Charles James Shavers was born on August 3, 1920, and died on July 8, 1971. He was an American jazz trumpeter who performed with famous musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie, Nat King Cole, Roy Eldridge, Johnny Dodds, Jimmie Noone, Sidney Bechet, Midge Williams, Tommy Dorsey, and Billie Holiday. In addition to playing music, he worked as an arranger and composer. One of his songs, "Undecided," is considered a classic in jazz music.
Career
Charlie Shavers was born in New York City. His father was a relative of Fats Navarro and came from the Shavers family of Key West, Florida. Charlie was a cousin of Earnie Shavers, a famous heavyweight boxer. He began playing piano and banjo as a young musician before switching to the trumpet.
In the mid-1930s, he performed with musicians Tiny Bradshaw and Lucky Millinder. In 1935, he played the trumpet in Frankie Fairfax's Campus Club Orchestra alongside Dizzy Gillespie and Carl (Bama) Warwick. In 1936, at the age of 16, he joined John Kirby's Sextet as a trumpet soloist and arranger. To avoid breaking child labor laws, he listed his birth year as 1917, though he was actually born later. Many biographies still record this incorrect date.
Charlie's musical arrangements and trumpet solos helped make his band one of the most popular and widely copied groups of that time. In 1937, he performed with Midge Williams and her Jazz Jesters. In 1944, he began working on recordings for Raymond Scott's CBS staff orchestra. In 1945, he left John Kirby's band to join Tommy Dorsey's Orchestra. He toured and recorded with Dorsey's group until Dorsey's death in 1956. In 1949, he sang and played the hit song "The Hucklebuck" with the Dorsey Orchestra. He appeared on many CBS "Stage Show" telecasts, including early performances by Elvis Presley. During this time, he continued working at CBS, performed with the Metronome All-Stars, and recorded as a trumpet soloist with Billie Holiday.
From 1953 to 1954, he worked with Benny Goodman and toured Europe with Norman Granz's Jazz at the Philharmonic series. He later formed his own band with Terry Gibbs and Louie Bellson.
Charlie Shavers died in New York City in 1971 at the age of 50 from throat cancer. His friend Louis Armstrong died while Charlie was near the end of his life. Armstrong's final wish was for his trumpet mouthpiece to be buried with him.
Discography
- Horn o' Plenty (Bethlehem, 1954)
- Gershwin, Shavers and Strings (Bethlehem, 1954)
- The Most Intimate (Bethlehem, 1955)
- The Complete Charlie Shavers with Maxine Sullivan (Bethlehem, 1957)
- Trumpets All Out with Art Farmer, Ernie Royal, Emmet Baker, Harold Baker (Savoy, 1957)
- Hawk Eyes with Coleman Hawkins, Tiny Grimes (Prestige, 1959)
- Blue Stompin' with Hal Singer (Prestige, 1959)
- Charlie Digs Paree (MGM, 1959)
- Girl Of My Dreams (Everest, 1960) later released again on Everest as Out Of Nowhere
- Like Charlie (Everest, 1960)
- Here Comes Charlie (Everest, 1961)
- The Music from Milk and Honey with Wild Bill Davis (Everest, 1961)
- Excitement Unlimited (Capitol, 1963)
- At Le Crazy Horse Saloon in Paris (Everest, 1964)
- Kicks! with Nat King Cole, Buddy Rich (Fontana, 1966)
- Paris Jazz (Sunset, 1967) a collection of songs from his Girl Of My Dreams and At Le Crazy Horse Saloon in Paris albums
- The Last Session (Black & Blue, 1970)
- Trumpet Man (Phoenix Jazz, 1978)
- Live at the London House (Hep, 1980)
- Jazz at the Philharmonic: The Trumpet Battle 1952 (Verve, 1983)
- A Man and His Music (Storyville, 1985)
- Live from Chicago (Spotlite, 1985)