Serge Chaloff | Bongo in Squaresville . 15

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These tunes are primarily taken from Boston Blow-up by The Serge Chaloff Sextet ... Serge Chaloff, baritone sax. Boots Musulli, alto sax. Herb Pomeroy, trumpet. Ray Santisi, piano. Everett Evans, bass. Jimmy Zitano, drums. Recorded April 1955 in New York City for the Stan Kenton Presents imprint on Columbia. Other cuts are from Blue Serge. Enjoy this set - and Bongo in Squaresville, devoted to Boston's jazz music, every Wednesday evening - on Radio Roofscape.

Sergical
Thanks for the Memories
Bob the Robin
What's New
All the Things You Are
Susie's Blues
Body and Soul
A Handful of Stars
Stairway to the Stars

Serge Chaloff, born just a few years before Miles, in Boston on November 24, 1923, died at half his age and missed a good shot at earning the mantle of one of the most significant modern jazz masters. But the evidence is preserved in two recordings made leading his own groups during the 50's - Boston Blow-up and Blue Serge.

Chaloff parents were renowned pianists and piano teachers. His father Julius played with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and his mother, known as Madame Chaloff, was an important teacher whose students included Keith Jarrett, Kenny Werner, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, and Steve Kuhn. And, of course, young Serge.

Image ... Serge Chaloff (lower left) in recording session.

Bongo in Squaresville . 13 | Serge Chaloff

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Boston Blow-up by The Serge Chaloff Sextet ... Serge Chaloff, baritone sax. Boots Musulli, alto sax. Herb Pomeroy, trumpet. Ray Santisi, piano. Everett Evans, bass. Jimmy Zitano, drums. Recorded April 1955 in New York City for the Stan Kenton Presents imprint on Columbia.

Sergical
Jr.
Bofy and Soul
Bob the Robin
What's New

Serge Chaloff, born just a few years before Miles, died at half his age and missed a good shot at earning the mantle of being one of the most significant modern jazz masters. But the evidence is preserved in two recordings made leading his own groups during the 50's - Boston Blow-up and Blue Serge.

Chaloff was born in Boston on November 24, 1923 to two pianists and piano teachers. His father Julius played with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and his mother, known as Madame Chaloff, was an important teacher whose students included Keith Jarrett, Kenny Werner, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, and Steve Kuhn. And, of course, young Serge.

Image ... Boston Blow-up LP cover.

Bongo in Squaresville . 4

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Bongo in Squaresville is a weekly webcast radio show devoted to the jazz music, of every style and genre, that's gone down here in Boston through the last 10 or so decades. Join us at Radio Roofscape every Wednesday night, the music starts at 9:00 and there's never a cover or drink minimum.

Check out Roofscape Journal too. Each week we'll be looking at a different aspect of the Boston jazz scene down through the years to today - digging the music, meeting the musicians, hanging out with the fans, making recording sessions and visiting the clubs. To start off, we're going to look at the scene in the 40's and 50's when Boston was one of the great jazz mecccas.

Here's the playlist for Wednesday, March 3, 2010, then Tal Farr takes us to the Hi-Hat Club, pictured above.

Chick Corea & Gary Burton - Monk's Dream
Ruby Braff & Dick Hyman - When It's Sleepy Time Down South
Jaki Byard - Round Midnight
Terri Lyne Carrington - It's You or No One
Ralph Burns - Introspection
Harry Carney - Baritone solo, 1964
Charles Mariano - Celia
Serge Chaloff Sextet - What's New

The Hi-Hat

Standing at the crossroads of Massachusetts and Columbus Avenues in the 40's and 50's, jazz joints stretched away into the distance in every direction. One of the swankiest was the Hi-Hat Club on the southeast corner of the intersection where the Harriet Tubman House, a community center, now stands. The image above is a detail from the mural adorning the building which celebrates the legacy of this famed club.

... Continues next week.

Image ... Mural at the site of the old Hi-Hat CLub. Harriet Tubman House, Boston.