Peter Mintun

Born in Berkeley, CA, and raised in the same city, society pianist Peter Mintun acquired his abilities entirely by ear beginning at age three. He gravitated toward the enduring melodies of the Depression years rather than current fashions, devoting himself instead to work as an accompanist at social gatherings, ballroom events, and silent-film screenings. His first release, Deep Purple, appeared in 1994; the next year he launched an annual seasonal residency at New York's Carlyle Hotel. Grand Piano arrived in 1996, followed a year later by Piano at the Paramount, while 1999 brought his fourth album, Yours for a Song: Here's to the Ladies.