Adolphus Anthony Cheatham, better known as Doc Cheatham (June 13, 1905 – June 2, 1997), was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

trumpeter, singer, and bandleader. He is also the grandfather of musician

Theo Croker Theodore Lee Croker (born July 18, 1985) is an American jazz trumpeter, composer, producer and vocalist. He is a Grammy Award nominee, three-time Echo Award nominee, as well as a Theodore Presser Award recipient. Croker has released over seve ...

Early life

Doc Cheatham was born in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

, United States, of African, Cherokee and Choctaw heritage. He noted there was no jazz music there in his youth; like many in the United States he was introduced to the style by early recordings and touring groups at the end of the 1910s. Cheatham started playing music when he was 15, first on the

cornet The cornet (, ) is a brass instrument similar to the trumpet but distinguished from it by its conical bore, more compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. There is also a soprano cor ...

and soon after the trumpet, taking trumpet lessons from

Fisk University Fisk University is a Private university, private Historically black colleges and universities, historically black Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Nashville, Tennessee. It was founded in 1866 and its campus i ...

professor N. C. Davis. He also played

saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to p ...

and

drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...

. abandoned his family's plans for him to be a pharmacist (although retaining the medically inspired

nickname A nickname, in some circumstances also known as a sobriquet, or informally a "moniker", is an informal substitute for the proper name of a person, place, or thing, used to express affection, playfulness, contempt, or a particular character trait ...

"Doc") to play music, performing in Nashville's

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

Vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...

theater. Cheatham later toured in band accompanying blues singers on the Theater Owners Booking Association circuit. His early jazz influences included Henry Busse and Johnny Dunn, but when he moved to

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

in 1924, he heard

King Oliver Joseph Nathan "King" Oliver (December 19, 1881 – April 10, 1938) was an American jazz cornet player and bandleader. He was particularly recognized for his playing style and his pioneering use of mutes in jazz. Also a notable composer, he wro ...

. Oliver's playing was a revelation to Cheatham. Cheatham followed him around. Oliver gave young Cheatham a mute, which Cheatham treasured and performed with for the rest of his career. A further revelation came the following year when

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...

returned to Chicago. Armstrong would be a lifelong influence on Cheatham, describing him as "an ordinary-extraordinary man."

Working with the name bands

Cheatham played in Albert Wynn's band (and occasionally substituted for Armstrong at the Vendome Theater), and recorded on sax with Ma Rainey before moving to

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

in 1927, where he worked with the bands of

Bobby Lee Robert Young Lee Jr. (born September 17, 1971) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and podcaster. Lee co-hosts the podcasts Bad Friends (podcast), ''Bad Friends'' with Andrew Santino and ''TigerBelly'' with Khalyla Kuhn. From 2001 to 2009, ...

and Wilbur de Paris, before moving to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

the following year. After a short stint with

Chick Webb William Henry "Chick" Webb (February 10, 1905 – June 16, 1939) was an American jazz and swing music drummer and band leader. Early life Webb was born in Baltimore, Maryland, to William H. and Marie Webb. The year of his birth is disputed. The ...

, he left to tour

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

with

Sam Wooding Samuel David Wooding (17 June 1895–1 August 1985) was an American jazz pianist, arranger and bandleader living and performing in Europe and the United States. Career Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, between 1921 and 19 ...

's band. Cheatham returned to the United States in 1930, and played with Marion Handy and

McKinney's Cotton Pickers McKinney's Cotton Pickers were an American jazz band, founded in Detroit, Michigan, United States in 1926, and led by Bill McKinney (drummer), Bill McKinney, who expanded his Synco Septet to ten players. Cuba Austin took over for McKinney on drum ...

, before landing a job with

Cab Calloway Cabell "Cab" Calloway III (December 25, 1907 – November 18, 1994) was an American jazz singer and bandleader. He was a regular performer at the Cotton Club in Harlem, where he became a popular vocalist of the Swing music, swing era. His niche ...

. Cheatham was Calloway's lead trumpeter from 1932 through 1939. According to a personal discussion with Doc Cheatham, he studied with Max Schlossberg for six months in 1931. "I approached the topic, at Sweet Basil's, because his tone was like Schlossberg's; I had heard Schlossberg, my grand uncle, play once, at home, in 1936." orman M. Canter, M.D. He performed with

Benny Carter Bennett Lester Carter (August 8, 1907 – July 12, 2003) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. With Johnny Hodges, he was a pioneer on the alto saxophone. From the beginning of his career ...

Teddy Wilson Theodore Shaw Wilson (November 24, 1912 – July 31, 1986) was an American jazz pianist. Described by critic Scott Yanow as "the definitive Swing music, swing pianist", Wilson's piano style was gentle, elegant, and virtuosic. His style was high ...

