Teddy Charles

Who was Teddy Charles?

Teddy Charles was an influential American jazz musician and composer whose instruments were the vibraphone, piano, and drums.

Born Theodore Charles Cohen in Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts, he studied at the Juilliard School of Music as a percussionist. Later he began to record and made personal appearances as Teddy Cohen with bands as a vibraphonist, writing, arranging and producing records, in 1951 changing his last name to Charles.

Charles was one of many jazz musicians who hung out at an apartment building at 821 Sixth Avenue in New York City known as the Jazz Loft rented by photographer and artist David X. Young, who in turn sublet two apartments to Hall Overton and Dick Cary. Known as an innovator, Charles's main work was recorded in the 1950s, creating some highly influential and sought-after futuristic, polytonal recordings such as "New Directions", "Collaboration: West", "Word from Bird" and "The Teddy Charles Tentet". Charles also did session work with musicians and singers as varied as Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Shelly Manne and Dion. He was also a co-leader of the highly-praised studio group, the Prestige Jazz Quartet. He recorded an album, Live at the Verona Jazz Festival, for the Italian Soul Note label in 1988.