born Oct. 30, 1930, Wilmington, Del., U.S.
died June 26, 1956, Pennsylvania
U.S. jazz trumpeter.
He became the most influential trumpeter of his generation, inspired by Fats Navarro to combine technical brilliance with lyrical grace in his playing. He was a principal figure in the hard-bop idiom (see bebop ). After touring with Lionel Hampton 's big band in 1953, he worked with Art Blakey ; in 1954 he and drummer Max Roach formed a quintet that became one of the outstanding groups in modern jazz. He died in a car crash at age 25.