Biography
If the bass anchors an ensemble, jazz veteran Chester Zardis embodied that role through both physique and outlook. Short and solidly built, he earned the nickname “Little Bear” from bandleader Fats Pichon during their 1930s engagements aboard the riverboat S.S. Capital, which plied the route between New Orleans and St. Louis. Zardis held that a bassist’s responsibility was to sustain steady time without drawing attention, much as a skilled pilot steers a vessel true. He fulfilled that obligation across seven decades in the profession.
Arriving at the opening of the twentieth century, Zardis grew up in New Orleans at a time when pursuing music carried little social standing. Although drawn to the instrument early, he faced opposition from his mother and slipped away for private string-bass instruction with Billy Marerro, leader of the celebrated Superior Orchestra. Yet it was a theater brawl, not music, that first derailed him, landing the youngster at the Jones Waif Home, where he shared bandstands with fellow resident Louis Armstrong.
At sixteen Zardis entered the employ of the colorful cornetist Buddy Petit, whose personal conduct raised eyebrows. Discovery by his mother only intensified the conflict, but he continued performing nonetheless. In clubs he played string bass; on the streets he carried the bass line on tuba with brass bands. His early associates included Kid Rena, Piron’s New Orleans Orchestra, Punch Miller, Kid Howard, Jack Carey, Fate Marable, Duke Dejan’s Dixie Rhythm Band, a return engagement with Petit, and, farther afield, the Count Basie Band in New York.
His initial recording sessions took place in the 1930s alongside Bunk Johnson and George Lewis. Steady work through that decade was interrupted by Army service in World War II, after which he briefly served as a sheriff in the West before returning to New Orleans and joining Andy Anderson.
In 1954 Zardis stepped away from music, only to reappear ten years later at Preservation Hall alongside longtime colleagues George Lewis and Percy Humphrey. That reentry launched an active final phase that extended until his death in 1990 at age ninety, encompassing club dates, festival appearances, and tours across the country and abroad.
His singular approach and eventful history made him a frequent subject for filmmakers; three documentaries resulted—Liberty Street Blues, Chester Zardis: Spirit of New Orleans, and Three Men of Jazz. A traditionalist, Zardis extracted remarkable volume from the string bass through plucking and slapping techniques. His work can be heard on the New Orleans Footwarmers and Spirit of New Orleans albums as well as on sessions by Percy Humphrey’s Hot Six, the Jazz Fest Masters, and the George Lewis Echoes of New Orleans series. No one quite like Chester Zardis has appeared since.
Arriving at the opening of the twentieth century, Zardis grew up in New Orleans at a time when pursuing music carried little social standing. Although drawn to the instrument early, he faced opposition from his mother and slipped away for private string-bass instruction with Billy Marerro, leader of the celebrated Superior Orchestra. Yet it was a theater brawl, not music, that first derailed him, landing the youngster at the Jones Waif Home, where he shared bandstands with fellow resident Louis Armstrong.
At sixteen Zardis entered the employ of the colorful cornetist Buddy Petit, whose personal conduct raised eyebrows. Discovery by his mother only intensified the conflict, but he continued performing nonetheless. In clubs he played string bass; on the streets he carried the bass line on tuba with brass bands. His early associates included Kid Rena, Piron’s New Orleans Orchestra, Punch Miller, Kid Howard, Jack Carey, Fate Marable, Duke Dejan’s Dixie Rhythm Band, a return engagement with Petit, and, farther afield, the Count Basie Band in New York.
His initial recording sessions took place in the 1930s alongside Bunk Johnson and George Lewis. Steady work through that decade was interrupted by Army service in World War II, after which he briefly served as a sheriff in the West before returning to New Orleans and joining Andy Anderson.
In 1954 Zardis stepped away from music, only to reappear ten years later at Preservation Hall alongside longtime colleagues George Lewis and Percy Humphrey. That reentry launched an active final phase that extended until his death in 1990 at age ninety, encompassing club dates, festival appearances, and tours across the country and abroad.
His singular approach and eventful history made him a frequent subject for filmmakers; three documentaries resulted—Liberty Street Blues, Chester Zardis: Spirit of New Orleans, and Three Men of Jazz. A traditionalist, Zardis extracted remarkable volume from the string bass through plucking and slapping techniques. His work can be heard on the New Orleans Footwarmers and Spirit of New Orleans albums as well as on sessions by Percy Humphrey’s Hot Six, the Jazz Fest Masters, and the George Lewis Echoes of New Orleans series. No one quite like Chester Zardis has appeared since.
Albums