Fletcher Henderson James Fletcher Hamilton Henderson (December 18, 1897 – December 29, 1952) was an American pianist, bandleader, arranger and composer, important in the development of big band jazz and swing music. He was one of the most prolific black musical ...

, and

Claude Hopkins Claude Driskett Hopkins (August 24, 1903 – February 19, 1984) was an American jazz stride pianist and bandleader. Biography Claude Hopkins was born in Alexandria, Virginia, United States. Historians differ in respect of the actual date of his ...

in the 1940s; after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

he started working regularly with Latin bands in New York City, including the bands of Perez Prado, Marcelino Guerra, Ricardo Ray (on whose catchy, hook-laden album ''Jala, Jala Boogaloo, Volume II'', he played exquisitely (but uncredited), particularly on the track "Mr. Trumpet Man"),

Machito Frank Grillo (born Francisco Raúl Gutiérrez Grillo; December 3, 1909 – April 15, 1984) known professionally as Machito (previously as Macho), was a Latin jazz musician who helped refine Afro-Cuban jazz and create both Cubop and salsa music ...

, and others. The first time Cheatham joined Machito's band, he was fired because he could not cope with

clave rhythm The clave (; ) is a rhythmic pattern used as a tool for meter (music), temporal organization in Brazilian and Afro-Cuban music, Cuban music. In Spanish, ''clave'' literally means key, clef, code, or keystone. It is present in a variety of genres ...

. Cheatham eventually got the hang of it though. In addition to continuing Latin gigs, he played again with Wilbur de Paris and Sammy Price. He led his own band on Broadway for five years, starting in 1960, after which he toured with

Benny Goodman Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader, known as the "King of Swing". His orchestra did well commercially. From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing bi ...

. In 1959, the U.S. State Department funded a trip for bandleader Herbie Mann to visit Africa, after they heard his version of "African Suite". The grueling 14-week tour took place between December 31, 1959, to April 5, 1960. Band personnel included Herbie Mann, bandleader, flute and sax; Johnny Rae, vibist and arranger; Don Payne, bass; Doc Cheatham, trumpet; Jimmy Knepper, trombone; Patato Valdés congas; and Jose Mangual, bongos. Destinations listed on the official itinerary included Sierra Leone, Liberia, Nigeria, Mozambique, Rhodesia, Tanganyika, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan, Morocco, Tunisia.

Later work

In the 1970s, Cheatham made a vigorous self-assessment to improve his playing, including taping himself and critically listening to the recordings, then endeavoring to eliminate all clichés from his playing. The discipline paid off, and he received ever-improving critical attention. His singing career began almost by accident in a

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

recording studio on May 2, 1977. As a level and microphone check at the start of a recording session with Sammy Price's band, Cheatham sang and scatted his way through a couple of choruses of "What Can I Say Dear After I Say I'm Sorry". The miking happened to be good from the start and the tape machine was already rolling, and the track was issued on the LP ''Doc Cheatham: Good for What Ails You''. His singing was well received and Cheatham continued to sing in addition to play music for the rest of his career. Cheatham toured widely in addition to his regular Sunday gig leading the band at Sweet Basil in Manhattan's

Greenwich Village Greenwich Village, or simply the Village, is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street (Manhattan), 14th Street to the north, Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the s ...

in his final decade. During one of his frequent trips to

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

, he met and befriended young trumpet virtuoso Nicholas Payton. In 1996, the two trumpeters and pianist

Butch Thompson Richard Enos "Butch" Thompson (November 28, 1943 – August 14, 2022) was an American jazz pianist and clarinetist best known for his ragtime and stride performances. Music career Thompson was born in Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota, began ...

recorded a CD for

Verve Records Verve Records is an active American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). Founded in 1956 by Norman Granz, the label is home to the world's largest jazz catalogue, which includes recordings by artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Ca ...

, ''Doc Cheatham and Nicholas Payton''. The Recording Academy nominated Cheatham for Best Jazz Instrumental Solo and Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Individual or Group. In 1998, he posthumously won a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

for Best Improvised Jazz Solo for " Stardust" on his CD, ''Doc Cheatham and Nicholas Payton''. His wife Amanda and daughter Alicia accepted the Grammy on his behalf.

Death

Doc Cheatham continued playing until two days before his death from a stroke, eleven days shy of his 92nd birthday.

