Tiny Grimes

Lloyd "Tiny" Grimes (July 7, 1916 in Newport News, Virginia - March 4, 1989) was a jazz and R&B guitarist. He was a member of the Art Tatum Trio from 1943 to 1944, was a backing musician on recording sessions by Charlie Parker and others, and later led his own bands. He is notable for playing the tenor guitar, a four-stringed instrument. It was a step up from his original career as a one-finger pianist.

Grimes began his musical career playing drums and piano. In 1938 he took up the electric 4-string tenor guitar. In 1940 he joined the Cats And A Fiddle as guitarist and singer. In 1943 he joined the Art Tatum Trio as guitarist and made a number of recordings with Tatum. The early Tatum Trio recordings some of the more interesting early examples of Tiny Grimes’ guitar work.