Theodore "Fats" Navarro (September 24, 1923 – July 7, 1950) was an American jazz trumpet player who helped create the bebop style of jazz improvisation in the 1940s. Born in Key West, Florida, he performed with large musical groups before becoming famous as a bebop trumpeter in New York. After working with important bebop musicians such as Tadd Dameron, Bud Powell, and Kenny Clarke in recording studios, he became sick with tuberculosis and died at age 26. Even though his career was short, he greatly influenced the style of trumpet playing for later musicians, including Miles Davis, Clifford Brown, and Lee Morgan.

Early life

Navarro was born in Key West, Florida. He had Cuban, African, and Chinese heritage. He was bilingual, speaking Spanish as his second language. He was a childhood friend of drummer Al Dreares. Navarro's father was a barber. He had some musical knowledge and hired a piano teacher to give Navarro private lessons when he was young. Navarro began playing piano at age six. However, he did not take music seriously until he started playing trumpet at thirteen. He also learned to play the tenor saxophone. He played both the trumpet and tenor saxophone professionally early in his career.

After graduating from Frederick Douglass School in 1941, Navarro wanted to leave Key West. He moved to Orlando to join Sol Allbright's band. As a member of the band, Navarro toured the Midwest. He reached Cincinnati before leaving to take lessons.

Career

Navarro now lives in the Midwest. He joined Snookum Russell's territory band and gained experience by touring with bands, including Russell's band, where he met and influenced a young J.J. Johnson. Navarro also played in the Andy Kirk, Benny Goodman, and Lionel Hampton big bands.

Vocalist Billy Eckstine invited Navarro to join his band, which included other important musicians in the bebop genre. Although Eckstine's group and other big bands gave Navarro few chances to show his improvisational skills, he used the time to gain experience. He became friends with other trumpet players, including Howard McGhee and his third cousin Charlie Shavers.

Navarro made his final recordings with Kirk and Eckstine in January and March 1946, respectively. Carmen McRae wrote in her book that Navarro "was a big, lovable character, playing the most beautiful horn, forever practicing and forever striving. He and I used to discuss the way the musicians were using narcotics, and he said he’d never do it.”

Tired of traveling, Navarro moved to New York City in 1946, where his career grew. He participated in small group recording sessions with Kenny Clarke, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Coleman Hawkins, Illinois Jacquet, and Howard McGhee. Clarke's 52nd Street Boys, also called the Be Bop Boys, recorded in September 1946 and 1947. The group included another young bebop trumpet player, Kenny Dorham, and was joined by Sonny Stitt on alto saxophone and Bud Powell on piano. Navarro's participation in these September sessions was among his first opportunities to play bebop in a studio. The group's work later became part of the album Fats Bud-Klook-Sonny-Kinney.

Navarro met and played with Charlie Parker. However, he was in a position to demand a high salary and did not join one of Parker's regular groups. Instead, he joined pianist Tadd Dameron's group at the Royal Roost jazz club in New York. A recording with this group for Blue Note included Ernie Henry on alto saxophone and Charlie Rouse on tenor, both of whom contributed significantly to bebop in the 1940s and 1950s.

Dameron made efforts to accommodate Navarro's position in the band, but Navarro's continued demands for higher pay led him to form his own group for studio sessions. Navarro preferred the financial security of being a band member over being a bandleader.

Navarro won the Metronome Jazz Poll in 1948, which allowed him to join the Metronome Jazz All-Stars for a studio session. In addition to regular studio recordings, Navarro began composing in the late 1940s. Many of his songs were dedicated to Dameron's band, in which he continued to play on occasion. Navarro reunited with McGhee in late 1948 for another recording session, which included Milt Jackson on piano.

By the late 1940s, many jazz musicians avoided playing in bands with Navarro for fear of being overshadowed by him. Although Dizzy Gillespie described Navarro's personality as "sweet," Navarro often had conflicts with Bud Powell at jam sessions. On one occasion, Navarro tried to attack Powell with his trumpet but missed.

