He was very active live and on record in the late 1940s, working with Buddy DeFranco, Benny Goodman, Chubby Jackson, Brew Moore, Boyd Raeburn, Buddy Rich, Artie Shaw, Lester Young.
He worked extensively as an accompanist for vocalists, starting with Peggy Lee in 1949–1950; he also played behind Tony Bennett and Anita O'Day.
He recorded with Lena Horne multiple times in the late 1950s and early 1960s and also accompanied her on tours of Europe.
During this time, he also worked with his own small groups; his sidemen included Danny Bank, Johnny Carisi, Bill Crow, Tony Fruscella, and Dave Schildkraut.
Toward the end of the decade he played with Carmen McRae, then moved to Canada to take a position as a house pianist with the CBC in Toronto.