Teddy Charles (April 13, 1928 – April 16, 2012) 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 ...

musician and composer, whose instruments were the

vibraphone The vibraphone is a percussion instrument in the metallophone family. It consists of tuned metal bars and is typically played by using mallets to strike the bars. A person who plays the vibraphone is called a ''vibraphonist,'' ''vibraharpist, ...

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a musica ...

, and

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair of matching drumsticks ...

Career

Born Theodore Charles Cohen in Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts, United States, he studied at the

Juilliard School of Music The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most e ...

as a percussionist. Later he began to record and made personal appearances as Teddy Cohen with bands as a vibraphonist, writing, arranging, and producing records. In 1951, he changed his last name to Charles. Charles was one of many jazz musicians who hung out at an apartment building at 821 Sixth Avenue, in New York City, known as the Jazz Loft rented by photographer and artist David X. Young, who in turn sublet two apartments to Hall Overton (Charles's mentor) and Dick Cary. Known as an innovator, Charles's main work was recorded in the 1950s, with polytonal albums such as ''New Directions'', ''Collaboration: West'', ''

Word from Bird ''Word from Bird'' is an album by American jazz vibraphonist Teddy Charles released on the Atlantic label in 1957.Cohen, N.The Teddy Charles Discographyaccessed September 8, 2015 Reception Allmusic calls the album "enjoyable". Track listing ' ...

'', and '' The Teddy Charles Tentet''. He was a

studio musician Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a ...

for

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 ...

Charles Mingus Charles Mingus Jr. (April 22, 1922 – January 5, 1979) was an American jazz upright bassist, pianist, composer, bandleader, and author. A major proponent of collective improvisation, he is considered to be one of the greatest jazz musicians an ...

, Shelly Manne, and Dion. From the mid-1950s onwards, Charles worked primarily as a record producer. He was also a co-leader of the Prestige Jazz Quartet. He recorded an album, ''Live at the Verona Jazz Festival'', for

Soul Note Black Saint and Soul Note are two affiliated Italian independent record labels. Since their conception in the 1970s, they have released albums from a variety of influential jazz musicians, particularly in the genre of free jazz. History Black S ...

in 1988. Charles was captain of the 1906 wooden schooner ''Mary E'' he purchased in 1973 and restored, and later captained the boat ''Pilgrim'' out of Greenport, New York (on the North Fork of Long Island) and performed music locally. In his last years, he began performing again after spending some years at sea. His last recording was the 2011 collaboration with Wily Bo Walker and Danny Flam featuring the song " You Don't Know What Love Is". He died of heart failure in 2012, aged 84.

Discography

As leader

* ''Adventures in California'' (Fresh Sound Records, 1953) * ''New Directions'' (Prestige, 1954) * '' The Teddy Charles Tentet'' (Atlantic, 1956) * ''

Collaboration West ''Collaboration West'' is an album by jazz vibraphonist and pianist Teddy Charles recorded in 1953 for the Prestige label.Cohen, NTeddy Charles Discography, accessed July 25, 2013 Four tracks from an earlier session were added to the 1993 CD rele ...

'' (Prestige, 1956) * '' The Teddy Charles Tentet'' (Atlantic 1229, 1956) * ''3 for Duke'' (Jubilee, 1957) * '' The Prestige Jazz Quartet'' (Prestige, 1957) * ''

'' (Atlantic, 1957) * ''

Evolution Evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. These characteristics are the expressions of genes, which are passed on from parent to offspring during reproduction. Variation ...

'' (Prestige, 1957) * ''Vibe-Rant'' (Elektra, 1957) * ''

Coolin' ''Coolin is an album by the Prestige All Stars nominally led by vibraphonist Teddy Charles recorded in 1957 and released on the Prestige label.Cohan, N.Teddy Charles discography accessed March 30, 2015 Reception Allmusic reviewed the album stati ...

'' (New Jazz, 1959) * ''Salute to Hamp'' (Bethlehem, 1959) * '' Jazz in the Garden at the Museum of Modern Art'' (Warwick, 1960) * ''On Campus: Ivy League Jazz Concert'' (Bethlehem, 1960) * ''Russia Goes Jazz'' (United Artists, 1964) * ''Live at the Verona Jazz Festival 1988'' (Soul Note, 1989) * ''Dances with Bulls'' (Smalls, 2008)

As sideman

With

* ''East Coasting'' (Bethlehem, 1957) * ''Town Hall Concert'' (United Artists, 1962) * ''Nostalgia in Times Square/The Immortal 1959 Sessions'' (Columbia, 1979) * ''Mingus Dynasty'' (Columbia, 1960) With

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the "Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...

