Joe Castro (pianist)

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Joseph Armand Castro (August 15, 1927 – December 13, 2009) was an American bebop jazz pianist who worked mainly on the West Coast. He was born in Miami, Arizona, and began playing professionally at age 15 in the San Francisco Bay Area. After his Army service ended in 1947, he formed a small band. In 1956 he moved to New York City, where his trio played in clubs. In 1958 he moved to Los Angeles and joined Teddy Edwards’ quartet. Castro made two albums as a leader for Atlantic Records: Mood Jazz (1957) and Groove Funk Soul (1960). He often played informal jam sessions at the Beverly Hills estate of his partner, Doris Duke, and many of those performances were recorded. He died in 2009 at age 82.