Trumpeter and flugelhornist
Harry Beckett was a Barbados-born British émigré whose gorgeous tone almost always put him in historic company. He played with
Mingus and the leading lights of the '60s, '70s, and '80s British jazz scene, including
Graham Collier,
Mike Westbrook,
John Surman,
Stan Tracey,
Courtney Pine, and
Django Bates. He also worked with rock musicians and electronic, dub, and reggae producer
Adrian Sherwood, who helmed Beckett's final album in 2008. 1975's
Joy Unlimited is Beckett's classic. Once a forgotten collector's holy grail, its rediscovery ranks it as one of the finest jazz outings of the '70s. Like saxophonist and fellow Caribbean émigré
Joe Harriott, Beckett pioneered a distinct brand of Caribbean- and African-infused jazz. Their recordings deeply influenced a new generation of London jazz players including
Shabaka Hutchings,
Nubya Garcia,
Binker Golding, and
Yazz Ahmed.