Happy Birthday to Doc Cheatham!

Trumpeter Adolphus “Doc” Cheatham grew from a respected big band player during the swing era to a critically acclaimed bandleader in his own right in the second half of the 20th century. After playing with many of the major big bands, including a 7 year stint as Cab Calloway’s lead trumpet player, Doc refined and perfected his sound, continuing to create great music throughout his entire life. This video comes from a performance on German TV when Doc was in his mid-eighties, and still in peak form.