Sam Dockery, American jazz pianist, Died at 86

Samuel Dockery was born in 1929, in Camden, New Jersey, and die on December 21, 2015.

His nicknamed was Sure-Footed Sam.

He was an American jazz pianist.

Samuel was a hard bop pianist and well-respected musician on the Philadelphia jazz scene since the early 1950s.

Dockery has to his name, 11 recordings as the pianist for Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers and composed “Sam’s Tune” which appears on their 1957 Blue Note recording Ritual.

He was the pianist for Betty Carter’s extended engagement at Birdland in 1963, and headed The Sam Dockery Trio in Philadelphia during the 1990s.

Samuel also taught at Philadelphia’s University of the Arts.

Sam Dockery passed away at 86 yrs old.