Saul "Sonny" Berman (April 21, 1925 – January 16, 1947) 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 The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz musical ensemble, ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest Register (music), register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitche ...

. Berman was born in

New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is List ...

, United States. He began touring at age sixteen and performed with

Louis Prima Louis Leo Prima (; December 7, 1910 – August 24, 1978) was an American trumpeter, singer, entertainer, and bandleader. While rooted in New Orleans jazz, swing music, and jump blues, Prima touched on various genres throughout his career: he ...

Harry James Harry Haag James (March 15, 1916 – July 5, 1983) was an American musician who is best known as a trumpet-playing band leader who led a big band to great commercial success from 1939 to 1946. He broke up his band for a short period in 1947, but ...

and

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 ...

, but is best known for his later work with Woody Herman. Berman was distinguished by his passionate and innovative soloing, and his versatility of tone—ranging from bold and emotional to sweetly muted. He was also known for his sense of humor, which often made its way into a playfulness and joyfulness found in his solo work. Sonny Berman died at the age of 21 in

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 ...

of heart failure, caused by a

heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a morphinan opioid substance synthesized from the Opium, dried latex of the Papaver somniferum, opium poppy; it is mainly used as a recreational drug for its eupho ...

overdose A drug overdose (overdose or OD) is the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities much greater than are recommended. Retrieved on September 20, 2014.

Discography

* ''Sidewalks of Cuba'' (with Woody Herman), 1946 * ''Curbstone Scuffle'', 1947 * ''Woodchopper's Holiday'', 1946 * ''Jazz Immortal 1946'', released 1954 soteric ES-532ref name="LarkinJazz"/> With Georgie Auld * '' Rainbow Mist'' (Delmark, 1944 992 compilation of Apollo recordings

References

External links

The Incomplete Sonny Berman
1925 births 1947 deaths 20th-century American trumpeters Bebop trumpeters Musicians from New Haven, Connecticut American jazz trumpeters American male trumpeters Jazz musicians from Connecticut 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians Deaths by heroin overdose in New York (state) Drug-related deaths in New York City {{US-jazz-trumpeter-stub