Tadd Dameron

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Tadley Ewing Peake (Tadd) Dameron (February 21, 1917 – March 8, 1965) was an American jazz pianist, arranger, and composer. Dexter Gordon called Dameron the "romanticist" of the bop movement.

Early life and musical career

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Dameron was the most influential arranger of the bebop era, but also wrote charts for swing and hard bop players. The bands he arranged for included those of Count Basie, Artie Shaw, Jimmie Lunceford, Dizzy Gillespie, Billy Eckstine, and Sarah Vaughan. He wrote "If You Could See Me Now" for Sarah Vaughan and it became one of her first signature songs.

He also arranged and played for rhythm and blues star Bull Moose Jackson. Also playing for Jackson at the time was Benny Golson, who also was to become a celebrated jazz composer; Golson has said Dameron was the most important influence on his writing. Dameron composed several bop standards, including "Hot House," "Our Delight," "Good Bait," and "Lady Bird."

Discography

• The Dameron Band (Featuring Fats Navarro) - 1948 - Blue Note
• Anthropology - 1949 - Spotlite
• A Study in Dameronia - 1953 - Prestige
• Fontainebleau - 1956 - Prestige
• Mating Call - 1956 - Prestige
• The Magic Touch of Tadd Dameron - 1962 - Riverside

Late career and death

Dameron developed an addiction to narcotics toward the end of his career. He also suffered from cancer and had several heart attacks before he died at the age of 48 of cancer in 1965.

See also

• Jazz
• Bebop music
• Swing music
• rhythm and blues

External links

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

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Last updated on Monday December 31, 2007 at 19:23:34 PST (GMT -0800)
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