Marvin Ash

Who was Marvin Ash?

Marvin Ash was the professional pseudonym used by pianist Marvin E. Ashbaugh.

Marvin Ash was a remarkable and under-recorded New Orleans style pianist who actually spent much of his life wanting to visit the Crescent City, making him all that much more remarkable for his playing gifts. Born in Lamar, Colorado, the only son to barber Roy Ashbaugh and his wife Nora, Marvin grew up in Junction City, Kansas and Emporia, Kansas, playing with a number of bands as early as his high school years. Among the known musicians he worked with from the town that produced the Count Basie include Wallie Stoeffer, composer Con Conrad, Herman Waldman and Jack Crawford. He was greatly inspired while visiting Abilene one day in 1931 and heard "Fatha" Earl Hines perform in his capacious style. There was also an encounter one day at Jenkin's Music when seated at one of three grand pianos was Joe Sullivan teaching Fats Waller and Arthur Schutt, sitting at the other two, his own Little Rock Getaway. It set a desire in Ash to be able to play like all three of them at one time.