Howard McGhee ranks as one of the most important jazzmen in the heyday of bebop…so why has no one ever heard of him? Well, it might have helped if better-known hands like Dizzy Gillespie had bothered to mention McGhee (or ‘Maggie’) in their memoirs.

As well as trying to keep Charlie Parker on the straight in the late 40s, HM should be applauded for such compositions as Flyin’ Colours and Dusty Blue. His version of Dizzy’s Groovin’ High is (dare I say it?) even better than Gillespie’s own.

– Bob

This portion of the competiton is closed – but don’t forget to check out the BlackEyewear.com and Retrospecs websites.