A native of Lancaster, Ohio, “Chuz” (for Charles) Alfred (1932-2018) came of a musical family. His father played piano and headed what was known as “The Alfred Melody Syncopators”, an outfit of local renown. Chuz’s sister, Sue or “Suz”, played sax while in high school. A young er brother, Mithoff, known as “Punk”, blew on trombone.

Chuz became interested in music around sixth grade, when he began studying the clarinet. Throughout his four years in high school, he played in the concert band, the marching band and the school orchestra. When he cut classes, he was only at Dick Trimble’s House of Music, downtown, talking music or listening to the latest records. After school, he played with Trimble’s orchestra as well as with “The Rhythm Six,” an amateur group Chuz organized to play banquets and club meetings. “Wehad a swell crew. There was Benny Smith on piano; Bud Wolford, bass; Dick Household er, trombo ne; Charlie Timberlake, Jr. sax; myself, clarinet; and Dick Campbell on drums.”

When he left Lancaster High, he began playing the alto saxophone after hearing “Bird”. Following his graduation in 1952, Chuz attended Miami University. Chuz felt like he really got started in music the night he walked into Stone’s Grill, N. Columbus St., which had always enjoyed a prominent position as one of Lancaster’s favorite nightspots. He had just failed his army physical (“I was told I had a severe case of bilateral myopia, which is just nearsightedness”) and, a little depressed about it, had gone to a movie. After the show, as he passed Stone’s, he noticed the photo of his friend Chet Johnson in the window. “We used to jam together when I was in college, so I decided to go in any say hello,” Chuz said. “He said for me to go home and get my horn and jam with him. We started jamming and the manager, Joe Shaeffer at the time, liked the way I played alto and clarinet. He asked me to join the group. I did and that’s the way things got their start.”

Two years later, while studying at Ohio State University in August 1954, he organized his first professional group, called the Chuz Alfred Quartet. Even though he always considered himself a jazz man, because of the greater demand for the tenor sax in club work, he switched to tenor, and roughly seventy-five percent of his repertoire was in the Rhythm and Blues and rock ‘n’ roll field. The group was made up of Chuz on tenor and clarinet; Chuck Lee, on piano; Dick Turner, on bass; Charles Crosby, drums and a female vocalist by the name of Jo Hann Baker. They made their debut at Stone’s Grill, where they played every night from 9:30 p.m. until 2 a.m. for over three months and for the enjoyment of the audience. Alfred’s quartet became the talk of the town, and the central Ohio jazz fans were fast making the popular Lancaster spot their mecca.

In September, a new vocalist, Sandy, replaced Jo Hann, and bassist Wilson McKindra replaced Turner. Their long and successful stint at Stone’s club lasted until November 6th. The quartet had become one of the most popular groups to ever play in Lancaster, and one night Ozzie Cadena, owner and A&R of Savoy Records, happened to hear them. Cadena fell in love with the group, and as a consequence, the Chuz Alfred Combo (as advertised) ended up recording two singles for Savoy in March of 1955. “Buckeye Bounce” backed by “Caravan” on the first, and “Rock Along” backed by “Rockin’ Boy” in the second.

In spring, right after drummer Johnny Jay replaced McKindra, they went on a successful promotional tour of his first single through the Eastern United States and Canada. Upon their return to Lancaster in early June, they were engaged four nights from Wednesday to Saturday at the Colonial Inn supper club. They also made an appearance on June 10th at the Crystal Ballroom, in Buckeye Lake Park, followed from June 12, by an engagement of nightly through Sunday performances at Newark’s Moonlight Gardens club, at 1007 Hollander St.

In early July 1955, drummer Jim Kirwan replaced Johnny Jay, and with the addition of bassist Paul Holt, they became the Chuz Alfred Quintet and continued to perform at Moonlight Gardens.

In September, after the quintet played the Oakhurst club in Somerset, Pennsylvania, Chuz traveled to Newark, New Jersey, to the Savoy offices to collect royalties from sales of the first single. During his meeting with Ozzie Cadena, Chuz told him that the group preferred to play jazz and invited him to listen to the quintet in a studio which Chuz had rented for rehearsal. Ozzie showed up unexpectedly at the end of a late-night rehearsal, but when he left, he did so without saying a word. Chuz thought they had blown his chance, but the next day Ozzie called him to tell that he had booked time at the Van Gelder studio to
record an LP.

Drummer Jim Kirwan who hailed from Lakewood near Cleveland, and bassist Paul Holt, whose home was Columbus, Ohio, were newcomers to the group when Savoy asked Chuz to make the album. Paul and Jim sat it out, figuring they’d better get more experience. Cadena replaced them with two masters of their instruments, bassist Vinnie Burke, and drummer Kenny Clarke. In September 27, 1955, the revamped Chuz Alfred Quintet recorded in one session a long-playing jazz album to be released later in the year.

Meanwhile, the Saturday night of October 9, Chuz’s combo gave a premiere of his second single before their release to the public at Lancaster’s Rollarena.

In January 1956, while the Chuz Alfred Quintet was playing to overflowing crowds at Kitty’s Show Bar on Columbus, Savoy released the quintet album with the title “Jazz Young Blood.” Chuz explained: “We cut it, I guess it must be five months or so ago, when they asked us; and they said it’d be out around Christmas or the first of the year. We were beginning to worry because everyone was a little nervous during the session. That’s only natural, but we thought maybe the album didn’t turn out good enough for a release.” The quintet’s engagement at Kitty’s continued for several more weeks with a packed house: “It’s been like this practically every night. Customers come even on Monday. Buddy Stevens, the manager, said he’s never seen this many here on Monday nights.” Jazz for Listening, was the principal attraction. The young people who came to Kitty’s from the city college campuses didn’t want to get on the dance floor so much as they wanted to just sit and listen. The players also preferred it that way.

The Quintet traveled around the country playing as an instrumental and singing group who patterned themselves somewhat after the Four Freshmen, and they made successful appearances in Kansas City, Pennsylvania. From there they went to Baltimore Maryland, and then on to Detroit’s Crest Lounge.

In June 1957, after the quintet returned from Colorado, they played at the Moonlight Gardens, with Johnny Lee, drums and Bob Elliott , piano and trombonium, as the new members, along with Ola Hanson and Paul Holt.

In 1959, Chuz went back to the Quartet line-up, and in the years that followed he continued playing in the Ohio area, before becoming a record producer. He died in Columbus, Ohio, October 31, 2018. His genuine love for music and people left a distinct impression on all those who were graced to know him.

—Jordi Pujol (From the inside liner notes of FSRCD 1069)