Carl Perkins

Carl Perkins (b. Indianapolis, August 16, 1928 – d. March 17, 1958) – Pianist and composer. A native of Indianapolis, Perkins honed his craft on Indiana Avenue before moving to the West Coast in 1949. In California, he joined the Oscar Moore trio in 1953 and later played with the Max Roach-Clifford Brown Quintet and bassist Curtis Counce’s group, which included saxophonist Harold Land. Out west, he also got the chance to reunite on stage with old Indy cohort Leroy Vinnegar, who had been Perkins’s schoolmate. In addition, Perkins toured with Jay McNeely and Tiny Bradshaw, and he recorded with Chet Baker, Jim Hall, Art Pepper, and Dexter Gordon. Known for his unusual technique of holding his left arm sideways—due to Polio-inflicted limitations—Perkins sometimes played bass notes with his elbow. In short, he was a very gifted pianist and composer, although he remains little known. Had it not been for his early passing at age twenty-nine due to alcoholism, his discography and performance history would be more extensive.