During the 1930s tenor saxophonist Chu Berry was one of the men who was making the instrument an important voice in jazz along with Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young. Although it would not be released for another three years, on August 28, 1941 Berry was in the studio recording Mondays at Minton's for Commodore Records in New York.

Born in West Virginia in 1908, Berry attended West Virginia State College and originally was an alto saxophonist. He switched to tenor after hearing Hawkins play in person. Chu Berry, whose given name was Leon, spent most of his career playing in big bands during the swing era. Those included groups led by Benny Carter, Teddy Hill, Fletcher Henderson and Cab Calloway. He did, however, play as a sideman as well, on records by Mildred Bailey, Teddy Wilson, Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith and Lionel Hampton.

Chu Berry is the composer of the 1936 Fletcher Henderson hit Christopher Columbus, which was also used by Jimmy Mundy as part of his Sing, Sing, Sing arrangement for the Benny Goodman Orchestra. Berry was a regular participant in the jam sessions at Minton’s Playhouse in Harlem where the elements of be-bop were being developed in the early 1940s.

Mondays at Minton's is on the flip side of Blowin’ Up a Breeze and features “Hot Lips” Page on trumpet, Clyde Hart at the piano, Al Morgan playing bass, guitarist Al Casey and Harry Jaeger on drums along with Berry. Chu Berry died in an Ohio car accident less than two months after the recording was made. Charlie Parker named his first son Leon in honor of Berry.

Here is a link to the August 28, 1941 recording made by Chu Berry and his Jazz Ensemble:

"MONDAY AT MINTON'S"