...

, and Dick Sudhalter, worked again in a duo with Davern and in a piano duo with

Dick Hyman Richard Hyman (born March 8, 1927) is an American jazz pianist and composer. Over a 70-year career, he has worked as a pianist, organist, arranger, music director, electronic musician, and composer. He was named a National Endowment for the Ar ...

. In 1987, he died of a heart attack in

Palo Alto, California Palo Alto (; Spanish for "tall stick") is a charter city in the northwestern corner of Santa Clara County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area, named after a coastal redwood tree known as El Palo Alto. The city was es ...

, at the age of 59.

Discography

As leader

* ''Uptown and Lowdown'' (Prestige Swingville, 1961) * ''From Dixie to Swing'' (Music Minus One, 1971) * ''From Ragtime On'' (Chiaroscuro, 1971) * ''Jazz at the New School'' (Chiaroscuro, 1972) * ''Plays Ragtime Music of The Sting'' (Pickwick, 1974) * ''Rapport'' with Billy Butterfield (77 Records, 1975) * ''Live at the Cookery'' (Chiaroscuro, 1975) * ''The Music of Scott Joplin'' (Pickwick, 1977) * ''Some Hefty Cats!'' (Hefty Jazz 1977) * ''I Wish I Were Twins'' with Dick Hyman (Swingtime, 1983) * ''The Bob Wilber Dick Wellstood Duet'' (Parkwood, 1984) * ''Live at Cafe des Copains'' (Unisson, 1986) * ''Live Hot Jazz'' with Kenny Davern (Statiras, 1986) * ''Ragtime Piano Favorites'' (1988) * ''This Is the One...Dig!'' (Solo Art, 1977) * ''Take Me to the Land of Jazz'' with Marty Grosz (Aviva, 1978) * ''In the Jazz Tradition'' (Fat Cat's Jazz, 1980) * ''The Classic Jazz Quartet'' (Jazzology, 1985) * ''Never in a Million Years'' with Kenny Davern (Challenge, 1995) * ''Alone'' (Solo Art, 1997) * ''Live at the Sticky Wicket'' (Arbors, 1997) * ''Live at Hanratty's'' (Chiaroscuro, 2000) * ''A Night in Dublin'' (Arbors, 2000) * ''Stridemonster! The Duo Pianos of Dick Hyman and Dick Wellstood'' (Sackville, 2005)

As sideman

With

* ''Creole Reeds'' (Riverside, 1956) * ''The Grand Master of the Soprano Saxophone and Clarinet'' (Columbia, 1956) With

* ''I Hope Gabriel Likes My Music'' (Aviva, 1982) * ''Marty Grosz and The Keepers of the Flame'' (Stomp Off, 1987) With

* '' Odetta and the Blues'' (Riverside, 1962) * '' Sometimes I Feel Like Cryin' '' (RCA Victor, 1962) With

* ''Bob Wilber and His Jazz Band Volume 1'' (Circle, 1949) * ''Spreadin' Joy'' (Classic Jazz, 1976) * ''Evolution of the Blues'' (Music Minus One, 1976) With others *

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and Singing, vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and se ...

, Sidney Bechet, Kid Ory, ''Voyage a La Nouvelle Orleans'' (CBS, 1972) * Bob Barnard, ''Class!'' (Calligraph, 1988) * Dan Barrett, ''Strictly Instrumental'' (Concord Jazz, 1987) * Dick Cary, ''Dick Cary and the Dixieland Doodlers'' (Columbia, 1959) *

Doc Cheatham Adolphus Anthony Cheatham, better known as Doc Cheatham (June 13, 1905 – June 2, 1997), was an American jazz trumpeter, singer, and bandleader. He is also the Grandfather of musician Theo Croker. Early life Doc Cheatham was born in Nashv ...

, ''The Fabulous Doc Cheatham'' (Parkwood 1984) * Wild Bill Davison, ''Swingin' Dixie'' (Bear, 1962) *

, ''

The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan ''The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan'' is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on May 27, 1963 by Columbia Records. Whereas his self-titled debut album ''Bob Dylan'' had contained only two original songs, this album ...

'' (Columbia, 1963) *

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 ...

