Tadley Ewing Peake Dameron (February 21, 1917 – March 8, 1965) 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, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a majo ...

composer, arranger, and pianist.

Biography

Tadd Dameron, Mary Lou Williams and Dizzy Gillespie

Born in

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U ...

Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...

, Dameron was the most influential arranger of the

bebop Bebop or bop is a style of jazz developed in the early-to-mid-1940s in the United States. The style features compositions characterized by a fast tempo, complex chord progressions with rapid chord changes and numerous changes of key, instrum ...

era, but also wrote charts for

swing Swing or swinging may refer to: Apparatus * Swing (seat), a hanging seat that swings back and forth * Pendulum, an object that swings * Russian swing, a swing-like circus apparatus * Sex swing, a type of harness for sexual intercourse * Swing rid ...

and

hard bop Hard bop is a subgenre of jazz that is an extension of bebop (or "bop") music. Journalists and record companies began using the term in the mid-1950s to describe a new current within jazz that incorporated influences from rhythm and blues, gosp ...

players. The bands he arranged for included those of

Count Basie William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and th ...

Artie Shaw Artie Shaw (born Arthur Jacob Arshawsky; May 23, 1910 – December 30, 2004) was an American clarinetist, composer, bandleader, actor and author of both fiction and non-fiction. Widely regarded as "one of jazz's finest clarinetists", Shaw led ...

Jimmie Lunceford James Melvin Lunceford (June 6, 1902 – July 12, 1947) was an American jazz alto saxophonist and bandleader in the swing era. Early life Lunceford was born on a farm in the Evergreen community, west of the Tombigbee River, near Fulton, ...

, Dizzy Gillespie,

Billy Eckstine William Clarence Eckstine (July 8, 1914 – March 8, 1993) was an American jazz and pop singer and a bandleader during the swing and bebop eras. He was noted for his rich, almost operatic bass-baritone voice. In 2019, Eckstine was posthumously ...

, and Sarah Vaughan. In 1940-41 he was the piano player and arranger for the Kansas City band Harlan Leonard and his Rockets. He and lyricist

Carl Sigman Carl Sigman (September 24, 1909 – September 26, 2000) was an American songwriter. Early life Born in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York to a Jewish-American family, Sigman graduated from law school and passed his bar exams to practice in t ...

wrote " If You Could See Me Now" for Sarah Vaughan and it became one of her first signature songs. According to the composer, his greatest influences were

George Gershwin George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned popular, jazz and classical genres. Among his best-known works are the orchestral compositions ' ...

and

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1923 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was ba ...

. In the late 1940s, Dameron wrote arrangements for Gillespie's big band, who gave the première of his large-scale orchestral piece ''Soulphony in Three Hearts'' at Carnegie Hall in 1948. Also in 1948, Dameron led his own group in New York, which included

Fats Navarro Theodore "Fats" Navarro (September 24, 1923 – July 6, 1950) was an American jazz trumpet player. He was a pioneer of the bebop style of jazz improvisation in the 1940s. He had a strong stylistic influence on many other players, including ...

; the following year Dameron was at the Paris Jazz Festival with

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of musi ...

. From 1961 he scored for recordings by

Milt Jackson Milton Jackson (January 1, 1923 – October 9, 1999), nicknamed "Bags", was an American jazz vibraphonist, usually thought of as a bebop player, although he performed in several jazz idioms. He is especially remembered for his cool swinging sol ...

Sonny Stitt Edward Hammond Boatner Jr. (February 2, 1924 – July 22, 1982), known professionally as Sonny Stitt, was an American jazz saxophonist of the bebop/ hard bop idiom. Known for his warm tone, he was one of the best-documented saxophonists of hi ...

, and

Blue Mitchell Richard Allen "Blue" Mitchell (March 13, 1930 – May 21, 1979) was an American trumpeter and composer who worked in jazz, rhythm and blues, soul, rock and funk. He recorded albums as leader and sideman for Riverside, Mainstream Records, and ...

. Dameron also arranged and played for

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a Music genre, genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed p ...

musician

Bull Moose Jackson Benjamin Clarence "Bull Moose" Jackson (April 22, 1919 – July 31, 1989) Allmusic biography Accessed January 2008. was an American blues and rhythm-and-blues singer and saxophonist, who was most successful in the late 1940s. He is considered ...

. Playing for Jackson at that same time was

Benny Golson Benny Golson (born January 25, 1929) is an American bebop/ hard bop jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and arranger. He came to prominence with the big bands of Lionel Hampton and Dizzy Gillespie, more as a writer than a performer, before launc ...

