Charlie Alexander

Louis Armstrong was this classic jazz pianist's most famous boss. During Alexander's stint as a member of the Armstrong big band in the early '30s, big boss Satchmo used to like to jokingly introduce his keyboard man as being from New Orleans. Actually Alexander hailed from Cincinatti, where he came up playing professionally in theatre orchestras in the early '20s. He headed off to Chicago, where he began working in the group of J. Rosamund Johnson, once again exclusively playing on the theatre circuit. When he finally got off the road with this crew, it was back to Chicago and jazz in earnest. Players with the surname of Dodds seemed to like Alexander, or perhaps came across his name first in an alphabetical list from the Musician's Union. At any rate he gigged with both drummer Baby Dodds and the fine clarinetist Johnny Dodds. In 1928 he was member of the Johnny Dodds Trio with bassist Bill Johnson. He was part of the musical cast of the Johnny Dodds Washboard Band, which also featured Baby Dodds on drums as well as vocalist Lil Armstrong. A long residency followed at the Bert Kelly's Stables venue on Chicago's north side, a job that was excellent enough for the pianist to ward off all other offers, that is until Armstrong came along with his new big band. Alexander played piano in the latter ensemble until the leader decided to go back to a smaller working group in 1932. One of Alexander's finest recording sessions with Armstrong was the wonderful Fats Waller tribute entitled Satch Plays Fats. Alexander eventually returned to the Windy City, where he remained until moving to California. ~ Eugene Chadbourne