Hugh Ragin

Best known for capably filling the problematic trumpet chair in saxophonist David Murray’s various large ensembles, Hugh Ragin possesses the well-rounded technique and abundant imagination that his predecessors in those bands did not. A harmonically daring player, Ragin combines the clear, ringing tone of a classical trumpeter with the chops and rhythmic ingenuity of a top-notch bebopper. Ragin has remained somewhat of a marginal figure, mostly due to the fact that he’s lived in the middle of the U.S., away from the major jazz scenes on either coast. On his 1999 album An Afternoon in Harlem (Justin Time), he’s joined by David Murray, drummer Andrew Cyrille, and pianist Craig Taborn. He followed with more releases for Justin Time: Fanfare & Fiesta in 2001 and Feel the Sunshine.