Jazz pianist to release his debut album at 85

Born in Buffalo, New York in 1926, jazz pianist Boyd Lee Dunlop has become a recording artist for the first time at the grand age of 85, reports NPR. He taught himself to play on a broken piano as a child and never gave up playing, despite a career working in the steel and rail industries. His brother Frankie Dunlop on the other hand, who Boyd taught to play the drums, went on to record with Thelonious Monk and Charles Mingus. The best things do come to those that wait it seems however. After many years living in a nursing home, a chance meeting and piano playing session with photographer Brendon Bannon led to him producing Boyd’s debut album, ‘Boyd’s Blues’. Does he have a favourite track on the album? “Any track on there’s my favourite,” Boyd tells NPR. And that there, folks, says it all.

Listen to Boyd talking about his album on NPR.

Boyd’s Blues is available on iTunes now