Barbara Sutton Curtis
Barbara Sutton Curtis (September 16, 1930 – October 30, 2019) was an American jazz pianist known for her work in Harlem stride and her interpretations of Fats Waller’s music. She was born in Howell, Missouri, the daughter of Earl and Edna Sutton, and grew up playing with her older brother Ralph Sutton, a noted pianist. They performed together from their teens and helped revive some of Waller’s pieces.
Barbara graduated from Lindenwood College in 1952 and began playing professionally in St. Louis. In 1959, she and Ralph played duets in New York City. The Sutton siblings became respected interpreters of Waller’s music, recovering lost compositions.
She moved to California with her husband in the 1960s and settled in Ukiah in 1969, where she led the Barbara Curtis Quintet and taught piano at Mendocino Community College. She toured Germany in 1987 and Switzerland in 1991 with Ralph in a Fats Waller tribute show. Her solo album Old Fashioned Love (recorded 1987–1993) was praised for her solid left hand. The album Solos & Duets came out in 1993, and another collaboration with Ralph was recorded in St. Louis in 2000.
Barbara and Hal Curtis, whom she married in 1952, had two children, Terry and Scott. The couple received a lifetime achievement award in 2005. Barbara appeared at many jazz festivals across North America and remained active for decades. She died in Ukiah, California, in 2019 at age 89. Unpublished concert recordings were donated to the Mendocino County Historical Society.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 02:55 (CET).