Fats Navarro 348357 225886172 2008-07-15T21:28:07Z Jost Riedel 138205 date of death is 7 July 1950 (see eg. Leonard Feather: ''The Encyclopedia of Jazz'', Horizon Press, New York, 1960) {{Infobox Musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians --> | Name = Fats Navarro | Img = | Img_capt = Fats Navarro | Img_size = 200 | Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist | Birth_name = Theodore Navarro | Alias = Fats | Born = [[September 24]] [[1923]] | Died = {{death date and age|1950|7|7|1923|09|24}} |Origin = [[Key West, Florida]], [[United States|U.S.]] | Instrument = [[Trumpet]] | Genre = [[Jazz]] [[Bebop]] | Occupation = [[Trumpeter]] | Years_active = | Label = | Associated_acts = | URL = | Notable_instruments = }} '''Theodore "Fats" Navarro''' ([[24 September]], [[1923]] – [[7 July]], [[1950]]) was an [[United States|American]] [[jazz]] [[trumpet]] player. He was a pioneer of the [[bebop]] style of [[jazz]] [[improvisation]] in the 1940s. He is regarded by many to have been one of the first modern jazz trumpet improvisers and in his short career had a strong stylistic influence on many other players, most notably [[Clifford Brown]]. Navarro was born in [[Key West, Florida]], to [[Cubans|Cuban]]-Black-Chinese parentage. He began playing piano at age six, but did not become serious about music until he began playing trumpet at age of thirteen. By the time he graduated from high school he wanted to be away from Key West and joined a dance band headed for the mid west. After touring with many bands and gaining valuable experience, and tiring of the road life, Navarro settled in New York City in 1946, where his career took off. He met and played with, among others, [[Charlie Parker]], one of the greatest musical innovators of modern jazz improvisation, but Navarro was in a position to demand a high salary, and did not join one of Parker's regular groups. He also developed a heroin addiction, which, coupled with tuberculosis and a weight problem (he was nicknamed "Fat Girl") led to a slow decline in his health and death at the age of twenty-six. Among others, Fats Navarro played in the [[Andy Kirk]], [[Billy Eckstine]], [[Benny Goodman]], and [[Lionel Hampton]] big bands, and participated in small group recording sessions with [[Kenny Clarke]], [[Tadd Dameron]], [[Eddie Davis (saxophonist)|Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis]], [[Coleman Hawkins]], [[Illinois Jacquet]], [[Howard McGhee]], and [[Bud Powell]]. In [[Charles Mingus]]' somewhat counter-factual autobiography ''Beneath the Underdog'', Navarro and Mingus strike up a deep friendship while touring together. == External links == * [http://csis.pace.edu/~varden/navarro/bio.html Biography of Fats Navarro] {{DEFAULTSORT:Navarro, Fats}} [[Category:American jazz trumpeters]] [[Category:Bebop trumpeters]] [[Category:People from Key West, Florida]] [[Category:1923 births]] [[Category:1950 deaths]] [[de:Fats Navarro]] [[es:Fats Navarro]] [[fr:Fats Navarro]] [[it:Fats Navarro]] [[no:Fats Navarro]] [[pt:Fats Navarro]] [[fi:Fats Navarro]]