Howard McGhee
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Howard McGhee | |
|---|---|
 Rochester, New York, 1976
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Howard McGhee |
| Born | March 6, 1918 |
| Origin | Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA |
| Died | July 17, 1987 (aged 69) |
| Genre(s) | Bebop Hard bop |
| Occupation(s) | Trumpeters |
| Instrument(s) | Trumpet |
| Associated acts | Lionel Hampton, Andy Kirk, Count Basie |
Howard McGhee (b March 6, 1918 Tulsa, OK - d July 17, 1987 New York City) was one of the very first bebop jazz trumpeters, together with Dizzy Gillespie, Fats Navarro and Idrees Sulieman. He was known for lightning-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. During his career, he played in bands led by Lionel Hampton, Andy Kirk, Count Basie and Charlie Barnet. Howard McGhee was the one that brought bebop in California in 1946, a fact that was disapproved by older musicians like Kid Ory.
[edit] Later life
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-'60s 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 60's, perhaps one more than New York could accommodate at the time. While the band did not survive, a recording was released in the mid '70's.
He taught music through the '70's, both in classrooms and at his apartment in midtown Manhattan and instructed legends like Charlie Rouse in music theory. He was as much an accomplished composer/arranger as he was a performer.
[edit] Earlier
Howard McGhee was one of the first bebop trumpeters. He was not only a soloist but also a composer.
McGhee played with the greatest jazzmen and among them Charlie Parker.
In 1946-7 some record sessions for the new label Dial were organized at Hollywood with Charlie Parker and the Howard McGhee combo. These sessions are today very famous. The first one was held on 46.07.29. The musicians were Charlie Parker (as), Howard McGhee (tp), Jimmy Bunn (p), Bob Kesterson (b), Roy Porter. The titles played were "Max is Making Wax", "Lover Man", "The Gypsy" and "Be-bop".
However, Charlie Parker was sick and fainted at the end of "Be-bop". After this event he spent six months at Camarillo, a psychiatric clinic at the north of LA. After this, Charlie Parker returned to music making and a new recording session was organized on 1947.02.26, also for the Dial label. Howard McGhee continued to work as a sideman for Charlie Parker. He played on titles like "Relaxin at Camarillo", "Cheers", "Carvin the Bird" and "Stupendous". The last three of these tracks were composed by Howard McGhee. McGhee played live with Parker in a club at LA in March of the same year.
It was in the 50's that Howard 'retrieved' Charlie Parker from his frequent hospital stays for drug use to record sessions together, returning him to his room when they were done. He was in a club listening to the radio when he first heard Parker and was, in fact, one of the few early adopters of bebop. His stay in California was cut short because of racial prejudice, particularly vicious towards McGhee as half of a mixed race couple.
A few of the recordings issued under his own name are still available. Much more of his large output appears on albums created by others.
