Serge Chaloff

Serge Chaloff was the premier baritone saxophonist of the bop era, his fiery, dynamic improvisations restoring the instrument to prominence some months prior to the arrival of Gerry Mulligan. Chaloff was born in Boston on November 24, 1923. His father was a pianist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra while his mother, Margaret, taught music at the Boston Conservatory of Music, over time educating an illustrious series of pianists including Keith Jarrett, Herbie Hancock, and Richard Twardzik. Chaloff himself studied piano and clarinet before teaching himself the baritone sax in ...