Philadelphia, PA

June 7, 1922

A fine swing pianist who gained some attention in the 1950s, Beryl Booker largely dropped out of music by the early '60s. She was self-taught and never learned to read music. Booker's first major job was with Slam Stewart's trio in 1946; she played off and on with the bassist until 1951. Booker accompanied Dinah Washington and then in 1953 formed her own trio. She had an opportunity to tour Europe in 1954 (where she sometimes accompanied Billie Holiday) and was back with Dinah Washington for a time in 1959 before slipping away into obscurity. Beryl Booker recorded as a leader for Victor (1945), SIW (1948), Mercury/EmArcy (1952), Discovery (1953), Vogue (with Don Byas), and Cadence (1954). ~ Scott Yanow