Tenor saxophonist Chu Berry recorded numerous records as a sideman during the swing era, in both small groups and big bands, in the 1930s and up until his untimely death in 1941. I’ve selected “Limehouse Blues”, recorded under his own name as leader, which shows how very skillful a musician he was. Strongly influenced by Coleman Hawkins, Berry developed a lighter, more rhythmic and agile sound. Berry played and soloed with the Fletcher Henderson orchestra and later the Cab Calloway orchestra. While with Henderson, he composed “Christopher Columbus”, which later became part of “Sing, Sing, Sing” in the Benny Goodman … Continue reading Jazz Birthdays: Leon “Chu” Berry (1908) and Mel Torme (1925)