James Avery Parrish (January 24, 1917 – December 10, 1959) was an American jazz pianist, composer and arranger.
Parrish wrote the music to "After Hours", and a 1940 recording of the tune with Hawkins's orchestra resulted in its becoming a jazz standard.
[8] In August 1942 Parrish was injured in a car crash that killed Marcellus Green, one of Hawkins's trumpeters.
"[4] Author and music executive Arnold Shaw stated that Parrish suffered "a fall down a flight of stairs".
[12] At the time, Parrish was living with his mother on Saint Nicholas Avenue and "working as a porter for a local bottling company.