Dave Schildkraut

Dave Schildkraut (January 7, 1925 – January 1, 1998) was an American jazz alto saxophonist.

Biography

Schildkraut first played professionally with Louis Prima in 1941. Following this he played with Buddy Rich (1946), Anita O'Day (1947), Stan Kenton (1953–54), Pete Rugolo (1954), Oscar Pettiford (1954), Miles Davis ("Solar" on: Walkin', Prestige, 1954), George Handy (1955), Tony Aless (1955), Ralph Burns, Tito Puente, Johnny Richards, and Kenton again in 1959. From the 1960s, he played freelance in New York City, where he appeared regularly with Eddie Bert at the West End Cafe. Later in his life he went into semi-retirement.

He recorded only one album as a leader, in 1979. However, the album was released only in 2000 by Endgame Records as Last Date. By this time, Schidkraut's playing style was described as having adjusted from youthful mimicry of Parker to showing influence from the likes of John Coltrane, Warne Marsh and Lee Konitz.

Style

Schildkraut's playing was fluid and brilliant in pure bebop style and was very similar to Charlie Parker's alto saxophone style: so much so that, bassist Charles Mingus misidentified him as the iconic Charlie Parker during a "blindfold test" with jazz writer Leonard Feather that was published in Down Beat.

Discography

As leader

• 'Last Date (Endgame Records, [1979] 2000)

With Miles Davis

• Blue Haze (Prestige, 1954)
• Walkin' (Prestige, 1957)

With Stan Kenton

• Kenton Showcase (Capitol, 1954)
• The Kenton Era (Capitol, 1940–54, [1955])

With Oscar Pettiford

• Basically Duke (Bethlehem, 1954)

With Ralph Burns

• Jazz Studio 5 (Bethlehem, 1954)

With Pete Rugolo

• Rugolomania (Columbia, 1955)
• New Sounds by Pete Rugolo (Harmony, 1954–55, [1957])