Serge Chaloff, born November 24, 1923 and died July 16, 1957, was an American jazz baritone. He was the son of Julius and Margaret Chaloff, noted Boston pianist teachers. He was one of the few jazz musicians who played his instrument. Harry Carney, the Duke Ellington Orchestra’s prominent baritone player, was the only one until Chaloff. Chaloff, who was initially influenced by Charlie Parker’s music, became the first major bebop pianist and set the standard for others. Chaloff was first well-known as one of the “Four Brothers”, a section of reeds in Woody Herman’s Second Herd. In addition to his roles as a leader and player, he also performed with Georgie Auld (Boyd Raeburn), Jimmy Dorsey (Count Basie) and Jimmy Dorsey. Serge Chaloff’s heroin addiction severely limited his career. He was able to quit heroin, but he eventually developed spine cancer. This caused his premature death. From Wikipedia
