Park Foundation Music App

Home > Artists

Howard McGhee

Howard McGhee (born March 6, 1918, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA - died July 17, 1987, New York City, New York, USA) was one of the very first bebop jazz trumpeters, together with [a=Dizzy Gillespie], [a=Fats Navarro] and [a=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 [a=Fats Navarro]. Howard McGhee was raised in Detroit. During his career, he played in bands led by [a=Lionel Hampton], [a=Andy Kirk], [a=Count Basie] and [a=Charlie Barnet]. Howard McGhee was the one that brought bebop in California in 1946, a fact that was disapproved by older musicians like [a=Kid Ory].