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Booker Little was an American jazz trumpeter born on April 2, 1938, in Memphis, Tennessee. He passed away on October 5, 1961, in New York City, New York, due to uremia at the young age of 23. Little was the younger brother of an operatic contralto and a cousin of another trumpeter. He grew up in a musically inclined family, initially starting with the trombone, then switching to clarinet at age twelve, and finally discovering his passion for the trumpet at fourteen. In 1954, he moved to Chicago, Illinois, to study at the Chicago Conservatory, where he earned a degree in trumpet while also studying composition, theory, orchestration, and taking a minor in piano. During a recording session, he met drummer Max Roach in 1955 and joined his band, the Max Roach Four. However, balancing school and the band proved challenging, leading to his temporary replacement. After graduating, he rejoined Roach's band in 1958 and made his recording debut on "Max Roach + 4 on the Chicago Scene" that same year. Later, in October 1958, he recorded his first LP as a bandleader titled "Booker Little 4 & Max Roach."

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