Wilbur Harden

Wilbur Harden (December 31, 1924 in Birmingham, Alabama – June 10, 1969 in New York City) was an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist, and composer.

Wilbur Harden
Background information
Birth name	Wilbur Harden
Born	(1924-12-31)December 31, 1924 Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
Died	June 10, 1969(1969-06-10) (aged 44) New York City, New York, U.S.
Genres	Hard bop Post-bop
Occupation	Trumpeter
Instrument(s)	Trumpet, flugelhorn
Formerly of	John Coltrane, Yusef Lateef

Harden is best remembered for his recordings with saxophonists Yusef Lateef and John Coltrane, and with trombonist Curtis Fuller. One of the earliest jazz trumpeters to double on flugelhorn, he began his career with Roy Brown and Ivory Joe Hunter, before moving to Detroit in 1957 to play with Yusef Lateef's quintet. His music career ended in 1960 due to health problems.

He is a 1991 inductee of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame.

Discography

As leader

• The King and I (1958, Savoy Records)
• Mainstream 1958 (1958, Savoy)
• Jazz Way Out (1958, Savoy)
• Tanganyika Strut (1958, Savoy)

Compilations

• Dial Africa: The Savoy Sessions (1977, Savoy)
• Gold Coast (1977, Savoy)
• Countdown: The Savoy Sessions (1978, Savoy)
• The Complete Savoy Sessions (1999)
• The Complete Mainstream 1958 Sessions (2009)

As sideman

With John Coltrane

• Gold Coast (1958, Savoy Records)
• Stardust (1958, Prestige Records)
• Standard Coltrane (1958, Prestige Records)
• The Master (Prestige Records)
• Bahia (Prestige Records)

With Curtis Fuller

• Images of Curtis Fuller (1960, Savoy Records)

With Yusef Lateef

• Jazz and the Sounds of Nature (Savoy, 1957)
• Prayer to the East (Savoy, 1957)
• The Sounds of Yusef (Prestige, 1957)
• Other Sounds (New Jazz, 1957)
• Cry! - Tender (New Jazz, 1957)