Jazz trombonist Grachan Moncur III was born in New York City, New York on June
3, 1937. After being raised in New Jersey, he studied at the Laurinburg
Institute in North Carolina. Laurinburg had a well-established music department
which included Dizzy Gillespie as a prior alumnus. During Grachan Moncur III’s
tenure at the college, he would sit in for passing touring artists such as Art
Blakey and Jackie McLean. His relationship with McLean endured and in 1963
Grachan Moncur III recorded his debut album, Evolution, with musical assistance
from Lee Morgan, Bobby Hutcherson, and, of...