Joe Sullivan
b. 4 November 1906, Chicago, Illinois, USA, d. 13 October 1971. After studying piano formally, Sullivan began working in theatres and clubs in and around Chicago while still a teenager. Throughout the '20s he was one of the busiest musicians in Chicago, playing at clubs and on numerous record dates with leading jazzmen, mostly in small groups. He also worked as accompanist to Bing Crosby during the early '30s. At various times in that decade he played in several larger ensembles, among them bands led by Roger Wolfe Kahn and Bob Crosby. Ill health drove him from the Crosby band just as it hit the bigtime. In the '40s he played with Bobby Hackett and Eddie Condon and also frequently worked as a single. He continued playing alone, not from choice, and in small jazz groups through the '50s. From the early '60s onwards his career was dogged by both poor health and critical disregard. An eclectic pianist, Sullivan's robust style displayed elements of stride but he was at his propulsive best playing in a lively Chicago-style band. Among his compositions are Gin Mill Blues and Little Rock Getaway.