John Albert Wright (September 7, 1934 - December 15, 2017) 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. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

pianist who was active in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, especially during the 1960s.

Life and work

John Wright was born in

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the List of cities in Kentucky, most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeastern United States, Southeast, and the list of United States cities by population, 27th-most-populous city ...

in 1934. His family moved to Chicago in 1936 where his mother, an evangelistic preacher, founded a church at which he had begun to play piano by the age of seven.Never the Same: Interview with John Wright
accessed November 30, 2018 He attended Wendell Phillips High School and played organ at the Christian Hope M.B. Baptist Church before enlisting in the military in 1952 where he was stationed in Germany with the 7th Army Special Services and developed his skills in playing jazz.Chicago Reader: The life of John Wright, the Chicago jazz pianist they call "South Side Soul"
accessed November 30, 2018 Upon his return to Chicago in 1955, Wright performed in the local jazz scene in clubs and in 1960 began to record for the

Prestige Prestige may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Films *Prestige (film), ''Prestige'' (film), a 1932 American film directed by Tay Garnett: woman travels to French Indochina to meet up with husband *The Prestige (film), ''The Prestige'' (fi ...

label producing a total of five albums for the label between 1960 and 1962. Wright continued to perform on the Chicago club scene and worked as a librarian at the

Cook County Jail The Cook County Jail, located on in South Lawndale, Chicago, Illinois, is operated by the Sheriff of Cook County. It is sometimes referred to as ''California'' or ''Hotel California'', as its address is on California Avenue. A city jail has e ...

from the mid-1980s until 1999. In 1994, he recorded a final album ''Wright Changes & Choices''. In 2008, Wright was inducted into the Wendell Phillips High School Hall of Fame, and in 2009 he was awarded the Walter Dyett Lifetime Achievement Award by the

Jazz Institute of Chicago The Jazz Institute of Chicago is a non-profit arts presenting organization that produces jazz concerts and runs educational programs. It was founded in 1969 by a small band of jazz fans, writers, club owners, and musicians to preserve the historical ...

. Wright died in late 2017, and tribute concerts were performed in his memory at the 2018

Chicago Jazz Festival The Chicago Jazz Festival is an admission-free, four-day annual jazz festival in Chicago's Millennium Park. It is run by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events and programmed with the assistance of Jazz Institute of Chicago during ...

and 2018 Hyde Park Jazz Festival.2018 Hyde Park Jazz Festival: John "Poppy" Wright's Pool Party Jam
accessed November 30, 2018

Discography

As leader

*'' South Side Soul'' (

, 1960) *'' Nice 'n' Tasty'' (Prestige, 1960) *'' Makin' Out'' (Prestige, 1961) *'' Mr. Soul'' (Prestige, 1962) *'' The Last Amen'' (Prestige, 1961 965 *''Wright Changes & Choices'' (Norma, 1994)

As sideman

With Arbee Stidham *'' Tired of Wandering'' (Prestige, 1961)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wright, John 1934 births 2017 deaths American jazz pianists Jazz musicians from Chicago Musicians from Louisville, Kentucky Jazz musicians from Kentucky