Howard McGhee

Howard McGhee (March 6, 1918 – July 17, 1987) was one of the first American bebop jazz trumpeters, with Dizzy Gillespie, Fats Navarro and Idrees Sulieman. He was known for his fast fingering and high notes. He had an influence on younger bebop trumpeters such as Fats Navarro.

Biography

Howard McGhee was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States, and raised in Detroit, Michigan. During his career, he played in bands led by Lionel Hampton, Andy Kirk, Count Basie and Charlie Barnet. He was in a club listening to the radio when he first heard Charlie Parker and was one of the earliest adopters of the new style, a fact that was disapproved by older musicians like Kid Ory.

In 1946–47, some record sessions for the new label Dial were organized in Hollywood, with Charlie Parker and McGhee. The first was held on July 29, 1946. The musicians were Charlie Parker, Howard McGhee, Jimmy Bunn, Bob Kesterson, and Roy Porter. With Parker's health near to collapse, he played "Max is Making Wax", "Lover Man", and " The Gypsy".

McGhee continued to work as a sideman with Parker. He played on titles such as "Relaxin' at Camarillo", "Cheers", "Carvin the Bird" and "Stupendous". Around this time, McGhee was a leading musician in the Los Angeles bebop scene, participating in many concerts, recording, and even managing a night club for a period. His stay in California ended because of racial prejudice, particularly vicious towards McGhee as half of a mixed-race couple.

Drug problems sidelined McGhee for much of the 1950s, but he resurfaced in the 1960s, appearing in many George Wein productions. His career sputtered again in the mid-1960s and he did not record again until 1976. He led one of three big jazz bands trying to succeed in New York in the late 1960s. While the band did not survive, a recording was released in the mid-1970s.

He taught music through the 1970s, both in classrooms and at his apartment in midtown Manhattan and instructed musicians like Charlie Rouse in music theory. He was as much an accomplished composer-arranger as he was a performer.

McGhee died on July 17, 1987 at the age of 69, a memorial service was held for him on July 24, 1987.

Discography

As leader/co-leader

* 1946–47 ''Trumpet at Tempo'' ( Dial el. 1996
* 1948 '' Howard McGhee and Milt Jackson'' (Savoy)
* 1950 ''Howard McGhee, Vol. 1'' ( Blue Note) with Fats Navarro
* 1951 ''Night Music'' (Dial)
* 1952 ''Jazz South Pacific'' (Regent) with J.J. Johnson, Oscar Pettiford KA ''Jazz Goes to the Battlefront''* 1953 ''Howard McGhee, Vol. 2'' (Blue Note) with Gigi Gryce
* 1955 ''The Return of Howard McGhee'' (Bethlehem) KA ''That Bop Thing''* 1956 '' Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries'' (Bethlehem)
* 1960 '' Dusty Blue'' (Bethlehem)
* 1960 ''Music from the Connection'' (Felsted)
* 1961 '' Together Again!!!!'' (Contemporary) with Teddy Edwards
* 1961 '' Maggie's Back in Town!!'' (Contemporary)
* 1961 ''The Sharp Edge'' (Fontana) KA ''Shades of Blue''* 1962 ''Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out'' (United Artists)
* 1963 ''House Warmin'!'' (Argo) originally issued in 1962 on Winley Records as ''Nothin' But Soul'' under Gene Ammons' name.
* 1976 ''Here Comes Freddy'' ( Sonet) with Illinois Jacquet
* 1976 ''Just Be There'' (SteepleChase) with Horace Parlan, Kenny Clarke
* 1977 ''Cookin' Time'', Howard McGhee Orchestra (Zim Records)
* 1978 ''Live at Emerson's'', Howard McGhee Sextet (Zim Records)
* 1978 ''Jazz Brothers'' (Jazzcraft) with Charlie Rouse
* 1978 ''Home Run'' (Jazzcraft) with Benny Bailey
* 1979 '' Young at Heart'' ( Storyville) with Teddy Edwards
* 1979 '' Wise in Time'' (Storyville) with Teddy Edwards

As sideman

With Lorez Alexandria
*'' Deep Roots'' (Argo, 1962)

With Georgie Auld
*'' Rainbow Mist'' ( Delmark, 1944 992 compilation of Apollo recordings

With Billy Eckstine
*''Maggie: The Savoy Sessions'' (Savoy, 1947 995 includes the infamous Eckstine/McGhee four song session, originally recorded in Chicago for Vitacoustic Records; personnel: Howard McGhee (tp), Billy Eckstine (vtb), Kenny Mann (ts), Hank Jones (p), Ray Brown (b), J.C. Heard (d), Marcel Daniels (v).

With Johnny Hartman
* '' Songs from the Heart'' (Bethlehem, 1955)
* '' All of Me: The Debonair Mr. Hartman'' (Bethlehem, 1956)

With Coleman Hawkins
* ''Hollywood Stampede'' (Capitol, 1945 972
* ''Disorder at the Border'' (Spotlite, 1952 973

With Chubby Jackson
* ''Chubby Jackson All Star Big Band'' (1950)
* ''Chubby Jackson Sextet and Big Band'' (Prestige, 1947–1950 969

With James Moody
* ''Cookin' the Blues

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