, who was to become a jazz composer in his own right. Golson has said that Dameron was the most important influence on his writing. Dameron composed several bop and swing

standards Standard may refer to: Symbols * Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs * Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification Norms, conventions or requirements * Standard (metrology), an object t ...

, including " Hot House", "If You Could See Me Now", "

Our Delight "Our Delight" is a 1946 jazz standard, composed by Tadd Dameron. It is considered one of his best compositions along with " Good Bait", " Hot House", " If You Could See Me Now", and " Lady Bird". It has an AABA construction. A moderately fast bebo ...

", "

Good Bait "Good Bait" is a jazz composition written by American jazz piano player and composer Tadd Dameron and by band leader Count Basie. It was introduced in 1944 and was popular in the 1940s and 1950s. Form Good Bait uses the changes to "I've Got Rhyth ...

" (composed for

) and " Lady Bird". Dameron's bands from the late 1940s and early 1950s featured leading players such as Fats Navarro, Miles Davis,

Dexter Gordon Dexter Gordon (February 27, 1923 – April 25, 1990) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, bandleader, and actor. He was among the most influential early bebop musicians, which included other greats such as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gi ...

Sonny Rollins Walter Theodore "Sonny" Rollins (born September 7, 1930) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist who is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. In a seven-decade career, he has recorded over sixty albums as ...

Wardell Gray Wardell Gray (February 13, 1921 – May 25, 1955) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist who straddled the swing and bebop periods. Biography Early years Gray was born in Oklahoma City, the youngest of four children. He spent his early chil ...

, and Clifford Brown. In 1956 he led two sessions based on his compositions, released as the 1956 album "

Fontainebleau Fontainebleau (; ) is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southeast of the centre of Paris. Fontainebleau is a sub-prefecture of the Seine-et-Marne department, and it is the seat of the ''arrondissement ...

" and the 1957 album "

Mating Call A mating call is the auditory signal used by animals to attract mates. It can occur in males or females, but literature is abundantly favored toward researching mating calls in females. In addition, mating calls are often the subject of mate choi ...

". The latter featured

John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Born and rai ...

. Dameron developed an addiction to narcotics toward the end of his career. He was arrested on drug charges in 1957 and 1958, and served time (1959–60) in a federal prison hospital in

Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is a city in Kentucky, United States that is the county seat of Fayette County. By population, it is the second-largest city in Kentucky and 57th-largest city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 28th-largest ...

. After his release, Dameron recorded a single notable project as a leader, The Magic Touch, but was sidelined by health problems; he had several

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which m ...

s before dying of cancer in 1965, at the age of 48. He was buried at

Ferncliff Cemetery Ferncliff Cemetery and Mausoleum is located at 280 Secor Road in the hamlet of Hartsdale, town of Greenburgh, Westchester County, New York, United States, about north of Midtown Manhattan. It was founded in 1902, and is non-sectarian. Ferncl ...

Hartsdale, New York Hartsdale is a hamlet located in the town of Greenburgh, Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 5,293 at the 2010 census. It is a suburb of New York City. History Hartsdale, a CDP/hamlet/post-office in the town of Greenb ...

Tributes

* In the 1980s drummer

Philly Joe Jones Joseph Rudolph "Philly Joe" Jones (July 15, 1923 – August 30, 1985) was an American jazz drummer. Biography Early career As a child, Jones appeared as a featured tap dancer on ''The Kiddie Show'' on the Philadelphia radio station WIP. He was ...

and trumpeter

Don Sickler Don Sickler (January 6, 1944) is an American jazz trumpeter, arranger and producer.Dameronia Dameronia was the name of a bebop jazz ensemble founded by Don Sickler * Saxophonist

called him the "romanticist" of the bop movement. * Music critic

Scott Yanow Scott Yanow (born October 4, 1954) is an American jazz reviewer, historian, and author. Allmusic Biography/ref> Biography Yanow was born in New York City and grew up near Los Angeles. Since 1974, he was a regular reviewer of many jazz styles a ...

called Dameron the "definitive arranger/composer of the

bop era Bebop or bop is a style of jazz developed in the early-to-mid-1940s in the United States. The style features compositions characterized by a fast tempo, complex chord progressions with rapid chord changes and numerous changes of key, instrum ...

". * Saxophonist

Joe Lovano Joseph Salvatore Lovano (born December 29, 1952)"Joe Lovano." ''Contemporary Musicians''. Vol. 13. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 1994. Retrieved via ''Biography in Context'' database, May 5, 2017. is an American jazz saxophonist, alto clarin ...

included five Dameron tunes on his 2000 album ''

52nd Street Themes ''52nd Street Themes'' is a studio album by the American jazz saxophonist Joe Lovano. It was recorded in early November 1999 and released by the Blue Note label on April 25, 2000. The album won the Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Albu ...

