Serge Chaloff

Valdimir Simosko (M.L.S., Rutgers University) is Head of the Music Library at the University of Manitoba. He is the author of a critically acclaimed biography of Eric Dolphy (Smithsonian Institution Press) and Artie Shaw (Scarecrow Press, 1998).

Musically, it is hard to consider a young saxophonist 'serious' if they haven't heard the Chaloff recordings, especially if he or she is a baritone sax player. The live performances documented throughout this book provide further insights about how much in demand Chaloff was, particularly after he left Herman in 1949. But since almost half of this book is a very detailed and thorough discography, it really affirms just how prolific Chaloff was. For these reasons, the book is important for many readers.