 eurreal wilford "little brother" montgomery (april 18, 1906 &ndash; september 6, 1985[ allmusic biography]) was an american jazz, boogie-woogie and blues pianist and singer. largely self-taught, montgomery is often thought of as just a blues pianist, but he was an important blues pianist with an original style. he was also quite versatile, however, and worked in jazz bands including larger ensembles that used written arrangements. although he did not read music, he learned band routines by ear; once through an arrangement and he had it memorized. ==career== montgomery was born in the town of kentwood, louisiana, a sawmill town near the mississippi border, across lake pontchartrain from the city of new orleans, where he spent much of his childhood. as a child he looked like his father, harper montgomery, and was called little brother harper. the name evolved into little brother montgomery, a nickname which stuck. he started playing piano at the age of 4, and by age 11 he was playing at various barrelhouses in louisiana. his own musical influences were jelly roll morton who used visit the montgomery household. early on he played at african american lumber and turpentine camps in louisiana and mississippi, then with the bands of clarence desdunes and buddy petit. he first went to chicago from 1928 to 1931, where he made his first recordings. from 1931 through 1938 he led a band in jackson. in 1942 montgomery moved back to chicago, which would be his base for the rest of his life, with various tours to other united states cities and europe. in the late 1950s he was "discovered" by wider white audiences. he toured briefly with otis rush in 1956.[http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/musician.php?id=95
1906_births 1985_deaths African-American_musicians American_blues_musicians American_blues_pianists American_jazz_pianists American_jazz_singers Blues_Hall_of_Fame_inductees Jazz_musicians_from_New_Orleans,_Louisiana People_from_Kentwood,_Louisiana Riverside_Records_artists