Blue Serge

{{Music ratings

| MC =

| rev1 =All Music Guide to Jazz

| rev1Score =(favorable)

| rev2 =Penguin Guide to Jazz

| rev2Score ={{Rating|4|4}}
(Core Collection)

| rev3 =Allmusic.com

| rev3Score ={{Rating|4|5}}

|rev4 = The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide

| rev4Score = {{rating|5|5}}{{Cite book

|editor-last=Swenson

|editor-first=J.

| year = 1985

| title = The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide

| publisher = Random House/Rolling Stone

| location = USA

| isbn = 0-394-72643-X

| pages = 40

}}

}}

David Szatmary, writing for All Music Guide to Jazz, described Blue Serge as "[a]n indispensable session by one of the great underrated baritone sax players...."

Richard Cook and Brian Morton of The Penguin Guide to Jazz wrote, "Chaloff's masterpiece is both vigorous and moving, not for the knowledge that he was so near his own death but for the unsentimental rigour of the playing. 'Thanks for the Memory' is overpoweringly beautiful as Chaloff creates a series of melodic variations which match the improviser's ideal of fashioning an entirely new song. 'Stairway to the Stars' is almost as fine, and the thoughtful 'The Goof and I' and 'Susie's Blues' show that Chaloff still had plenty of ideas about what could be done with a bebopper's basic materials. This important session has retained all its power." The Penguin Guide includes both Blue Serge and the Definitive Records pairing of Blue Serge with Boston Blow–Up! as part of its suggested "Core Collection," and gives both releases a four-star rating (of a possible four).

Scott Yanow, writing for Allmusic.com, described Blue Serge as Chaloff's best recording, noting that the saxophonist had already contracted spinal paralysis. But Chaloff's biographer records that he was seemingly healthy until the following May, when he was struck down by back and abdominal pains - the first symptoms of his cancer Vladimir Simosko, Serge Chaloff: A Musical Biography and Discography, Scarecrow Press, 1998 p93

{{Track listing

| collapsed =

| headline =

| extra_column =

| total_length =

| all_writing =

| all_lyrics =

| all_music =

| title1 = A Handful of Stars

| writer1 = Lawrence, Shapiro

| length1 = 5:33

| title2 = The Goof and I

| writer2 = Cohn

| length2 = 4:45

| title3 = Thanks for the Memory

| writer3 = Rainger, Robin

| length3 = 3:46

| title4 = All the Things You Are

| writer4 = Hammerstein, Kern

| length4 = 5:24

| title5 = I've Got the World on a String

| writer5 = Arlen, Koehler

| length5 = 6:44

| title6 = Susie's Blues

| writer6 = Chaloff

| length6 = 5:08

| title7 = Stairway to the Stars

| writer7 = Malneck, Parish, Signorelli

| length7 = 4:50

| title8 = How About You?

| writer8 = Freed, Heusen, Lane

| length8 = 5:23

}}

• Serge Chaloff – baritone saxophone
• Sonny Clark – piano
• Philly Joe Jones – drums
• Leroy Vinnegar – bass

In 2004, Definitive Records released Blue Serge and Boston Blow Up! together on a single CD, which presented the tracks in reverse chronological order of recording.

{{Refbegin}}

{{Reflist|refs=

• {{Citation | last =Szatmary | first =David | author-link =David Szatmary | editor =Ron Wynn | editor-link =Ron Wynn | others =M. Erlewine, V. Bogdanov | year =1994 | title =All Music Guide to Jazz | place =San Francisco | publisher =Miller Freeman | page =[https://archive.org/details/allmusicguidetoj00wynn/page/144 144] | isbn =0-87930-308-5 }}
• {{cite book|last = Cook|first = Richard|author-link = Richard Cook (journalist)|author2=Brian Morton |author-link2=Brian Morton (Scottish writer) |title = The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings|orig-year = 1992|edition = 9th|series = The Penguin Guide to Jazz|year = 2008|publisher = Penguin|location = New York|isbn = 978-0-14-103401-0|pages = 239–240}}
• {{cite web |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r702841|pure_url=yes}} |title=Blue Serge/Boston Blow Up: Review |last=Jurek | first=Thom |work=allmusic |publisher=Rovi Corp. |accessdate=August 23, 2010}}
• {{cite web |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r136504|pure_url=yes}} |title=Blue Serge: Review |last=Yanow| first=Scott|author-link=Scott Yanow|work=allmusic |publisher=Rovi Corp. |accessdate=August 23, 2010}}

}}

• {{cite AV media notes| title = Blue Serge/Boston Blow Up!| others = Serge Chaloff| chapter = Swing Low Sweet Baritone| first = Eric| last = Mills| type = CD booklet| publisher = Definitive Records| id = DRCD11261| location = Andorra}}

{{Refend}}

{{Sonny Clark}}

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Category:Serge Chaloff albums

Category:1956 albums

Category:Capitol Records albums

Category:Blue Note Records albums