Teddy Charles

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Teddy Charles
Soul Note, Smalls

Teddy Charles, born Theodore Charles Cohen (April 13, 1928 – April 16, 2012)

drums.[1]

Career

Born Theodore Charles Cohen in

Juilliard School of Music as a percussionist.[1] Later he began to record and made personal appearances as Teddy Cohen with bands[2]
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,

Soul Note
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.[3]

Discography

As leader

As sideman

With Bob Brookmeyer

With Charles Mingus

  • 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 others

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Teddy Charles | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  2. ^ "Teddy Charles : View the Music Artists Biography Online". VH1.com. Archived from the original on October 1, 2007. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  3. ^ Kelly, Tim (17 April 2012). "Jazz great Teddy Charles dead at 84". Suffolktimes.timesreview.com. Retrieved 18 April 2012.

External links