Avant-garde trombonist Grachan Moncur III was born on this date in 1937. Born in New York City and raised in Newark, New Jersey he is the son of jazz bassist Grachan Moncur II.

Grachan III began playing cello at age 9 and switched to trombone two years later.  He studied at the same North Carolina school where Dizzy Gillespie was a student. While there he often sat in with touring jazz artists who came to town including Jackie McLean and Art Blakey.  After graduation Moncur played with Ray Charles, Sonny Rollins and Art Farmer. His first appearance on vinyl was on the 1962 Benny Golson album “Here and Now,” and his first record as leader was “Evolution,” a 1963 release on Blue Note.

During the 1960s Grachan Moncur III was a regular participant in performances and recordings with avant-garde and free jazz musicians and he was a member of Archie Shepp’s group for some time. Moncur was also a composer, having written Echoes of a Prayer for full orchestra with vocalists and jazz soloists.  The work was commissioned by the Jazz Composer’s Orchestra, a group founded by Carla Bley and Michael Mantler that also performed compositions by Don Cherry and fellow trombonist Roswell Rudd.  The JCO often featured jazz artists like Cecil Taylor, Pharoah Sanders and Larry Coryell. During the 1980s Grachan Moncur III played with vocalists Cassandra Wilson and the Paris Reunion Band, but mostly concentrated on teaching for the last 40 years or so of his life. Grachan Moncur III passed away on his 85th birthday in 2022.

Here is a link to music from Moncur III's 1963 album "Evolution:"

"MONK IN WONDERLAND"