Doc Cheatham

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Doc Cheatham

Adolphus "Doc" Cheatham (born June 13, 1905 Nashville , Tennessee , † June 2, 1997 Washington, DC ) was an American jazz trumpeter .

Life

Cheatham was on the world's stages as a trumpeter for around 75 years, far more than Miles Davis or Louis Armstrong . The latter was his role model. As early as 1923 he accompanied Bessie Smith during her performances in Nashville. after moving to Chicago he played mainly with Albert Wynn, but also with Erskine Tate , and on a record for Ma Rainey , albeit on his first instrument, the alto saxophone, which he only played against the trumpet in the late 1920s out of admiration for Louis Armstrong exchanged. King Oliver gave him a shock absorber made of copper and brass, he used all his life.

Cheatham played the trumpet in school and later studied medicine (hence his nickname), but worked temporarily in local orchestras. In 1926 he went on tour with John Williams, then played with Albert Wynn in Chicago (also replacing Louis Armstrong at the Vendome Theater ) and with Bobby Lee.

Further stations were in 1927 Philadelphia with Wilbur De Paris , 1927 New York with Chick Webb , 1928-30 European tours with Sam Wooding , then New York, with Marion Hardy's Alabamians and McKinney's Cotton Pickers . 1932–39 with Cab Calloway , 1939 with Teddy Wilson , from 1940 with Benny Carter , Teddy Hill 1941 and Eddie Heywood 1944, with whom he accompanied Billie Holiday ( The Complete Commodore Recordings ). He started teaching. From 1948 he played mainly in Latin bands such as Machito , 1953–54 freelance in Boston. From 1960 onwards he intensified his involvement in jazz again , on an Africa tour with Herbie Mann , and in 1961 recording recordings with Harold Shorty Baker and Sammy Price . After five years with his own band, he made his first recording under his own name in 1966. In the 1970s and 1980s, the aging solo trumpeter became a star at international jazz festivals.

He gave many concerts, in 1974 with Teddy Wilson, 1978/79 with Lionel Hampton , 1980 with Cab Calloway 's Reunion Band, 1981 with Roy Eldridge , Dickie Wells, Buck Clayton and Jay McShann . This was followed by some recordings with his own ensembles, to which he also sang. In 1988 he recorded the album Dear Doc ... with Idris Muhammad , Jimmy Woode and Kenny Drew . The recording is characterized by his subtle humor in the selection of the songs, and by the charm of the singing and trumpet parts as in Chet Baker 's last years. In September 1996 an album for Verve with Nicholas Payton was created ; Cheatham died in June 1997 after performing at Washington's Blues Alley Club .

One of Cheatham's grandsons is jazz trumpeter Theo Croker .

Discographic notes

LPs:

CDs:

  • Doc Cheatham & Jim Galloway at the Bern Jazz Festival ( Sackville 1985) with Roy Williams , Ian Bargh
  • You're a Sweetheart (Sackville 1992) with Jim Galloway and Rosemary Galloway b
  • The eighty-seven years of Doc Cheatham ( Columbia , 1992) with Chuck Folds, Jackie Williams
  • Swinging Down in New Orleans (Jazzology, 1993) with Butch Thompson p
  • Doc Cheatham and Nicholas Payton ( Verve , 1996) with Butch Thompson, Jack Maheu cl

literature

personal data
SURNAME Cheatham, Doc
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Cheatham, Adolphus
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American jazz trumpeter
DATE OF BIRTH June 13, 1905
PLACE OF BIRTH Nashville , Tennessee
DATE OF DEATH June 2, 1997
Place of death Washington, DC