Clarence Shaw

Shaw was born in Detroit on June 16, 1926.[1] He played the piano and trombone as a child.[1] He began playing trumpet around 1946 after hearing Dizzy Gillespie's Hot House while recovering from injuries sustained in the army.[1] He attended the Detroit Institute of Music, and studied with pianist Barry Harris.[1]

In Detroit, he played with Lester Young, Wardell Gray, and Lucky Thompson.[1] He moved to New York in 1956 and began playing with Charles Mingus's Jazz Workshop in 1957.[1] Among his credits with Mingus is Tijuana Moods.[1] On East Coasting, Shaw used a Harmon mute, although he was initially wary of using it, given its association with the sound of Miles Davis.[2] Later in 1957 he destroyed his instrument and quit music over a fight with Mingus.[1] He did not return to playing until 1962, after which time he formed his own ensemble.[1] He retired again in 1964 and returned to music once more in 1968.[1] He died in Los Angeles on August 17, 1973.[1] For many years, Gene was an active member of the Chicago Gurdjieff society and a student of Fourth Way psychology, including its music.