Howard McGhee was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and arranger born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1918. He originally played clarinet and tenor saxophone before switching to trumpet at age seventeen, and he went on to become one of the key figures in the transition from swing to bebop. McGhee first gained prominence working with Andy Kirk's big band and then alongside Coleman Hawkins, with whom he recorded harmonically advanced pieces including "Sportsman's Hop" and "Hollywood Stampede." In the mid-1940s he became a central figure on the Los Angeles bebop scene, recording for Dial Records and working closely with Charlie Parker, Fats Navarro, and Teddy Edwards. On AllSolos three of his compositions are featured: "Cheers," "Carvin' the Bird," and "Stupendous," all of which reflect his ability to craft inventive bop-era themes. McGhee was as accomplished a composer-arranger as he was a performer, though this aspect of his legacy has often been overshadowed by his playing. After a period of diminished activity in the 1950s due to personal difficulties, he made a comeback in the 1960s and continued performing and recording into the 1970s. He also became active as a music educator later in life. McGhee died in New York City in 1987.
