Chiefy Salaam

[Mark Stryker]

Yesterday I bought Osie Johnson's "Swingin' Sounds" (Jazztone). 1955, A beautiful, swinging record. Mid-sized ensembles, lots of Basie guys, great early Thad Jones and Frank Wess (flute). One mystery: A trumpet player is listed as "Chiefy Salaam." Doesn't solo. (That name also appears in the personnel of the Blakey big band side on Bethlehem.) Anybody know anything about Mr. Salaam? Is that a pseudonym? An adopted Muslim name?

Appreciate any info ...

[JSngry]

Real guy, apparently, played on the Blakey Bethlehem big band album, and can be found getting copyist credits in years past that, this when being a copyist could bring a good living.

[Mark Stryker]

Thanks.

[ladenso1]

I've just delved into Swingin' Sounds.  Checking out Chiefy Salaam on Google, I find that he's mentioned on page 185 of Gitler's _Swing to Bop_. 

It's a little hard to follow Earl Coleman but as I best I can parse him he says that Salaam was in Benny Carter's band in California around 1944-45.

Very cryptic mention but it's worth revisiting those pages--if you have the book; page 186 is not on Google books--to read what Coleman and Art Pepper had to say about Freddie Webster, who was also in that band.

Mark, thanks for the reminder of Sonny Stitt's birthday today.