Serge Chaloff

Serge Chaloff
Serge Chaloff (lower left) with Georgie Auld, Red Rodney, and Tiny Kahn, ca. August 1947. Photo: William P. Gottlieb.
Background information
Born	(1923-11-24)November 24, 1923
Origin	Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Died	July 16, 1957(1957-07-16) (aged 33)
Genres	Jazz
Occupation(s)	saxophonist
Instrument(s)	Baritone saxophone,
Years active	1940s-50s

Serge Chaloff (November 24, 1923 – July 16, 1957) was an American jazz baritone saxophonist.

The son of noted Boston piano teachers, Margaret and Julius Chaloff, he was among the few major jazz performers on his instrument. Until Chaloff the only prominent baritone player in jazz was Harry Carney of the Duke Ellington Orchestra. Originally influenced by Charlie Parker, Chaloff became the first major bebop baritonist and opened the way for others to follow.

Chaloff first became well known as one of the "Four Brothers" reed section in Woody Herman's Second Herd. He also played with Boyd Raeburn, Georgie Auld, Jimmy Dorsey, and Count Basie, as well as recording as a leader.

Serge Chaloff's career was greatly limited by addiction to heroin. After successfully giving up drugs, he developed cancer of the spine which caused his early death.

Discography

• Boston 1950 - radio recordings
• The Fable of Mabel (1954)
• Boston Blow–Up! (1955) - produced by Stan Kenton
• Blue Serge (1956) - with Sonny Clark, Leroy Vinnegar and Philly Joe Jones
• Metronome All-Stars 1956 Verve MGV 8030

N.B.: For a list of Chaloff's recordings, vid. Vladimir Simosko, Serge Chaloff, an Appreciation and Discography, 3rd ed., rev., Montréal Vintage Music Society, 1991, ISBN 1-895002-06-0.