One of the trumpet players that emerged early in the bebop era was Howard McGhee. A contemporary of Dizzy Gillespie, McGhee was known for his use of the upper register and his fluid technique at rapid tempos. McGhee was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on this date in 1918.

Although born in the southwest, McGhee grew up in Detroit. Early in his career he played in bands led by Lionel Hampton, Count Basie, Charlie Barnet and Andy Kirk. He first heard the music of Charlie Parker on the radio and was intrigued by the new style of playing. By the time McGhee was in his late 20s he was living in Los Angeles and making records with Parker including Lover Man, Relaxin’ at Camarillo and Carvin’ the Bird. In the late 1940s Howard McGhee was a prominent musician on the Los Angeles jazz scene and even managed a jazz club for a time.

Like many musicians of the period, McGhee became addicted to narcotics and that sidelined his career for much of the 1950s. He did, however, experience a revival in the 1960s performing as a sideman and leading a short-lived New York City big band in the latter part of the decade.

In the 1970s McGhee focused more on teaching, giving lessons in his Manhattan apartment as well as in classrooms. Howard McGhee passed away in 1987 at the age of 69.

Here is a link to Howard McGhee performing at a Charlie Parker tribute concert in 1973:

"LOVER MAN"