| Clarence Shaw | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Clarence Eugene Shaw |
| Also known as | Gene Shaw |
| Born | June 16, 1926 Detroit, Michigan, US |
| Died | August 17, 1973 (aged 47) Los Angeles, California, US |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Instruments | Trumpet |
Clarence Eugene Shaw, sometimes credited as Gene Shaw (June 16, 1926, Detroit - August 17, 1973, Los Angeles) was an American jazz trumpeter.
Shaw played piano and trombone as a child. He began playing trumpet around 1946 after hearing Dizzy Gillespie's Hot House while recovering from injuries sustained in the Army. He attended the Detroit Institute of Music and studied under Barry Harris, and played locally with Lester Young, Wardell Gray, and Lucky Thompson.
He moved to New York City in 1956 and soon after began playing with Charles Mingus's Jazz Workshop in 1957. Among his credits with Mingus is Tijuana Moods. Later that year he destroyed his instrument and quit music over a fight with Mingus. He did not return to playing until 1962, after which time he formed his own ensemble. He retired again in 1964 and returned to music once more in 1968.
"Marj", The third track on the album Breakthrough was written for his wife Marjorie Belle Wilson of Kentucky. Their interracial marriage was striking in that it occurred and flourished during the racially turbulent times of the 50s and 60s. He is survived by children Keven Jean Shaw, Stacey Leah Shaw, and Lion Shaw.