Fats Navarro
Pioneering bebop trumpeter Fats Navarro never led a band in his brief 26 years,
but he helped establish the blueprint for a new sound and collaborated with some
of jazz’s finest along the way. Born in Key West, Florida, on September 24,
1923, he picked up the trumpet as a teen and quickly left Florida after he
graduated high school. He toured in various bands before settling in New York
City in 1946, where he played in big bands with Lionel Hampton and Benny
Goodman. He also regularly shared the stage with Charlie Parker, and performed
in smaller combos with Bud Powell, Tadd Dame...
