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Beryl Booker was born on June 7, 1922 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and studied piano as a child.  She played with Slam Stewart’s trio in 1946, playing off and on with him until 1951 and accompanied Dinah Washington.

In early 1952, Booker led a quintet that featured Don Elliot, Chuck Wayne, Clyde Lombard and Connie Kay. She recorded several sessions with Miles Davis and by 1953 had formed a trio with two female musicians – Bonnie Wetzel and Elaine Leighton. This group toured Europe in 1954 as part of the show “Jazz Club USA”, which featured Billie Holiday.

After another stint with Dinah Washington in 1959, she slipped into obscurity, however, in the 1970s she re-emerged to play and record with small groups.

On September 30, 1978, swing pianist Beryl Booker passed away at age 56.

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