Johnny Guarnieri was an American swing pianist and composer born John Albert Guarnieri on March 23, 1917, in New York City. At age 15, he was influenced by the music of Fats Waller and began his career touring with the ensembles of George Hall, Eddie Farley, and Mike Riley. Guarnieri performed in the big bands of Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, and Tommy Dorsey between 1939 and 1943. His piano style incorporated elements of classical music from composers including Domenico Scarlatti and Beethoven. During the 1940s, he worked as a sideman for recordings by Louis Armstrong, Ben Webster, and Cozy Cole. He led the ensemble Johnny Guarnieri Swing Men and recorded for the Savoy and Continental labels. His discography included the studio recording June Christy & the Johnny Guarnieri Quintet (1949). Guarnieri established his own label, TazJazz, in the 1970s. He died on January 7, 1985, in Livingston, New Jersey.
