This Blue Note album was compiled from the 1947–49 recordings of Theodore "Fats" Navarro following his death at the age of 26 due to illness and addiction. He played alongside the giants of the bebop generation, including Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, and Tadd Dameron. He was admired not only for his full-bodied trumpet tone, which carried on the tradition of the previous generation, but also for his clear and precise melodic phrasing and modern improvisations, comparable to those of the greatest players. On the memorial album tracks, he performed with mixed lineups, including trumpeter Howard McGhee and pianist Dameron, always maintaining the same dynamism and cheerful, communicative attitude. This compilation features nearly the entire great, pioneering generation of musicians; the MAO soloists will now evoke the quintet numbers from this album in their own interpretation.