Wilbur Harden

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

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, his playing became less frequent due to illness. He began his career with Roy Brown and Ivory Joe Hunter, before moving to Detroit in 1957 to play with Yusef Lateef's quintet. In late 1958, Harden fell seriously ill, spending four years under medical care. His last recording session took place in 1960 with Fuller's group, following a brief release from the hospital. Subsequently, he stopped playing and died in 1969, in New York City.

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, Savoy 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)