Chu Berry: Biography

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• Lester Young
• Fletcher Henderson
• Ben Webster
• Earle Warren
• Candy Johnson
• Don Byas
• Willie Smith

• Coleman Hawkins

• Cecil Scott
• Dexter Gordon
• Gene Ammons
• Yusef Lateef

• Bing Crosby

• Milt Hinton
• Benny Morton
• Roy Eldridge
• Cozy Cole
• Buster Bailey
• Benny Carter
• Teddy Wilson

Birth Name:

Leon Brown Berry

Born:

Sep 13, 1910 in Wheeling, WV

Died:

Oct 30, 1941 in Conneaut, OH

Genre:

Swing

Decades Active:

1930's|1940's

Artistic Quality

Medium

Cultural Impact

Medium

Popularity

Low

Ratings Guide

Chu Berry was considered one of the top tenor saxophonists of the 1930s, just below Coleman Hawkins (his main influence), Lester Young, and Ben Webster. Particularly strong on up-tempo numbers (although his ballad statements could be overly sentimental), Berry might have become an influential force if he had not died prematurely. After playing alto in college, he switched to tenor in 1929 when he joined Sammy Stewart's band. In 1930, he moved to New York, playing with Benny Carter's band and Charlie Johnson's orchestra. He was prominently featured in Spike Hughes' 1933 recording sessions, was a star with the bands of Teddy Hill (1933-1935) and Fletcher Henderson (1936; to whom he contributed his song "Christopher Columbus"), and then found a permanent home with Cab Calloway in 1937. Berry was used on many sessions including with his friend Roy Eldridge, Lionel Hampton (a classic version of "Sweethearts on Parade"), Teddy Wilson, and Calloway (his version of "Ghost of a Chance" became well-known); in addition he led a couple of his own fine dates. Chu Berry died from the effects of a car crash when he was just 31.

- Scott Yanow, All Music Guide