Many of these compositions would have been lost as they were unperformed and unrecorded. Ruth Ellington, sister of the great Duke Ellington, enlisted him to perform and record for the Ellington family's personal library the entire Duke Ellington catalog. Initially, Dial's talent as a pianist earned him a coveted and unique place in jazz history. Although he never performed with Mr Sinatra in concert, Garry was asked on numerous occasions to play for Frank at his private parties.ĭuring these years Garry joined The Gerry Mulligan Big Band, The Mel Lewis Quartet and the Joe Morello Quintet performing at the Blue Note In NY City. Through the club Jilly's, Frank Sinatra heard of Garry and asked him to play at his apartment at the Waldorf Astoria. During this time Garry played with various small groups and singers.

There he was discovered by bebop trumpet legend Red Rodney who asked him to form a band.

In 1976 Garry returned to NY and started gigging around the city. He lived on the island with his lady for three years while playing 6 nights a week for various shows and singers. After one year at Berklee fellow musician Kenny Werner recommended Garry for a gig in Bermuda as the pianist at The Princess Hotel. After high school graduation he returned to Berklee where he met his teacher of 37 years, the late Charlie Banacos. This is where he realized that music and jazz would be his calling. This was the first time that a Catholic jazz mass would be performed in a major cathedral.Īs a junior in high school Garry took the Summer Jazz Workshop at Berklee College Of Music. Through a connection of Garry's mother's, Mary Lou was asked to perform her mass, 'Mary Lou's Mass' at St. It was there he learned of Miles, Monk, Bud Powell and Cecil Taylor with whom Mary was doing a duo concert at Carnegie Hall. For the next few years Garry went into NY City, up to 145th St. She offered him lessons for free and took him under her wing.

In church at St Benedict's Garry met The 'Queen Of Jazz 'Mary Lou Williams'. The priests at St Benedict's were very supportive of Garry's love of jazz. Benedict's Prep in Newark, New Jersey where his musical life would change forever. For a few years he played the standards and some light classical pieces. His 7th grade teacher gave him his first jazz record 'The Oscar Peterson Trio' which instilled in him the love of jazz.

Gerry mulligan bio