I Want to Be Happy

Chuck Hedges

Chuck Hedges (July 21, 1932, Chicago - June 24, 2010) was an American jazz clarinetist. Hedges began playing clarinet while attending a military school. He received formal training under Claude Bordy and learned to play jazz on his own. After studying at Northwestern University, he joined George Brunis's ensemble in 1953, remaining with Brunis through the end of the decade. He was active on the Dixieland revival scene in the 1960s, playing regularly at clubs in Chicago and Milwaukee into the 1990s. He worked with Wild Bill Davison for most of the 1980s and also worked with Alan Vaché and Johnny Varro. He released several albums as a leader in the 1990s and 2000s. more »