Chaloff, Serge: Blue Serge (Blue Note Tone Poet) LP

A little-known Boston-born baritone saxophonist, Serge Chaloff was one of the earliest bebop practitioners on his instrument and possessed a remarkable agility and lyricism. He first gained wider recognition as a member of the "Four Brothers" saxophone section in Woody Herman's band in the late-1940s alongside Stan Getz and Zoot Sims. His career path was unsteady due to personal problems, but in 1954 he made a comeback with a stellar pair of recordings for Capitol Records: Boston Blow-Up! and Blue Serge. The latter would be his defining album with Chaloff joined by pianist Sonny Clark, bassist Leroy Vinnegar, and drummer Philly Joe Jones. The quartet simmers on a laid-back seven-song set of standards including "A Handful of Stars" and "All the Things You Are" plus the sole original "Susie's Blues."