''. * In 2006, trumpeter Peter Welker released ''Duke, Billy And Tadd'' as a tribute to

Billy Strayhorn William Thomas Strayhorn (November 29, 1915 – May 31, 1967) was an American jazz composer, pianist, lyricist, and arranger, who collaborated with bandleader and composer Duke Ellington for nearly three decades. His compositions include " Tak ...

, and Dameron. * Turkish drummer

Ferit Odman Ferit Odman is a jazz drummer based in Istanbul, Turkey. Education Odman started his music studies in Sweden as an AFS exchange student in 1999, then received a full scholarship to Istanbul Bilgi University in 2001, where he obtained his B.A. ...

released ''Dameronia with Strings'', an album featuring eight Dameron tunes, in 2015. * Trumpeter

Joe Magnarelli Joseph Anthony Magnarelli (born January 19, 1960) is an American jazz trumpeter and flugelhornist. Early life and education Magnarelli was born in Syracuse, New York. He received a bachelor's degree from the State University of New York at Fr ...

's 2019 album ''If You Could See Me Now'' is a tribute to Dameron. * In 2019, singer

Vanessa Rubin Vanessa Rubin (born March 14, 1957) is an American jazz vocalist. Biography Born in Cleveland, Ohio, to parents from Trinidad and Louisiana, Rubin grew up in a musical household. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from Ohio S ...

released an album titled ''The Dream Is You: Vanessa Rubin Sings Tadd Dameron''.

Discography

As leader/co-leader

As sideman

With

* ''John Coltrane Plays for Lovers'' (Prestige, 1966) * ''Trane's Blues'' (Giants of Jazz, 1990) With

* ''At Birdland'' (Durium, 1976) * ''The Early Days Vol. 1'' (Giants of Jazz, 1985) * ''Birdland Days'' (Fresh Sound, 1990) With

* ''New Trends of Jazz Volume 3'' (Savoy, 1952) * ''Long Tall Dexter'' (Savoy, 1976) * ''

Dexter Rides Again ''Dexter Rides Again'' is a 1958 jazz album by saxophonist Dexter Gordon, assembled from his 1940s recording for the Savoy label. Track listing ''Except where otherwise noted, all songs composed by Dexter Gordon.'' #"Dexter's Riff" – 2:43 #"Set ...

'' (Savoy, 1985) With

* ''Memorial Album'' (Blue Note, 1951) * ''New Trends of Jazz Vol. 5'' (Savoy, 1952) * ''Fats-Bud-Klook-Sonny-Kinney'' (Savoy, 1955) * ''Fats Navarro Memorial Theodore "Fats" Navarro 1923–1950 Volume I'' (London, 1956) * ''The Fabulous Fats Navarro Volume 1'' (Blue Note, 1957) * ''The Fabulous Fats Navarro Volume 2'' (Blue Note, 1957) * ''Fats Navarro Featured with the Tadd Dameron Quintet'' (Jazzland, 1961) * ''Fats Navarro Memorial Volume 1'' (CBS, 1964) * ''Prime Source'' (Blue Note, 1975) * ''Fat Girl'' (Savoy, 1977) * ''Featured with the Tadd Dameron Band'' (Milestone, 1977) * ''At Royal Roost Volume 1'' (Jazz View, 1991) * ''Fats Blows 1946–1949'' (Giants of Jazz, 1991) * ''Royal Roost Sessions 1948'' (Fresh Sound, 1991) With

Charlie Parker Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz saxophonist, band leader and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of bebop, a form ...

* ''Bird Lives'' (Continental, 1962) * ''Pensive Bird'' (Ember, 1969) * ''Broadcast Performances Vol. 2'' (ESP Disk, 1973)

References

External links

Tadd Dameron biographical information at the Dameron/Damron Family Association web page.

Jazzbiographies.com.
Interview with Paul Combs, Author of DAMERONIA: THE LIFE AND MUSIC OF TADD DAMERON * http://www.jazzhistorydatabase.com/content/musicians/combs_paul/interview.php {{DEFAULTSORT:Dameron, Tadd 1917 births 1965 deaths African-American jazz pianists American jazz composers American male jazz composers American music arrangers Blue Note Records artists Musicians from Cleveland Jazz arrangers Deaths from cancer in New York (state) 20th-century American composers 20th-century American pianists Burials at Ferncliff Cemetery American male pianists Jazz musicians from Ohio 20th-century American male musicians Dameronia members 20th-century jazz composers 20th-century African-American musicians