Last December, Mac stopped by the Blue Note and told me he was going to be performing a month of Sunday Brunches with his Smokin' Section in January of 2000. Talk about perfect timing and "Nostalgia." I had just finished listening to a copy of a four-hour 1966 WRVR radio broadcast of "Just Jazz With Ed Beach" featuring his extensive profile on bebop trumpet legend, Theodore "Fats" Navarro. For those unfamiliar with Mr. Beach (who is still alive and well and living in Oregon), from 1962-1976, he was the undisputed king of New York jazz radio, known for his distinctive on-air style. wit and most important encyclopedic knowledge of jazz.
   Bac to Mac! After listening to the Ed Beach profile of "Fats," I realized that Y2K would not only be the dawn of the new millennium, but the 50th anniversary of "Fats" Navarro's untimely death at the age of 26. For the record, "Fats" died in New York City on July 7, 1950 just ten weeks shy of his 27th birthday. Knowing Mac and I had a great affinity for "Fats's" music, I thought what better way to honor this trumpet master's life and death than with a "full-blown" tribute from another trumpet master' I immediately suggested that he perform those January brunches at the Blue Note in honor of "Fats" and his music. To my (and our) delight, Gollehon jumped at the idea I loaned him the 'Just Jazz' tapes for additional inspiration and the rest is musical history.
   The success of those brunches and the wonderful music that came out of them, became the foundation for this studio recording, Mac, a great performer and student of jazz in his own right readily acknowledges "Fats's" unique contribution as one of bebop's foremost trumpet ambassadors. In addition to being what today's parlance of hip terms a 'phat' soloist, Navarro was also an incredible composer. With this in mind, Gollehon instinctively knew which tunes to select from "Fat's" repertoire to record "a la Navarro" and which tunes to perform "a la Gollehon. The end result that you now are about to put in your CD player does a stellar job showcasing Gollehon's prodigious talents while at the same time respecting Navarro's undeniable genius.
   I'm happy to report, that with the release of this CD, the legacy of a certified, yet somewhat lesser-known bebop master lives on in Mac Gollehon's trumpet I feel privileged to have played a pivotal, behind-the-scenes "A&R" role in this project and hope you, the astute listener will also celebrate and savor the fruits of Mac Gollehon's powerful, yet loving tribute to Theodore "Fats" Navarro.