Skip to main content

Marcus Belgrave Biography

marcus-belgrave
  • Born: June 12, 1936 in Chester, PA
  • Years Active: 1990s-2000s
  • Genre: Jazz

Because he has spent most of his career in Detroit and has not recorded enough, Marcus Belgrave has often been overlooked. A flexible and talented trumpeter able to play both hard bop and free, Belgrave was tutored by Clifford Brown a bit when he was 17. He toured with Ray Charles during 1954-1959 and had opportunities to play with the groups of Charles Mingus and Max Roach. In 1963, Belgrave moved to Detroit where he has been continually active as an educator and a studio player. He has recorded with (among others) McCoy Tyner, David Newman, Art Hodes (duets), David Murray, Geri Allen (one of his former students), swing tenor Franz Jackson and Sammy Price, mostly beginning in the 1980s. Belgrave has also been featured with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. Among his other former students are Bob Hurst, Kenny Garrett, and James Carter, so at least indirectly Marcus Belgrave has made a strong impact on jazz. ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi

Advertisement