About Gil Coggins
Gil Coggins, 75, American jazz pianist.
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Full Biography
|Gil Coggins (died February 15, 2004) was an American jazz pianist.
Coggins was born to parents of West Indian heritage. His mother was a pianist and had her son start on piano from an early age. He attended school in New York City and Barbados. In Harlem, New York City, he attended The High School of Music & Art.
In 1946, Coggins met Miles Davis while stationed at Jefferson Barracks in Missouri. After his discharge he began playing piano professionally, working with Davis on several of his Blue Note and Prestige releases. Coggins also recorded with John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Lester Young, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, Ray Draper, and Jackie McLean.
Coggins gave up playing jazz professionally in 1954 and took up a career in real estate, playing music only occasionally. He did not record as a leader until 1990, when Interplay Records released Gil's Mood. He continued performing through the 1990s and 2000s until 2004, when he died from complications sustained in a car crash eight months earlier in Forest Hills, New York. Better Late Than Never, his second album recorded as a leader, was released posthumously.
Discography
- Gil's Mood (Interplay, 1990)
- Better Late Than Never (2003)
As sideman
With Miles Davis
- Miles Davis Volume 1 (Blue Note, 1956)
- Miles Davis Volume 2 (Blue Note, 1956)
With Ray Draper
With Jackie McLean
- Fat Jazz (Jubilee, 1959)
- Makin' the Changes (New Jazz, 1960)
- A Long Drink of the Blues (New Jazz, 1961)
- Strange Blues (Prestige, 1967)
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gil_Coggins
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 14 questions
Questions drawn from Gil Coggins's archived record and the sources above.
1.What career path did Gil Coggins pursue after leaving professional jazz in 1954?
- A.Education
- B.Real estatecorrect
- C.Civil engineering
- D.Journalism
After giving up professional jazz in 1954, Gil Coggins took up a career in real estate.
Source: mid-career transition section
2.When was Gil Coggins's first album as a leader released?
- A.1980
- B.2004
- C.1990correct
- D.1954
Gil Coggins did not record as a leader until 1990, when Interplay Records released his album titled Gil's Mood.
Source: discography section
3.What was the name of the album released after Gil Coggins died?
- A.Gil's Mood
- B.Strange Blues
- C.Makin' the Changes
- D.Better Late Than Nevercorrect
Better Late Than Never was the second album recorded by Gil Coggins as a leader and was released posthumously.
Source: discography section
4.What was the cause of Gil Coggins's death?
- A.Complications from a car crashcorrect
- B.Old age in his sleep
- C.A heart attack in Harlem
- D.A respiratory illness in Barbados
Gil Coggins died in 2004 from complications sustained in a car crash that had occurred eight months earlier.
Source: death and legacy section
5.Where was Gil Coggins stationed when he met Miles Davis?
- A.Jefferson Barracks, Missouricorrect
- B.Harlem, New York City
- C.Forest Hills, New York
- D.Bridgetown, Barbados
Gil Coggins met Miles Davis in 1946 while he was stationed at Jefferson Barracks in Missouri.
Source: early career section
6.Besides New York City, where else did Gil Coggins attend school?
- A.Barbadoscorrect
- B.New Jersey
- C.West Indies
- D.Missouri
The text explicitly states that Gil Coggins attended school in New York City and Barbados.
Source: early life section
7.Which of these albums features Gil Coggins as a sideman for Jackie McLean?
- A.Strange Bluescorrect
- B.Gil's Mood
- C.Miles Davis Volume 1
- D.Better Late Than Never
The discography lists Strange Blues, released in 1967, as an album where Gil Coggins worked as a sideman for Jackie McLean.
Source: discography section
8.What was the label that released Gil Coggins's first album as a leader?
- A.Blue Note
- B.Prestige
- C.Jubilee
- D.Interplay Recordscorrect
Interplay Records released Gil's Mood in 1990, which was Gil Coggins's first recording as a leader.
Source: discography section
9.What was the specific duration between Gil Coggins's car crash and his death?
- A.One month
- B.Six months
- C.Three months
- D.Eight monthscorrect
Gil Coggins died from complications sustained in a car crash that occurred eight months prior to his death.
Source: death and legacy section
10.How old was Gil Coggins when he passed away?
- A.75correct
- B.65
- C.85
- D.95
The biography introduces Gil Coggins by stating he was 75 years old at the time of his passing.
Source: biographical introduction
11.Which artist's Jazz Messengers did Gil Coggins record with?
- A.Miles Davis
- B.Jackie McLean
- C.Art Blakeycorrect
- D.Ray Draper
The text explicitly lists Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers as a group Gil Coggins recorded with during his career.
Source: career collaborations section
12.What was the profession of Gil Coggins's mother?
- A.Real estate agent
- B.Classical cellist
- C.Jazz pianistcorrect
- D.Music teacher
Gil Coggins's mother was a pianist who had her son start playing the piano from an early age.
Source: early life section
13.Where did Gil Coggins attend high school?
- A.Jefferson Barracks High School
- B.The High School of Music & Art in Harlemcorrect
- C.New York Conservatory of Arts
- D.Barbados Academy of Music
Gil Coggins attended The High School of Music & Art located in Harlem, New York City.
Source: early education section
14.In what year did Gil Coggins meet Miles Davis?
- A.1946correct
- B.1954
- C.1950
- D.1944
Gil Coggins met Miles Davis in 1946 while stationed at Jefferson Barracks in Missouri.
Source: career beginnings section
People who died on February 15
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