* '' Unforgettable: A Tribute to Dinah Washington'' (Columbia Records, 1964) With others *

Australian Jazz Quintet The Australian Jazz Quartet (AJQ), also known as the Australian Jazz Quintet, was a jazz group active in the 1950s, best known for collaborations with Dave Brubeck, Gerry Mulligan and Carmen McRae. Biography The group was formed in 1953 by thr ...

, ''Modern Jazz Performance of Kurt Weill's Three Penny Opera'' (Bethlehem, 1958) *

Bob Brookmeyer Robert Edward "Bob" Brookmeyer (December 19, 1929 – December 15, 2011) was an American jazz valve trombonist, pianist, arranger, and composer. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Brookmeyer first gained widespread public attention as a member of ...

, '' The Dual Role of Bob Brookmeyer'' (Prestige, 1956) * Bob Brookmeyer, ''Street Swingers'' (World Pacific, 1958) *

Donald Byrd Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II (December 9, 1932 – February 4, 2013) was an American jazz and rhythm & blues trumpeter and vocalist. A sideman for many other jazz musicians of his generation, Byrd was one of the few hard bop m ...

Pepper Adams Park Frederick "Pepper" Adams III (October 8, 1930 – September 10, 1986) was an American jazz baritone saxophonist and composer. He composed 42 pieces, was the leader on eighteen albums spanning 28 years, and participated in 600 sessions as a si ...

, ''Out of This World'' (Warwick, 1961) *

, ''

Blue Moods ''Blue Moods'' is the second studio album by Miles Davis, released on Charles Mingus' Debut Records label in late 1955. It brings Miles Davis on trumpet together with Charles Mingus on bass, trombonist Britt Woodman, vibraphonist Teddy Charles, ...

'' (Debut, 1955) * Rusty Dedrick, ''A Jazz Journey'' (Monmouth, 1965) *

Curtis Fuller Curtis DuBois Fuller (December 15, 1932May 8, 2021) was an American jazz Trombone, trombonist. He was a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and contributed to many classic jazz recordings. Early life Fuller was born in Detroit on December ...

& Hampton Hawes, ''Curtis Fuller and Hampton Hawes with French Horns'' (Status, 1965) * Wardell Gray, ''Memorial Volume One'' (Prestige, 1955) *

Thad Jones Thaddeus Joseph Jones (March 28, 1923 – August 20, 1986) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader who has been called "one of the all-time greatest jazz trumpet soloists". Biography Thad Jones was born in Pontiac, Michigan, ...

, ''

Olio Olio may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Olio (musical number), a short dance or song performed as an encore to a theatrical play * Olio drop, a kind of theater curtain * ''Olio'' (Mina album), 1999 * ''Olio'' (Thad Jones album), album rele ...

'' (Prestige, 1957) * Lee Konitz, ''Ezz-thetic'' (New Jazz, 1964) * Eric Kloss, '' Grits & Gravy'' (Prestige, 1967) *

Alonzo Levister Alonzo Hamilton Levister (November 1, 1925 in Greenwich, Connecticut – December 6, 2016 in Alcobaça) was an American third stream composer, arranger, music producer and jazz pianist, the son of a Greenwich, Connecticut, and New York City cook f ...

, ''Manhattan Monodrama'' (Debut, 1957) *

Teo Macero Attilio Joseph "Teo" Macero (October 30, 1925 – February 19, 2008) was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and record producer. He was a producer at Columbia Records for twenty years. Macero produced Miles Davis' '' Bitches Brew'', and ...

, '' Teo'' (Prestige, 1957) *

Mary Ann McCall Mary Ann McCall (May 4, 1919 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States – December 14, 1994 in Los Angeles, California) was an American pop and jazz singer. Aside from solo work, she sang for Charlie Barnet, Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw and Woody ...

, ''Detour to the Moon'' (Jubilee, 1958) * Gil Melle, ''Gil's Guests'' (Prestige, 1956) * Metronome All-Stars, '' Metronome All-Stars 1956'' (Clef, 1956) * Gunther Schuller & George Russell, ''Modern Jazz Concert'' (Columbia, 1958) * Harold Vick, ''Watch What Happens'' (RCA Victor, 1968)

References

External links

Official Teddy Charles site. Book musical gigs and sailing cruises.Teddy Charles discographyCompositions of Teddy CharlesTeddy Charles articleCap'n Ted on the Mary E
{{DEFAULTSORT:Charles, Teddy Jewish American jazz composers American jazz pianists American male pianists American jazz vibraphonists Cool jazz pianists 1928 births 2012 deaths Jazz musicians from New York (state) Musicians from New York City Jazz musicians from Massachusetts People from Chicopee, Massachusetts Prestige Records artists Savoy Records artists Jewish American musicians Jewish jazz musicians 20th-century American pianists 20th-century American composers American male jazz composers American jazz composers 20th-century American male musicians 20th-century jazz composers 21st-century American Jews Jazz vibraphonists