Serge Chaloff: Blue Serge | Vinyl LP, Capitol / Blue Note

A little-known Boston-born baritone saxophonist, Serge Chaloff was one of the earliest bebop practitioners on his instrument and possessed a remarkable agility and lyricism. He first gained wider recognition as a member of the “Four Brothers” saxophone section in Woody Herman’s band in the late-1940s alongside Stan Getz and Zoot Sims. His career path was unsteady due to personal problems, but in 1954 he made a comeback with a stellar pair of recordings for Capitol Records: Boston Blow-Up! and Blue Serge. The latter would be his defining album with Chaloff joined by pianist Sonny Clark, bassist Leroy Vinnegar, and drummer Philly Joe Jones. The quartet simmers on a laid-back 7-song set of standards including “A Handful of Stars” and “All The Things You Are” plus the sole original “Susie’s Blues.”

This mono Tone Poet Vinyl Edition was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray (Cohearent Audio) from the original analog master tapes, pressed on 180g vinyl at Record Technology Inc. (RTI), and packaged in a deluxe tip-on jacket.