, Roy Eldridge, Red Allen, Buck Clayton, ''Swing Trumpet Kings'' (Verve, 1996) *

, ''Swing Goes Dixie'' (Verve, 1956) *

Jim Galloway James Braidie Galloway (28 July 1936 – 30 December 2014) was a jazz clarinet and saxophone player. He based his career in Canada after emigrating from Scotland in the mid-1960s. Early life and education Galloway was born in Kilwinning, Ayr ...

, ''Walking On Air'' (Bitter Sweet Jazz 1979) *

Leonard Gaskin Leonard Gaskin (August 25, 1920 – January 24, 2009) was an American jazz bassist born in New York City. Gaskin played on the early bebop scene at Minton's and Monroe's in New York in the early 1940s. In 1944 he took over Oscar Pettifo ...

, ''At the Jazz Band Ball'' (Prestige Swingville, 1962) *

Nancy Harrow Nancy Harrow (born October 3, 1930, New York City) is an American jazz singer and songwriter. Career Harrow studied classical piano beginning at age seven, then decided to pursue careers in dancing and singing. She released an album for Candi ...

, ''Wild Women Don't Have the Blues'' (Candid, 1961) *

, ''Conrad Janis and His Tailgate Five'' (Jubilee, 1954) *

Henry Jerome Henry Jerome (November 12, 1917 – March 23, 2011) was an American big band leader, trumpeter, arranger, composer, and record company executive. Jerome formed his first dance band in 1932 in Norwich, Connecticut. His bands flourished throughou ...

, ''Strings in Dixieland'' (Decca, 1962) * John Letman, ''The Many Angles of John Letman'' (Bethlehem, 1960) *

Marian McPartland Margaret Marian McPartland OBE ( Turner;Hasson, Claire"Marian McPartland: Jazz Pianist: An Overview of a Career" PhD Thesis. Retrieved 12 August 2008. 20 March 1918 – 20 August 2013), was an English–American jazz pianist, composer, and wri ...

, ''Piano Jazz with Dick Wellstood'' (Jazz Alliance, 1993) * Tony Parenti, ''Tony Parenti and His Downtown Boys'' (Jazzology, 1965) *

Cynthia Sayer Cynthia Nan Sayer (born May 20, 1962) is an American jazz banjoist, singer and a founding member of Woody Allen's New Orleans Jazz Band. Career A native of Waltham, Massachusetts, Sayer spent her early childhood in Wayland, Massachusetts and th ...

, ''The Jazz Banjo of Cynthia Sayer Volume One'' (New York Jazz, 1987) * Janis Siegel, ''At Home'' (Atlantic, 1987) * Jack Six, ''Bacharach Revisited: Bacharach for Instrumentalists'' (Music Minus One, 1969) *

Andy Stein Andy Stein is an American saxophone and violin player. He is a member of The Guys All-Star Shoe Band on the radio show ''A Prairie Home Companion'' and the movie. He was a founding member of the country rock band Commander Cody and His Lost Pla ...

, ''Goin' Places'' (Stomp Off, 1987) *

Joe Venuti Giuseppe "Joe" Venuti (September 16, 1903 – August 14, 1978) was an American jazz musician and pioneer jazz violinist. Considered the father of jazz violin, he pioneered the use of string instruments in jazz along with the guitarist Eddie L ...

and

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 ...

, ''Joe & Zoot'' (Chiaroscuro, 1974)

References

Bibliography

* Scivales, Riccardo, ed. ''Dick Wellstood Jazz Piano Solos: Seven Historic Solos''. San Diego, California: Neil A. Kjos Music, 1994 * Scivales, Riccardo, ed. ''Dick Wellstood: The Art of Jazz and Blues Piano''. Vol. 1. London: Soliloquy Music, 2001

External links

Dick Wellstood
at the Institute of Jazz Studies, Rutgers University {{DEFAULTSORT:Wellstood, Dick 1927 births 1987 deaths Jazz musicians from Connecticut Musicians from Greenwich, Connecticut American jazz pianists American male pianists 20th-century American pianists 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians Chiaroscuro Records artists Challenge Records (1994) artists Jazzology Records artists Arbors Records artists