Terry Trotter Explained

Terry William Trotter (born October 5, 1940) is an American jazz pianist and piano teacher living in Los Angeles.^[4] He has recorded with such artists as Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Natalie Cole, Celine Dion, Larry Carlton, and many others.^[5] Trotter composed the theme music to the television show Everybody Loves Raymond.^[6]

Early life and career

Born in Los Angeles in 1940, Trotter was the youngest of two children born to Ralph K. Trotter and Phyllis Bader.^{[7] [8]} At age four, he started studying piano, but by the time he was entering adolescence, Trotter's interest in music as a whole had all but vanished. At this time, Mrs. Trotter, herself a classical pianist, had an idea. "My mom found a piano teacher whose style was very Teddy Wilson / jazz-inspired. I fell in love with jazz. Then after studying it for a couple of years, I really fell in love with classical music, too." A few years later, when it came time to decide which area to focus on professionally, newly acquired acquaintance Leonid Hambro had some helpful advice:

Between his classical training and his growing reputation as a quick study, Trotter had little trouble finding work, whether in the studio or on the road.^[9]

Further reading

• McLean, Norma (July 26, 1984). "Opera Singer Linda Trotter Lives in City". The Columbia Record. pp. N1, N8
• Stewart, Zan (October 25, 1991). "Safe and Sane Jazz Pianist Tries It Solo". Los Angeles Times. Valley Calendar. pp. F25A, F25D
• Stewart, Zan (June 24, 1995). "Jazz Review: Trotter Exerts His Influences and Gets Special Flavors". The Los Angeles Times. Orange County Calendar. p. F2
• Kissel, Howard (October 17, 1996). "The Sound of Musicals; How do current revivals' cast albums score against the originals; A Record Time for Broadway Revivals". New York Daily News. pp. 57, 64

Notes and References

1. Feather, Leonard; Gitler, Ira, eds. (1999, 2007). The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 652. .
2. Garrigues, C.H. (February 26, 1961). "Best of the New Combos". The San Francisco Examiner Highlight. p. 10. "It is notable that three of the most brilliant performers—Terry Trotter, piano; Daniel Jackson, tenor; and Donald Sleet, trumpet—have only recently turned 21." Retrieved July 23, 2022.
3. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/106155689/the-desert-sun/ "Listen to Jazz in Palm Desert: Jazz for Jazz Lovers"
4. Web site: Terry Trotter Bio . mamajazz.org . June 30, 2020.
5. Web site: Terry Trotter . allmusic.com . June 30, 2020.
6. Web site: Terry Trotter - IMDb. Terry Trotter. March 18, 2011.
7. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/106152444/obituary-for-ralph-k-trotter/ "Vital Records: Deaths"
8. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/106152232/the-los-angeles-times/ "Obituary: Ernest F. Bader"
9. News: And All That ... in Jazz: Putting It Together with Just Piano, Bass and Drums. Sokol, Robert. Spring 2007. The Sondheim Review. 18, 20. .