Navarro began touring again in 1948 with Lionel Hampton's band. While traveling on the group's tour bus to Chicago, Navarro fell ill and decided to return to New York. His illness was tuberculosis, but he continued to play despite his declining health. His continued use of narcotics worsened the disease.

Navarro toured with Jazz at the Philharmonic in early 1949. He appeared on two studio sessions that year: one with Bud Powell for The Amazing Bud Powell, Vol. 1 in August and one with tenor saxophone player Don Lanphere in September for a few recordings. Powell's session was notable for the presence of tenor saxophone player Sonny Rollins, who was 18 years old at the time. The quintet, known on record as "Bud Powell's Modernists," recorded three of Powell's tunes and the jazz standard "52nd Street Theme" written by Thelonious Monk.

The Lanphere session was one of the few times Navarro recorded with pianist Al Haig and drummer Max Roach. Navarro performed on live recordings twice at Birdland before his death, but the exact dates of these performances are unclear. What is certain is that both were recorded in 1950 and included Charlie Parker and Miles Davis, respectively. One of the recordings was released as the album One Night in Birdland and featured Charlie Parker on alto saxophone and Bud Powell on piano.

Death

Navarro, who was nicknamed "Fat Girl" because of his weight and high voice, struggled with heroin addiction, tuberculosis, and weight issues. These health problems caused a gradual loss of health. He was hospitalized on July 1, 1950, and passed away five days later on July 7, 1950, at the age of 26. His final performance was with Charlie Parker at Birdland.

Navarro died from tuberculosis in New York City on July 6, 1950. He was survived by his wife, Rena (née Clark, 1927–1975), and his daughter, Linda (1949–2014). He was buried in an unmarked grave, number 414, at Rose Hill Cemetery in Linden, New Jersey.

Legacy

In 1982, Navarro was added to the DownBeat Hall of Fame.

In September 2002, friends and family placed a headstone on Fats Navarro's grave. The headstone ceremony was organized by the Jazz Alliance International. The mayor of Linden named the day of the event "Fats Navarro Day."

During the ceremony, students from Linden High School Choir sang "Amazing Grace." Trumpeter Jon Faddis performed Navarro's song "Nostalgia." Later that same day, 14 trumpeters played together with a strong rhythm section to celebrate Navarro's music at the Jazz Standard in Manhattan. Faddis arranged the group under the guidance of Don Sickler. The rhythm section included drummer Billy Drummond, bassist Peter Washington, and pianist James Williams.

