Billy Maxted

Billy Maxted (January 21, 1917 in Racine, Wisconsin – October 11, 2001 in Ft Lauderdale, Florida) was an American jazz pianist.

Maxted started out playing and arranging for the Red Nichols big band from 1937 to 1940. He worked Ben Pollack, Teddy Powell and Will Bradley. He was a fine pianist and arranger. After serving in the Navy he provided arrangements for Benny Goodman and Claude Thornhill and co-led a band with Ray Eberle (1947–1948). His composition "Manhattan Spiritual" was a top-10 hit for Reg Owen in 1959.

In New York, Maxted was a fixture at Nick's in Greenwich Village. He lived in Long Island for much of his life until he moved to Fort Lauderdale in 1961. That year, he reached the Billboard "Bubbling Under The Top 100" chart with a swing version of "Satin Doll".

Artist Biography - Scott Yanow writes A fine pianist and a skillful arranger, Billy Maxted is largely forgotten today because his recordings were mostly for tiny labels. Maxted started out playing and arranging for the Red Nichols big band during 1937-1940. He worked briefly with Ben Pollack and Teddy Powell, and played with Will Bradley (1941-1942), sitting in the chair formerly held by Freddie Slack. After serving in the Navy, he provided arrangements for Benny Goodman and Claude Thornhill and co-led a band with Ray Eberle (1947-1948). In the late '40s Maxted put together his own Dixieland group (the Manhattan Jazz Band) featuring his Bob Zurke-inspired stride and boogie-woogie piano and his inventive arrangements. Maxted worked frequently as the resident pianist at Nick's during 1949-1960. In the 1950s he recorded for MGM, Brunswick (a rare trio date), Cadence, and Seeco. His sidemen included trumpeter Chuck Forsyth, trombonist Lee Gifford, either Sol Pace or Dan Tracey(Traisci) on clarinet, and (by 1958) bass saxophonist Johnny Dengler. During 1961-1963, Maxted recorded three albums for the forgotten K&H label, but his best-known albums are two rather uncharacteristically commercial sets for Liberty in 1966. In addition, he appeared on records by Pee Wee Erwin, Bob Crosby, and Red Nichols. Not much was heard from the pianist after the late '60s; Maxted had moved to Florida earlier in the decade, and he died in Fort Lauderdale on October 11, 2001.

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