Fountain pen signature, "'Chu' Berry," and a blue pencil signature, "Cab Calloway," on an off-white 4.75 x 3.25 restaurant information sheet, which is matted with photos of the musicians to an overall size of 11 x 14. In fine condition, with a central vertical fold.
Called 'Chu' either because he chewed on the mouthpiece of his saxophone or because he had a Fu Manchu mustache, Leon Brown 'Chu' Berry (1908-1941) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist during the 1930s. His mastery of advanced harmony and his smoothly flowing solos on uptempo tunes influenced such young innovators as Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker, with the latter naming his first son Leon in Chu's honor. Berry died in a car accident at the age of 33, making any signed material exceedingly scarce.
This item is Pre-Certified by PSA/DNA
Buy a third-party letter of authenticity for
(inquire for price)
*This item has been pre-certified by a trusted third-party authentication service, and by placing a bid on this item, you agree to accept the opinion of this authentication service. If you wish to have an opinion rendered by a different authenticator of your choosing, you must do so prior to your placing of any bid. RR Auction is not responsible for differing opinions submitted 30 days after the date of the sale.
