b. 24 November 1923, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, d. 16 July 1957, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Coming from a musical family, Chaloff studied formally on piano and clarinet but, entranced by the playing of Harry Carney, he taught himself to play baritone saxophone. In the early 40s he worked with a number of swing era big bands; however, his interest in the musical developments of the beboppers drew him to Boyd Raeburn's adventurous band, which he joined in 1945. Thereafter he played with Georgie Auld and Jimmy Dorsey, extending the appeal of his instrument through his ability to play complex material without losing either his feeling for swing or the sonority that Carney achieved on baritone. In 1947 Chaloff became a member of Woody Herman's Four Brothers band and for the next two years he was the most talked-about baritone player in jazz. Later he worked with Count Basie, but Chaloff had fallen victim to drug addiction and the remainder of his career was blighted. He taught for a while, continued to record, mostly with small groups, and proved on these recordings that his talent was undiminished and continuing to develop. Partially incapacitated by spinal paralysis, Chaloff appeared at a Four Brothers reunion date in February 1957 but on 16 July that year he died.

Listen to Serge Chaloff at Finetune.

• (2006)  Boston Blow-Up
• (2004)  Blue Serge

• All The Things You Are
• Thanks For The Memory
• Susie's Blues
• Bob The Robin (2006 Digital Remaster)
• Body And Soul (2006 Digital Remaster)

• Zoot Sims
• Lester Young
• Stan Getz
• Charlie Parker
• Art Pepper
• Sonny Rollins
• Kenny Garrett
• Gerry Mulligan
• Bill Evans
• Miles Davis
• John Coltrane
• Paul Desmond
• Scott Hamilton
• Bud Powell
• Dave Brubeck
• Hank Mobley
• John Coltrane Quartet
• Michel Petrucciani
• Greg Osby
• The Al Cohn - Zoot Sims Quintet

• eddielin11
• pccarter