Search - Serge Chaloff :: Baritone Sax Master

Classic tracks, if you don't mind sacrificing some fidelity

James A. Vedda | Alexandria, VA USA | 10/26/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Aficionados of early bop music and fans of the pioneering baritone saxophonist Serge Chaloff will cherish this collection of 22 tracks recorded from 1946 to 1950. At a time when bari sax was seen as the honking underbelly of a big band sax section, Chaloff was one of the few artists who demonstrated that it was an outstanding solo instrument, one that could maneuver with the same agility as an alto or tenor. Other soloists featured on these tracks, especially on tenor and trumpet, deliver great performances as well, in groups ranging in size from five to eight pieces.

The inferior fidelity characteristic of this era - especially for recordings of live performances, as many of these tracks are - may disappoint some listeners, causing them to rate this collection lower than the four stars I've given it. The live tracks have noticeable crowd noise, and the rhythm section tends to get lost in the background. If you want Chaloff in a studio setting with much better audio quality, get Blue Serge which was recorded several years later.

Chaloff only left us a few recordings (he died in 1957 at the age of 33), so if you pick up this CD and "Blue Serge" you'll have a good representation of his body of work."