Born: August 19, 1954 Primary Instrument: Trumpet
Tim Hagans (born August 19, 1954) is a hard bop trumpeter and composer.
He grew up in Dayton, Ohio playing in school bands. His early inspirations included Miles Davis, Herb Alpert, Sly Stone, and Blood, Sweat and Tears. In his late teens, Hagans joined the Stan Kenton Orchestra.
Hagans enrolled at Bowling Green State University, where he majored in music education. After the summer of 1974, however, Hagans dropped out of school to join Stan Kenton's band.
In 1977, Hagans left Kenton to join up with Herman, but only for four weeks. He then left for Europe where he lived in Malmö, Sweden, a hotbed of the European jazz scene. While in Europe, he played with Dexter Gordon, Kenny Drew, Horace Parlan, and Thad Jones. When he came back to the United States, Hagans taught music at the University of Cincinnati from 1982-84 and the Berklee College of Music from 1984-87. In 1987, he moved to New York City.
