posted by Robert J. Carmack  #blues2jazzguy Howard McGhee (born: March 6, 1918 in Tulsa, Oklahoma –  Died:July 17, 1987 in New York City) was one of the first bebop jazz trumpeters, together with Dizzy Gillespie, Fats Navarro and Idrees Sulieman. He was known for his fast fingers and very high notes. What is generally not known is the influence that he had on younger hard bop trumpeters, together with Fats Navarro.

Howard McGhee was 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 Parker and was one of the early adopters of the new style, a fact that was disapproved by older musicians like Kid Ory. (Thelonious Monk and Howard McGhee, Minton’s Playhouse, ca. September 1947) In 1946–47, some record sessions for the new label Dial were organized at Hollywood with Charlie Parker and the Howard McGhee combo. The first was held on July 29, 1946. The musicians were Charlie Parker (as), Howard McGhee (tp), Jimmy Bunn (p), Bob Kesterson (b), and Roy Porter (d). The titles played were “Max is Making Wax”, “Lover Man”, “The Gypsy” and “Be-bop”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6EhnFlWAFg