Howard McGhee was one of the main bebop trumpeters of the mid- to late '40s with Dizzy Gillespie and Fats Navarro. These 20 cuts are the complete master takes, originally made for the Savoy and Dial labels, and retain the vital energy that went along with the initial wave of beboppers. McGhee is heard at the peak of his powers, playing a few standards ("I'm in the Mood for Love," "The Man I Love") and many self-penned titles that provide a behind-the-scenes story of this music ("Dilated Pupils," "High Wind in Hollywood," "Trumpet at Tempo," "Midnight at Minton's," and "Sleepwalker Boogie"). The equally impressive sidemen on this disc include Teddy Edwards and James Moody on tenor saxophone, Jimmy Heath on alto saxophone, pianists Dodo Marmarosa and Hank Jones, vibraphonist Milt Jackson, Ray Brown on bass, and J.C. Heard and Roy Porter on drums.