Ralph Earl Sutton was born on November 4, 1922 in Hamburg, Missouri. A stride pianist in the tradition of James P. Johnson and Fats Waller, he had a stint as a session musician with Jack Teagarden's band before joining the Army during World War II.

After the war, he played at various venues in Missouri, eventually ending up in New York City at Eddie Condon's club in Greenwich Village. Relocating to…