He moved to New Orleans in 1954, playing with Sharkey Bonano and Al Hirt in a Dixieland jazz setting, but his focus since then was on bebop.
There he worked extensively as a studio musician on the West Coast jazz scene, and toured with Joe Williams, Maynard Ferguson, and Les Brown.
He also toured with Elvis Presley in June 1972, including four Madison Square Garden shows in New York, and the following January for the "Aloha from Hawaii" worldwide telecast.
He worked with Terry Gibbs, Herb Ellis, the Lighthouse All-Stars, Art Pepper, Bud Shank, Cal Tjader, Louie Bellson, and Chet Baker, in addition to recording as a leader.
[1][2] With Curtis Amy With Chet Baker With Carmell Jones With the Red Mitchell-Harold Land Quintet