Discography

* 1961 '' Shorty & Doc'' with Shorty Baker (Swingville) * 1973 ''Adolphus Doc Cheatham'' (Jezebel) * 1975 ''Hey Doc!'' ( Black & Blue) * 1976 ''Doc and Sammy'' ( Sackville) * 1977 ''Good for What Ails Ya'' (Classic Jazz) * 1979 ''Black Beauty'' (Sackville) * 1979 ''John, Doc and Herb'' (

Metronome A metronome () is a device that produces an audible click or other sound at a uniform interval that can be set by the user, typically in beats per minute (BPM). Metronomes may also include synchronized visual motion, such as a swinging pendulum ...

) * 1982 ''I've Got a Crush on You'' (New York Jazz) * 1982 ''It's a Good Life'' (Parkwood) * 1982 ''Too Marvelous for Words'' (New York Jazz) * 1983 ''The Fabulous Doc Cheatham'' (Parkwood) * 1985 ''At the Bern Jazz Festival'' (Sackville) * 1985 ''Highlights in Jazz'' ( Stash) * 1987 ''Tribute to Billie Holiday'' (Kenneth) * 1988 ''Dear Doc'' (Orange Blue) * 1988 ''Tribute to Louis Armstrong'' (Kenneth) * 1988 ''Doc Cheatham and Sammy Price in New Orleans with Lars Edegran's Jazz Band'' ( GHB) * 1992 ''Eartha Kitt/Doc Cheatham/Bill Coleman with George Duvivier & Co.'' ( DRG) * 1992 ''Echoes of New Orleans'' (Big Easy) * 1992 ''You're a Sweetheart'' (Sackville) * 1993 ''Live'' ( Natasha Imports) * 1993 ''The Eighty-Seven Years of Doc Cheatham'' ( Columbia) * 1995 ''Duets and Solos'' * 1995 ''Swinging Down in New Orleans'' ( Jazzology) * 1996 ''Live at Sweet Basil'' (Jazzology) * 1997 ''Doc Cheatham & Nicholas Payton'' with Nicholas Payton ( Verve) * 1997 ''Mood Indigo: A Memorial'' ( Viper's Nest) * 1999 ''At the Vineyard on a Cold Sunday in January'' * 2000 ''Live at the Windsor Jazz Series 1981'' (Jazzology) * 2003 ''Meets the Swiss Dixie Stompers Plus Two'' (Jazzology) * 2011 ''From Dixie to Swing'' (Traditions Alive, 2011) * 2013 ''Live in New York 1985'' with George Kelly (City Hall/Squatty Roo, 1985, 2013) With

*'' Legends'' (MusicMasters, 1993) With

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie ( ; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improvisation, improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy El ...

* '' To Diz with Love'' (

Telarc Telarc International Corporation is an American audiophile independent record label founded in 1977 by two classically trained musicians and former teachers, Jack Renner and Robert Woods. Based in Cleveland, Ohio, the label has had a long assoc ...

, 1992) With

Herbie Mann Herbert Jay Solomon (April 16, 1930 – July 1, 2003), known by his stage name Herbie Mann, was an American jazz Flute, flute player and important early practitioner of world music. Early in his career, he also played tenor saxophone and clarinet ...

* '' Flute, Brass, Vibes and Percussion'' (Verve, 1959) * '' The Common Ground'' (Atlantic, 1960) * '' Our Mann Flute'' (Atlantic, 1966) With

Jay McShann James Columbus "Jay" McShann (January 12, 1916 – December 7, 2006) was an American jazz pianist, vocalist, composer, and bandleader. He led bands in Kansas City, Missouri, that included Charlie Parker, Bernard Anderson, Walter Brown, and B ...

* ''

The Big Apple Bash ''The Big Apple Bash'' is an album by jazz pianist Jay McShann, recorded in 1978 and released by the Atlantic label. Reception The ''Santa Cruz Sentinel'' wrote that "McShann's vocals are nice and relaxed, a bit reminiscent of Hoagy Carmichael. ...

'' (Atlantic, 1979) With Sammy Price *''Fire'' (Black & Blue, 1975)

References

External links

Doc Cheatham on PBS.org/jazz

Doc Cheatham on jazzhouse.org

Doc Cheatham Interview
NAMM Oral History Library (1995) {{DEFAULTSORT:Cheatham, Doc 1905 births 1997 deaths 20th-century African-American male singers 20th-century American male singers 20th-century American singers American jazz bandleaders American jazz singers American male trumpeters American big band bandleaders Dixieland trumpeters Dixieland singers Grammy Award winners Singers from Nashville, Tennessee Swing singers Swing trumpeters American vaudeville performers 20th-century American trumpeters Jazz musicians from Tennessee American male jazz musicians Harlem Blues and Jazz Band members McKinney's Cotton Pickers members The Cab Calloway Orchestra members Sackville Records artists 21st-century African-American male singers 21st-century American male singers