Robert Roland Chudnick (September 27, 1927 – May 27, 1994), who was known as Red Rodney, was an American jazz trumpeter.
Biography
He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At age 15, he became a professional musician. In the mid-1940s, he worked with the big bands of Jerry Wald, Jimmy Dorsey, Georgie Auld, Elliot Lawrence, Benny Goodman, and Les Brown. He was inspired by listening to Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker to change his playing style to bebop. He later played with Claude Thornhill, Gene Krupa, and Woody Herman. He was Jewish.
In 1949, he joined Charlie Parker's quintet and stayed with the group until 1951. As the only white member, he was sometimes called "Albino Red" when performing in the southern United States. This was a trick to avoid problems with mixed-race music groups. During this time, he recorded many songs.
In the 1950s, he led his own band in Philadelphia and recorded music with Ira Sullivan. He became addicted to heroin and often stopped and started his music career. Once, he dressed as a U.S. Army money officer named General Arnold T. MacIntyre, who looked like him. Using this disguise, he stole $10,000 from the Atomic Energy Commission. He was later caught and sent to jail.
In 1969, Rodney played in Las Vegas with Bill Harris, a trombonist who also worked with Woody Herman. They were part of the Flamingo casino's house band, led by Russ Black. He continued this type of work until 1972.
In the early 197
Discography
- Modern Music from Chicago (Fantasy, 1956)
- Red Rodney: 1957 (Savoy, 1957)
- Red Rodney Returns (Argo, 1959)
- Broadway (Status, 1965)
- Bird Lives! (Muse, 1974)
- Superbop (Muse, 1974)
- Red Rodney with the Bebop Preservation Society (Spotlite, 1975)
- The Red Tornado (Muse, 1976)
- Yard's Pad (Sonet, 1976)
- Red, White and Blues (Muse, 1978)
- Home Free (Muse, 1979)
- Live at the Village Vanguard (Muse, 1980)
- Night and Day (Muse, 1981)
- Spirit Within with Ira Sullivan (Elektra Musician, 1982)
- The 3R's Richie Cole and Ricky Ford (Muse, 1982)
- Sprint (Elektra Musician, 1983)
- Hi Jinx at the Vanguard (Muse, 1984)
- Social Call with Charlie Rouse (Uptown, 1984)
- Alive in New York (Muse, 1986)
- Red Giant (SteepleChase, 1988)
- Red Snapper (SteepleChase, 1988)
- Red Giant (SteepleChase, 1988)
- No Turn on Red (Denon, 1989)
- Code Red (Continuum, 1989)
- Then and Now (Chesky, 1992)
- Dizzy Gillespie, To Diz with Love (Telarc, 1992)
- Woody Herman, The Fourth Herd (Jazzland, 1960)
- Clifford Jordan, Dr. Chicago (Bee Hive, 1985)
- Lee Konitz, Live at Laren (Soul Note, 1984)
- Gene Krupa, Gene Krupa's Sidekicks (Columbia, 1955)
- Elliot Lawrence, The Uncollected Elliot Lawrence and His Orchestra 1946 (Hindsight, 1982)
- Charlie Parker, Bird at St. Nick's (Jazz Workshop, 1957)
- Charlie Parker, Swedish Schnapps (Verve, 1958)
- Ali Ryerson, Blue Flute (Red Baron, 1992)
- Ira Sullivan, Ira Sullivan Does It All (Muse, 1983)
- Bob Thiele, Louis Satchmo (Red Baron, 1992)
- Claude Thornhill, The Uncollected Claude Thornhill and His Orchestra (Hindsight, 1977)