In the early to mid 1940s he was a member of the Gene Krupa, Tommy Dorsey, Charlie Barnet, and Artie Shaw bands. He recorded as a sideman in the late 1940s, notably with Lester Young and Charlie Parker. After 1950 his only recordings were of two sessions with Gene Ammons in 1961 and 1962, after which he retired from music. His absence from music after 1950 has been attributed to mental illness; he is generally considered to have been in the top rank of jazz pianists.