Chester Zardis
Chester "Little Bear" Zardis (born May 27, 1900 in New Orleans , Louisiana , † August 14, 1990 ) was an American jazz musician ( double bass , tuba ).
Live and act
Zardis took lessons from Billy Marrero , who directed the Superior Orchestra . In his youth he was involved in a fist fight in a New Orleans theater, after which he was taken to the Children 's Home Colored Waif's Home . There he played with other inmates, such as the young Louis Armstrong or Kid Rena , in the institution's band, which also performed in public. At the age of 16 he became a member of the Buddie Petits Orchestra; he worked as a bass player in night clubs and as a tuba player in brass bands in New Orleans in the 1920s. He played u. a. with Kid Rena, AJ Piron , Punch Miller , Kid Howard , Jack Carey , Fate Marable and Duke Dejan's Dixie Rhythm Band .
He was nicknamed Little Bear from the band leader Fats Pichon , for whom Zardis worked on the steamship SS Capital in the 1930s . During that decade he also played with Count Basie in New York ; since 1937 recordings with Kid Howard , George Lewis and Bunk Johnson have been made . During World War II, Zardis served in the US Army; after the end of the war he worked briefly as a sheriff in the western United States. On his return to New Orleans he played with Andy Anderson , but left the music scene between 1954 and 1965. After he was active again, he played frequently in the Preservation Hall a . a. with George Lewis and Percy Humphrey . Zardis then worked as a musician until his death in 1990 and went on several international tours. In the field of jazz, he participated in 73 recording sessions between 1937 and 1990.
Zardis has appeared in several documentaries such as Liberty Street Blues , Chester Zardis: Spirit of New Orleans, and Three Men of Jazz .
Discographic notes
- Kid Thomas Valentine & Chester Zardis Visit The Maryland Jazzband of Cologne - ... On My Way to Hollywood (1983)
literature
- Richard B. Allen : A Testament to Two Friends - Memorial to Chester Zardis, Percy Humphrey . The Jazz Archivist 6 (1) (1991): 11-15
Web links
- Chester Zardis at Allmusic (English)
- Chester Zardis at Discogs (English)
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Zardis, Chester |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Little Bear (nickname) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American jazz musician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 27, 1900 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | New Orleans , Louisiana |
| DATE OF DEATH | August 14, 1990 |