Don Ewell

{{Short description|American jazz pianist}} {{More citations needed|date=September 2016}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2011}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Don Ewell | image = Don Ewell playing piano c. 1946.jpg | caption = Ewell (top) playing piano in {{circa|June 1946}} | birth_name = Donald Tyson Ewell | birth_date = {{Birth date|1916|11|14}} | birth_place = Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|1983|8|9 |1916|11|14 |mf=yes}} | death_place = Pompano Beach, Florida, U.S. | genre = Jazz | occupation = Musician | instrument = Piano | years_active = | label = | associated_acts = Jack Teagarden, Charles Burrell }}

'''Donald Tyson Ewell''' (November 14, 1916 – August 9, 1983)<ref name="LarkinGE">{{cite book|title=The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music|editor=Colin Larkin|publisher=Guinness Publishing|date=1992|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-939-0|page=812/3}}</ref> was an American jazz stride pianist. He worked with Sidney Bechet, Kid Ory, George Lewis, George Brunis, Muggsy Spanier, and Bunk Johnson.

==Biography== Born in Baltimore, Maryland,<ref name="LarkinGE"/> Ewell played with Bill Reinhardt's Jazz, Ltd. band in Chicago in 1947, 1948, and 1949.<ref name="Storyville">{{cite journal |last1=Reinhardt |first1=Bill |last2=Collier |first2=Derek |last3=Whyatt |first3=Bert |title=Bill Reinhardt: Jazz Ltd. and More |journal=Storyville |date=1 June 1993 |volume=154 |pages=136–147 |publisher=Storyville Publications |location=Chigwell, England}}</ref>

From 1956 to 1962, Ewell was a member of the Jack Teagarden band.<ref name="LarkinGE"/> After Teagarden died, Ewell toured Europe, then returned to New Orleans and performed in clubs and hotels. From 1976 to 1978, he concertized and suffered from alcoholism while living with his friend King Denton, the manager of a jazz club where Ewell was Artist-in-residence.{{citation needed|date=January 2022}}

Ewell moved back to his native Maryland. After his daughter's death from cancer and after suffering two strokes, Ewell died on August 9, 1983, aged 66, in Pompano Beach, Florida.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Wilson|first=John S.|date=1981-09-25|title=Don Ewell and His Classical Jazz Piano Are Back|language=en-US|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/09/25/arts/don-ewell-and-his-classical-jazz-piano-are-back.html|access-date=2020-07-24|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

==Discography== ===As leader=== * ''Mama Yancey Singer/Don Ewell Pianist'' (Windin' Ball, 1955) * ''Music to Listen to Don Ewell By'' (Good Time Jazz, 1957) * ''Man Here Plays Fine Piano!'' (Good Time Jazz, 1961) * ''Free 'n' Easy!'' (Good Time Jazz, 1962) * ''Denver Concert'' (Pumpkin, 1966; reissued by Storyville) – with Barbara Dane * ''Grand Piano'' with Willie The Lion Smith (Swaggie, 1966) * ''A Jazz Portrait of the Artist'' (Chiaroscuro, 1969) * ''Don Ewell and Bob Greene...Together'' (Jazzology, 1970) * ''Duet!'' with Bob Greene (Fat Cat's Jazz, 1970) * ''Live at the 100 Club'' (77 Records, 1971) * ''Take It in Stride'' (Chiaroscuro, 1971) * ''Don Ewell'' (Chiaroscuro, 1974) * ''Don Ewell Trio and Quartet'' (Center, 1976) * ''New Orleans Rascals and Don Ewell'' (Philips, 1976) * ''In New Orleans'' with Herb Hall (New Orleans, 1980) * ''Don Ewell and His All-Stars'' (Jazzology, 1981) * ''Don Ewell Quintet'' (Jazzology, 1982) * ''Chicago '57 '' (Stomp Off, 1984) * ''Jazz on a Sunday Afternoon'' (Storyville, 1969) * ''Memories of You'' with Claire Austin (Audiophile, 1993) * ''Don Ewell Meets Pamela and Llew Hird with the Sydney Stompers'' (G.H.B., 1995) * ''Stride Piano Duets Live in Toronto 1966'' with Willie The Lion Smith (Delmark, 2008)

===As sideman=== '''With Barbara Dane''' * ''Trouble in Mind'' (San Francisco)

'''With ''Doc Evans''''' * ''Jazz Ltd. Volume 1'' (Delmark) * ''Doc Evans Dixieland Band'' (Atlantic)

'''With Bunk Johnson''' * ''Bunk Johnson with the Yerba Buena Jazz Band 1944 and with Doc Evans & His Band'' (Document) * ''Bunk Johnson Plays Popular Songs'' (American Music)

'''With Jack Teagarden''' *''Mis'ry and the Blues'' (Verve, 1961)

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ewell, Don}} Category:Stride pianists Category:Jazz musicians from New Orleans Category:American jazz pianists Category:American male jazz pianists Category:1916 births Category:1983 deaths Category:20th-century American pianists Category:Sackville Records artists Category:Chiaroscuro Records artists Category:Good Time Jazz Records artists Category:20th-century American male pianists