Biography
Sonny Berman, sometimes listed under the name Saul Berman, ranks among those gifted jazz trumpeters whose careers ended abruptly because of heroin. Dead at just 22, he left only a handful of recorded solos with Woody Herman that reveal far more than mere promise, plus a lone leader date for the Esoteric label. His professional path began early alongside the exacting ensembles of Louis Prima and Sonny Dunham. Already touring at 16, the brass player brought a warm, centered tone, flawless intonation across the instrument’s range, and a bracing improvisational approach to every bandstand until he found an ideal fit with Herman in 1945.
Along the way Berman also passed through the groups of Georgie Auld, Harry James, and Benny Goodman, the sole leader who dismissed him. No slight is intended, since “bitchy Benny” let many fine musicians go; in this instance, as in others, the firing was engineered by first disabling the lamp above Berman’s music stand so he would appear to falter. While Goodman apparently felt threatened by the younger player’s brilliance, Herman welcomed it as an added spark. During the brief time Berman remained in the Herman fold, his solos were featured to strong effect, notably on the standout “Sidewalks of Cuba.” Certain jazz sources still list the cause of death simply as a heart attack. Subsequent reissues that appeared after Herman’s own passing, among them previously unheard live performances, have substantially broadened the trumpeter’s available discography.
Along the way Berman also passed through the groups of Georgie Auld, Harry James, and Benny Goodman, the sole leader who dismissed him. No slight is intended, since “bitchy Benny” let many fine musicians go; in this instance, as in others, the firing was engineered by first disabling the lamp above Berman’s music stand so he would appear to falter. While Goodman apparently felt threatened by the younger player’s brilliance, Herman welcomed it as an added spark. During the brief time Berman remained in the Herman fold, his solos were featured to strong effect, notably on the standout “Sidewalks of Cuba.” Certain jazz sources still list the cause of death simply as a heart attack. Subsequent reissues that appeared after Herman’s own passing, among them previously unheard live performances, have substantially broadened the trumpeter’s available discography.
Albums
