Born in Los Angeles in 1940, Trotter was the youngest of two children born to Ralph K. Trotter and Phyllis Bader.[7][8][a] At age four, he started studying piano, but by the time he was entering adolescence, Trotter's interest in music as a whole had all but vanished. At this time, Mrs. Trotter, herself a classical pianist, had an idea. "My mom found a piano teacher whose style was very Teddy Wilson / jazz-inspired. I fell in love with jazz. Then after studying it for a couple of years, I really fell in love with classical music, too." A few years later, when it came time to decide which area to focus on professionally, newly acquired acquaintance Leonid Hambro had some helpful advice:
Leonid said, "You could probably get into the top 5 percent of classical pianists, but that's not going to be enough to survive. You really have to be in the top 1 or 2 percent to make it there. But as a jazz pianist you can do so much more. And you can still play classical music." So that pretty much cinched it for me.
Between his classical training and his growing reputation as a quick study, Trotter had little trouble finding work, whether in the studio or on the road.[10]
Notes
^His sister Linda Trotter performed as an opera singer in Europe for twenty-one years and later became chair of the vocal faculty at Western Michigan University.[1][9]
^Garrigues, C.H. (February 26, 1961). "Best of the New Combos". The San Francisco Examiner Highlight. p. 10. "It is notable that three of the most brilliant performers—Terry Trotter, piano; Daniel Jackson, tenor; and Donald Sleet, trumpet—have only recently turned 21." Retrieved July 23, 2022.
^Spradling, Diana R. (March 2000). "Vocal Jazz and Its Credibility in the University Curriculum". Jazz Educators Journal. pp. 59–60, 62–64. ProQuest1370438. One cannot help but notice the high standards of excellence in these programs when interviewing faculty. Linda Trotter, a twenty-one-year career opera singer on the main stages in Europe, is chair of the voice faculty at Western--and also happens to be the sister of jazz pianist Terry Trotter.
^Sokol, Robert (Spring 2007). "And All That ... in Jazz: Putting It Together with Just Piano, Bass and Drums". The Sondheim Review. pp. 18, 20. ProQuest2311599.
Further reading
McLean, Norma (July 26, 1984). "Opera Singer Linda Trotter Lives in City". The Columbia Record. pp. N1, N8
Stewart, Zan (October 25, 1991). "Safe and Sane Jazz Pianist Tries It Solo". Los Angeles Times. Valley Calendar. pp. F25A, F25D
Kissel, Howard (October 17, 1996). "The Sound of Musicals; How do current revivals' cast albums score against the originals; A Record Time for Broadway Revivals". New York Daily News. pp. 57, 64
