Howard McGhee
During 1945-1949, Howard McGhee was one of the finest trumpeters in jazz, an exciting performer with a sound of his own, who among the young bop players, ranked at the top with Dizzy Gillespie and Fats Navarro. The "missing link" between Roy Eldridge and Fats Navarro (Navarro influenced Clifford Brown who influenced most of the post-1955 trumpeters), McGhee originally played clarinet and tenor, not taking up trumpet until he was 17. He worked in territory bands, was with Lionel Hampton in 1941, and then joined Andy Kirk (1941-1942), being featured on "McGhee Special." McGhee participated in the fabled bop sessions at Minton's Playhouse and Monroe's Uptown House, modernizing his style away from Roy Eldridge and towards Dizzy Gillespie. He was with Charlie Barnet (1942-1943), returned to Kirk (where he sat next to Fats Navarro in the trumpet section), and had brief stints with Georgie Auld and Count Basie before traveling to California with Coleman Hawkins in 1945; their concise recordings of swing-to-bop transitional music (including "Stuffy," "Rifftide," and "Hollywood Stampede") are classic. McGhee stayed in California into 1947, playing with Jazz at the Philharmonic, recording and gigging with Charlie Parker (including the ill-fated "Lover Man" date) and having an influence on young players out on the Coast. His Dial sessions were among the most exciting recordings of his career, and back in New York he recorded for Savoy and had a historic meeting on record with Navarro in 1948 on Blue Note.
Eventually, drugs began to affect McGhee's career. He traveled on a USO tour during the Korean War, recording in Guam. McGhee also had sessions for Bethlehem (1955-1956) but was inactive during much of the '50s. He recorded some strong dates for Felsted, Bethlehem, Contemporary, and Black Lion during 1960-1961, and on a quartet outing for United Artists (1962), but (with the exception of a Hep big band date in 1966) was largely off records again until 1976. He had a final burst of activity during 1976-1979 for Sonet, SteepleChase, Jazzcraft, Zim, and Storyville, but by then, McGhee was largely forgotten and few knew about his link to Fats Navarro and Clifford Brown.
© Scott Yanow /TiVo
Similar artists
-
-
Complete Jazz Series 1945 - 1946
Jazz - Released by Complete Jazz Series on 27 Apr 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Return Of Howard McGhee
Jazz - Released by CoolNote on 1 Jan 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Remastered Hits Vol. 3 (All Tracks Remastered)
Jazz - Released by jjjedizionimusicali on 3 Jul 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
The Heat's On
Roy Eldridge, Howard McGhee, Howard McGhee's Be-Boppers
Jazz - Released by Esquire Records on 14 Dec 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jazzcraft Studio Recordings 1978-79
Howard McGhee, Teddy Edwards, Benny Bailey
Free Jazz & Avant-Garde - Released by Storyville Records on 30 May 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Complete Jazz Series 1946 - 1948
Jazz - Released by Complete Jazz Series on 27 Apr 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
From the Newport Jazz Festival Tribute to Charlie Parker
Newport Parker Tribute All Stars
Jazz - Released by RCA Victor - Legacy on 19 Jun 1967
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
Mermaids
Charlie Parker, Charlie Parker Septet, Howard McGhee, Chuck Copely Jam Session
Jazz - Released by Mermaids on 12 Apr 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Classic 1960s Albums
Jazz - Released by ENLIGHTENMENT on 8 May 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Waltz When the Lillies of the Valley Bloom again
Jazz - Released by the valley bloom again on 12 Mar 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Above the Clouds
Jazz - Released by getmyhits rec. on 15 Jun 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
The Passing Hour
Jazz - Released by The Passing Hour on 14 Nov 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
-
Ultimate Jazz Collection
Bebop - Released by Stardust Records on 1 Mar 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Essential Jazz Masters
Jazz - Released by Master Classics Records on 1 Jun 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo