Phineas Newborn

Phineas Newborn, Jr (born December 13, 1931, in Whiteville, Tennessee) was a jazz pianist active from the mid-‘40s until the late ‘80s. In the late ‘40s and early ‘50s, he was a member of a rhythm and blues band led by legendary performer/producer Willie Mitchell, who would later go on to form Hi Records. Alongside Phineas Jr., the band also featured his father Phineas Sr. on drums and his brother Calvin on guitar. This band backed B. B. King on his earliest recordings in 1949 before moving on to session work at Sun Studios in Memphis.

Phineas attended the Tennessee Agricultural and Industrial State University in Nashville in the early 1950s. It was there that he developed an affinity for Liszt. Influenced by the great composer’s works – including Liszt’s double and triple octave approach to linear melodies – Phineas creating a unique and unforgettable style of improvisation. Inspired by piano greats like Bud Powell and Oscar Peterson, Phineas moved away from rhythm & blues and pursued a career in jazz.

He performed with Lionel Hampton between 1950 and ’52. By 1956, he was signed to Atlantic Records and released his debut album Here Is Phineas. Switching over to RCA/Victor, he released Phineas’ Rainbow in late 1956. He toured and recorded with Charles Mingus in 1958 and ’59. Throughout the ‘60s, Phineas released a series of albums for other labels – Roulette, Contemporary, Steeplechase – and worked alongside artists like Oscar Pettiford, Kenny Clarke, Jimmy Cleveland, George Joyner, Benny Bailey, and many others. By 1969, financial problems and mental health issues forced Phineas to withdraw from the music scene. Preparing for the recording of his 1974 comeback album, Solo Piano, Phineas was brutally attacked, leaving him with physical injuries including broken fingers and cheekbone. Miraculously, he left the hospital and headed to the legendary Ardent Studios to record the album. Solo Piano was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1975.

Phineas spent the last 14 years of his life living in poverty and continuing to suffer from mental illness. He would continue to occasionally perform live and record a handful of albums before succumbing to lung cancer on May 26, 1989. Inspired by his struggles at the end of his life, the Jazz Foundation of America was founded to help with the medical and financial needs of retired jazz musicians.