Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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WILSON, Garland

(b 13 June '09, Martinsburg WV; d 31 May '54, Paris, France) Pianist whose right hand was infl. by Louis Armstrong and Earl Hines, but whose left remained conventional; he seems never to have settled down to work on his own style. To NYC '30; first recordings '31 on 12} 78s prod. by John Hammond; he sang on one track. Four more sides '31-2; to Europe '32 with vocalist Nina Mae McKinney; back to USA '39, back to Paris after the war. He recorded in Paris '32 (two vocals by McKinney), London '36, Paris '38; five trio tracks in UK '51. Pre-war tracks compiled on Classics.