Born in San Francisco, California on May 4, 1935. He began playing piano at the age of five, and began to distinguish himself in the mid-1950s, performing with Dexter Gordon, Shorty Rogers, Buddy DeFranco, Chet Baker, and others, mainly on the West Coast.He moved to New York in 1958 and subsequently formed his own trio while performing with Pepper Adams, Booker Little, Jimmy Jeffrey, Attila Zoller, and others.He joined Clark Terry's big band in 1970, and his relationship with Clark Terry continues to this day. Not only is he a pianist, but he is also an educator who is passionate about teaching the next generation of pianists.