Herman Chittison

A very talented stride pianist whose great technique in his early days sometimes dominated his style (it was more in balance by the late '30s), Herman Chittison started out with Zack Whyte's Chocolate Beau Brummels (1928-1931), a superior territory band. He recorded with Clarence Williams, and in 1934 traveled to Europe with Willie Lewis' band. Chittison was featured on Louis Armstrong's European tour that year (he can be seen on film playing three numbers with Satch in Scandinavia) and recorded a series of piano solos. When he left Lewis in 1938, Chittison took some of the ot...