Discography

• Andy Kirk – "Fare Thee Well Honey" with "Baby, Don't You Tell Me No Lie" (Decca 4449)
• Andy Kirk and his Orchestra – Live at the Apollo 1944–1947 (Everybody's EV 3003)
• Andy Kirk – Andy's Jive (Swing House (E) SWH 39)
• Andy Kirk and his Twelve Clouds of Joy – The Uncollected Andy Kirk (Hindsight (E) HSR 227)
• Andy Kirk and his Orchestra (no details) (Caracol (F) CAR 424)
• Andy Kirk and his Orchestra (no details) (Swing House (E) SWH 130)
• Billy Eckstine – Together (Spotlite (E) SPJ 100)
• Billy Eckstine – Blues for Sale (EmArcy MG 36029)
• Billy Eckstine – The Love Songs of Mr. "B" (EmArcy MG 36030)
• Various Artists – The Advance Guard of the '40s (EmArcy MG 36016)
• Billy Eckstine – You Call It Madness (Regent MG 6058)
• Billy Eckstine – Prisoner of Love (Regent MG 6052)
• Andy Kirk – "He's My Baby" with "Soothe Me" (Decca 23870)
• Andy Kirk – "Alabama Bound" with "Doggin' Man Blues" (Decca 48073)
• Billy Eckstine – My Deep Blue Dream (Regent MG 6054)
• Billy Eckstine – I Surrender, Dear (EmArcy MG 36010)
• Various Artists – Boning Up the 'Bones (EmArcy MG 36038)
• Billy Eckstine – Mr. B and the Band (Savoy SJL 2214)
• Various Artists – The Bebop Era (RCA Victor LPV 519)
• Fats Navarro Memorial: Fats – Bud – Klook – Sonny – Kinney (Savoy MG 12011)
• Earl Bud Powell – Burning in U.S.A., 53-55, Vol. 2 (Mythic Sound MS 6002–2)
• Fats Navarro Memorial, Vol. 2: Nostalgia (Savoy MG 12133)
• Various Artists – In the Beginning Bebop! (Savoy MG 12119)
• Coleman Hawkins – Bean and the Boys (Prestige PR 7824)
• Illinois Jacquet – Illinois Jacquet and his Tenor Sax (Aladdin AL 803)
• Various Artists – Opus de Bop (Savoy MG 12114)
• Billy Stewart / Ray Abrams – "Gloomy Sunday" with "In My Solitude" (Savoy 647)
• Milton Buggs/Ray Abrams – "I Live True to You" with "Fine Brown Frame" (Savoy 648)
• Various Artists – Jazz Off the Air, Vol. 2 (Vox VSP 310)
• Fats Navarro – The Fabulous Fats Navarro, Vol. 1 (Blue Note BLP 1531)
• Fats Navarro – Fat Girl (Savoy SJL 2216)
• Charlie Parker – "Anthropology" (Spotlite (E) SPJ 108)
• Coleman Hawkins – His Greatest Hits 1939–47, Vol. 17 (RCA (F) 730625)
• Coleman Hawkins – Body and Soul: A Jazz Autobiography (RCA Victor LPV 501)
• Various Artists – All American Hot Jazz (RCA Victor LPV 544)
• Lionel Hampton and his Orchestra – 1948 (Weka (Swt) Jds 12–1)
• Lionel Hampton – Lionel Hampton in Concert (Cicala Jazz Live (It) BLJ 8015)
• Fats Navarro Featured with the Tadd Dameron Quintet (Jazzland JLP 50)
• The Tadd Dameron Band – 1948 (Jazzland JLP 68)
• Benny Goodman / Charlie Barnet – Capitol Jazz Classics, Vol. 15: Bebop Spoken Here (Capitol M 11061)
• Fats Navarro – The Fabulous Fats Navarro, Vol. 2 (Blue Note BLP 1532)
• Various Artists – The Other Side Blue Note 1500 Series (Blue Note (J) BNJ 61008/10)
• The Complete Blue Note and Capitol Recordings of Fats Navarro and Tadd Dameron (Blue Note CDP 7243 8 33373–2)
• Earl Coleman – "I Wished on the Moon" with "Guilty" (Dial 756)
• Dexter Gordon – Move! (Spotlite (E) SPJ 133)
• The Metronome All Stars – From Swing to Be-Bop (RCA Camden CAL 426) – released on Dizzy Gillespie's The Complete RCA Victor Recordings (Bluebird, 1937–1949, [1995])
• Dizzy Gillespie – Strictly Be Bop (Capitol M 11059)
• Jazz at the Philharmonic – J.A.T.P. at Carnegie Hall 1949 (Pablo PACD 5311–2)
• Bud Powell – The Amazing Bud Powell, Vol. 1 (Blue Note BLP 1503)
• Various Artists – 25 Years of Prestige (Prestige PR 24046)
• Miles Davis / Dizzy Gillespie /Fats Navarro – Trumpet Giants (New Jazz NJLP 8296)
• Don Lanphere /Fats Navarro/ Leo Parker / Al Haig – Prestige First Sessions, Vol. 1 (Prestige PRCD 24114–2)
• Charlie Parker – Fats Navarro – Bud Powell (Ozone 4)
• Charlie Parker – One Night in Birdland (Columbia JG 34808)
• Charlie Parker