Howard McGhee

Howard McGhee (March 6, 1918 – July 17, 1987)

During his career, he played in bands led by Lionel Hampton, Andy Kirk, Count Basie, and Charlie Barnet. He was in a club listening to the radio when he first heard Charlie Parker and was one of the earliest adopters of the new style.

In 1946–47, some record sessions for the new label Dial were organized in Hollywood, with Charlie Parker and McGhee. The first was held on July 29, 1946; the musicians were Charlie Parker, Howard McGhee, Jimmy Bunn, Bob Kesterson, and Roy Porter. With Parker's health near to collapse, he played "Max is Making Wax", "Lover Man", and "The Gypsy".

McGhee continued to work as a sideman with Parker.

Drug problems sidelined McGhee for much of the 1950s, but he resurfaced in the 1960s, appearing in many George Wein productions.

Discography (From left) Thelonious Monk, Howard McGhee, Roy Eldridge, Teddy Hill, Minton's Playhouse, New York City, c. September 1947

As leader/co-leader 1946–47: Night Music (Dial [ 10"], 1951) with Hank Jones, Milt Jackson, James Moody, Dodo Marmarosa 1946–47: Trumpet at Tempo (The Complete Dial Sessions) (Spotlite, 1976; CD reissue: Jazz Classics, 1996) 1948: Howard McGhee and Milt Jackson (Savoy, 1955) 1948: Be Bop (Atlantic [10"], 1952) with Jimmy Heath, Percy Heath 1950: Howard McGhee (Blue Note [10"], 1952) with Fats Navarro 1952: Jazz Goes to the Battle Front, Volume 1 (Hi-Lo [10"]) 1952: Jazz Goes to the Battle Front, Volume 2 (Hi-Lo [10"]) 1953: Howard McGhee, Vol. 2 (Blue Note [10"]) with Gigi Gryce 1955: The Return of Howard McGhee (Bethlehem) [a.k.a. That Bop Thing] 1956: Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries (Bethlehem) 1956: Jazz South Pacific (Regent) with J. J. Johnson, Oscar Pettiford; reissues the Hi-Lo material 1960: Dusty Blue (Bethlehem) 1960: Music from the Connection (Felsted) 1961: Together Again!!!! (Contemporary) with Teddy Edwards 1961: Maggie's Back in Town!! (Contemporary) 1961: The Sharp Edge (Fontana) [a.k.a. Shades of Blue] 1962: Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out (United Artists) 1963: House Warmin'! (Argo); originally issued in 1962 on Winley Records as Nothin' But Soul under Gene Ammons's name. 1976: Here Comes Freddy (Sonet) with Illinois Jacquet 1976: Just Be There (SteepleChase) with Horace Parlan, Kenny Clarke 1977: Cookin' Time, Howard McGhee Orchestra (Zim Records) 1978: Live at Emerson's, Howard McGhee Sextet (Zim Records) 1978: Jazz Brothers (Jazzcraft) with Charlie Rouse 1978: Home Run (Jazzcraft) with Benny Bailey 1979: Young at Heart (Storyville) with Teddy Edwards 1979: Wise in Time (Storyville) with Teddy Edwards

As sideman With Lorez Alexandria Deep Roots (Argo, 1962)

With Georgie Auld Rainbow Mist (Delmark, 1944 ); compilation of Apollo recordings

With Billy Eckstine Maggie: The Savoy Sessions (Savoy, 1947 ); includes the infamous Eckstine/McGhee four song session, originally recorded in Chicago for Vitacoustic Records; personnel: Howard McGhee (tp), Billy Eckstine (vtb), Kenny Mann (ts), Hank Jones (p), Ray Brown (b), J. C. Heard (d), Marcel Daniels (v).

With Johnny Hartman Songs from the Heart (Bethlehem, 1955) All of Me: The Debonair Mr. Hartman (Bethlehem, 1956)

With Coleman Hawkins Hollywood Stampede (Capitol, 1945 ) Disorder at the Border (Spotlite, 1952 )

With Chubby Jackson Chubby Jackson's All Stars (Prestige [ 7" EP], 1950 ) Chubby Jackson Sextet and Big Band (Prestige, 1947–50 )

With James Moody James Moody, His Saxophone and His Band (Dial [10"], 1947 ) Cookin' the Blues [live] (Argo, 1961 )

With André Previn André Previn All-Stars (Monarch, 1946) Previn at Sunset (Polydor, 1972)

With Mel Tormé George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess (Bethlehem, 1956) with Frances Faye At the Crescendo (Bethlehem, 1957) Songs for Any Taste (Bethlehem, 1957)

With others 1954: Billie Holiday, Billie Holiday at Jazz at the Philharmonic (Clef) – 1945–1946 1956: Wardell Gray, Way Out Wardell (Modern) 1960: Freddie Redd, The Music from "The Connection" (Blue Note) 1962: Johnny Hodges, Johnny Hodges with Billy Strayhorn and the Orchestra (Verve) 1962: Zoot Sims, Good Old Zoot (New Jazz) 1963: Phil Porter, Introducing Phil Porter and His Organ (United Artists) 1963: Joe Williams, At Newport '63 (RCA Victor) 1967: Newport Parker Tribute All Stars, Tribute To Charlie Parker (From The Newport Jazz Festival) (RCA Victor) – rec. 1964 1968: Don Patterson, Boppin' & Burnin' (Prestige) 1969: Phil Woods, Early Quintets (Prestige) – rec. 1959 1976: Gene Ammons, Red Top: The Savoy Sessions 1947–1953 (Savoy) 1976: Eddie Jefferson, The Jazz Singer (Inner City) – rec. 1959–1961 1989: Sonny Stitt, Autumn in New York (Black Lion) – rec. 1967 1991: Sonny Criss, California Boppin' 1947 (Fresh Sound) 1993: Andy Kirk & His Clouds of Joy, The Chronological...1940–1942 (Classics) 1995: Dodo Marmarosa, Dodo Marmarosa On Dial: The Complete Sessions 1946–1947 (Spotlite) 1996: Wynonie Harris, The Chronological...1944–1945 (Classics) 1996: Slim Gaillard The Chronological...1945 (Classics)