Linton Garner (March 25, 1915 in Greensboro, North Carolina – March 6, 2003 in Vancouver) was a jazz pianist. He was Erroll Garner's older brother.

Biography

As a youngster he was keener to play cornet than piano, but due to problems with his teeth, was forced to concentrate on the keyboard. From the age of 8 until 10 he had piano lessons, as did his three sisters (Martha, Ruth and Berniece), unlike his brother Erroll. He was arranger and pianist with

Fletcher Henderson James Fletcher Hamilton Henderson (December 18, 1897 – December 29, 1952) was an American pianist, bandleader, arranger and composer, important in the development of big band jazz and swing music. He was one of the most prolific black musi ...

's band before the Second World War, then spent 1943 to 1946 in the army, where he played both piano and trumpet in different bands. Afterwards he was pianist and arranger for a number of distinguished bands including those of

Billy Eckstine William Clarence Eckstine (July 8, 1914 – March 8, 1993) was an American jazz and pop singer and a bandleader during the swing and bebop eras. He was noted for his rich, almost operatic bass-baritone voice. In 2019, Eckstine was posthumously ...

and

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 addi ...

. He also accompanied

Sarah Vaughan Sarah Lois Vaughan (March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer. Nicknamed "Sassy" and "Jazz royalty, The Divine One", she won two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, and was nominated for a total of nine ...

, Nat King Cole, Carmen McRae and Della Reese. He also wrote songs, including "You're the One For Me." He moved to Canada in 1963. In 1974, Arni May invited him to Vancouver to accompany him at the opening of the Richmond Inn Hotel. Linton stayed in Vancouver and worked in many venues. He was resident pianist for seven years at the Four Seasons Hotel. In the 1990s he played at the Three Greenhorns in Vancouver. He also sang and played the piano in Rossini's restaurant in

Kitsilano Kitsilano () is a neighbourhood located in the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Kitsilano is named after Squamish chief August Jack Khatsahlano, and the neighbourhood is located in Vancouver's West Side along the south shore of Engli ...

. The Linton Garner Legacy Quartet, featuring drummer Don Fraser, bassist Russ Botten pianist Ron Johnston, pianist Miles Black continues to play Garner's music. He died of kidney failure in Vancouver at the age of 87.

External links

Biography at vancouverjazz.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Garner, Linton Bebop pianists Swing pianists 1915 births 2003 deaths Musicians from Greensboro, North Carolina 20th-century American pianists Jazz musicians from North Carolina American male pianists 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians