List of jazz musicians
A jazz musician is someone who plays or sings jazz music. Jazz musicians must be good improvisers and have a thorough knowledge of musical scales.
Some of the most famous jazz musicians
Noted jazz figures by period
Early jazz musicians
Middle period
- Paul Whiteman, (1890-1967)
- Benny Goodman, (1909-1986)
- Glenn Miller, (1904-1944)
- Artie Shaw, (Born 1910)
- Tommy Dorsey, (1905-1956)
- Jimmy Dorsey, (1904-1957)
- Cab Calloway, (1907-1994)
- Fats Waller, (1904-1943)
- Charlie Christian, (1918-1942)
- Count Basie, (1904-1984)
- Duke Ellington, (1899-1974)
- Benny Carter, (1907-2003)
Modern innovators
Noted jazz figures by instrument
See also: Jazz Bassists
- Fred Katz, (born 1919)
- Ernst Reijseger, (born 1954)
- Erik Friedlander, (born 1960)
- Mark Summer
See Jazz Clarinetists
- Ackerbilk
- Alphonse Picou, (1878-1961)
- Big Eye Louis Nelson Deslile
- Alcide Nunez, (1884-1934)
- Wilber Sweatman, (1882-1961)
- Jimmy Noone, (1895-1944)
- Larry Shields, (1893-1953)
- Johnny Dankworth
- Johnny Dodds
- Sidney Bechet, (1897-1959)
- Barney Bigard, (1906-1980)
- Jimmy Hamilton
- Benny Goodman, (1909-1986)
- Edmond Hall
- Peanuts Hucko
- Artie Shaw, (born 1910)
- Pee Wee Russell
- Woody Herman, (1913-1987)
- Pete Fountain, (born 1930)
- Buddy DeFranco
- Jimmy Giuffre
- Louis Sclavis
- Joe Muranyi
- Kenny Davern
- Bob Wilbur
See Jazz Drummers
See Jazz Guitarists
- Frank Gambale
- Lonnie Johnson
- Eddie Lang, (1902-1933)
- Charlie Christian, (1918-1942)
- Wes Montgomery, (1923-1968)
- Barney Kessell
- Herb Ellis
- Snoozer Quinn
- Emily Remler
- Django Reinhardt, (1910-1953)
- Joe Pass, (1929-1994)
- Pat Martino
- George Benson, (born 1943)
- Jim Hall
- Scott Henderson
- Larry Coryell
- Pat Metheny, (born 1954)
- Bill Frisell
- John McLaughlin
- Stanley Jordan, (born 1959)
- Kenny Burrell
- Tal Farlow
- Grant Green, (1931-1979)
- Jimmy Raney
- Chuck Wayne
- Derek Bailey, (born 1932)
- Sonny Sharrock
- Andy Summers
See also: Jazz pianists
- Muhal Richard Abrams
- Paul Bley
- Dave Brubeck, (born 1920)
- Rainer Brüninghaus, (born 1949)
- Nat "King" Cole
- Chick Corea, (born 1941)
- Count Basie, (1904-1984)
- Duke Ellington, (1899-1974)
- Bill Evans, (1929-1980)
- Fats Waller, (1904-1943)
- Herbie Hancock, (born 1940)
- Earl Hines, (1903-1983)
- Keith Jarrett, (born 1945)
- J. Eric Johnson(1954-)
- James P. Johnson
- Jelly Roll Morton, (1890-1941)
- Lyle Mays
- John Mehegan
- Brad Mehldau
- Thelonious Monk, (1920-1982)
- Mike Nock
- Walter Norris
- Oscar Peterson, (1925-)
- Bud Powell, (1924-1966)
- Horace Silver
- Fred Simon
- Willie "The Lion" Smith
- Bobo Stenson
- Horace Tapscott
- Art Tatum, (1909-1956)
- Cecil Taylor, (born 1930)
- John Taylor
- McCoy Tyner
- Teddy Wilson, (1912-1986)
- Pepper Adams (baritone)
- Julian "Cannonball" Adderley (1928-1975), (alto)
- Albert Ayler, (1936-1970), (alto, tenor)
- Sidney Bechet, (1897-1959), (soprano)
- Anthony Braxton (alto)
- Michael Brecker (tenor)
- Peter Brötzmann (alto, tenor, bass)
- Don Byas (tenor)
- Harry Carney (baritone)
- James Carter (all saxes - from soprano to bass)
- Luciano Caruso (soprano)
- Al Cohn (tenor)
- Ornette Coleman, (born 1930), (alto)
- Steve Coleman (alto)
- John Coltrane, (1926-1967), (tenor, soprano, flute)
- Paul Desmond, (1924-1977), (alto)
- Kenny G (soprano, alto, tenor)
- Kenny Garrett (alto)
- Stan Getz, (1927-1991), (tenor)
- Dexter Gordon, (1923-1990), (tenor)
- Coleman Hawkins, (1901?-1969), (tenor)
- Johnny Hodges, (1906-1970), (alto)
- Louis Jordan, (1908-1975), (alto)
- Rahsaan Roland Kirk, (1935-1977), (all saxes - including some of his own creation)
- Dave Koz (alto, soprano, tenor, baritone)
- David Sanborn (alto)
- Boney James (tenor, alto, soprano)
- Joe Lovano (tenor)
- Branford Marsalis, (born 1960), (tenor, soprano)
- Jackie McLean (alto)
- Bob Mintzer (tenor)
- Hank Mobley (tenor)
- Gerry Mulligan, (1927-1996), (baritone)
- David Murray, (born 1955)
- Charlie Parker, (1920-1955), (alto)
- Candy Dulfer (alto)
- Hans Dulfer (tenor)
- Evan Parker (soprano)
- Maceo Parker, (1943-?) (alto)
- Boyd Raeburn (bass)
- Joshua Redman (tenor)
- Adrian Rollini (bass, baritone, goofus)
- Sonny Rollins, (born 1930), (tenor)
- Wayne Shorter (tenor, soprano)
- Zoot Sims, (1925-1985), (tenor)
- Sonny Stitt (alto, tenor)
- Richard Elliot (tenor)
- Grover Washington Jr., (1943-1999)
- Ben Webster (tenor)
- Juli Wood (tenor)
- Lester Young, (born 1909), (tenor)
- John Zorn (born 1953, alto)
See Jazz Trombonists
See also Jazz Trumpeters
- Henry Red Allen, (1908-1967)
- Louis Armstrong, (1901-1971)
- Kenny Ball
- Chet Baker, (died 1988)
- Chris Barber
- Bix Beiderbecke, (1903-1931)
- Buddy Bolden, (1877-1930)
- Clifford Brown, (1930-1956)
- Donald Byrd
- Don Cherry, (1936-1995)
- Miles Davis, (1926-1991)
- Roy Eldridge, (1911-1989)
- Maynard Ferguson, (born 1928)
- Dizzy Gillespie, (1917-1993)
- Freddie Hubbard
- Freddie Keppard, (1890-1933)
- Tommy Ladnier, (1900-1939)
- Humphrey Lyttelton, (born 1921)
- Wynton Marsalis
- Lee Morgan, (1938-1972)
- Fats Navarro
- Joe "King" Oliver, (1885-1938)
- Ralf Rickert
- Woody Shaw
- Markus Stockhausen
- Clark Terry (born 1920)
- Eric Vloeimans, (born 1963)
- Cuong Vu
- Tomasz Stanko, (born 1942)
- Ernestine Anderson
- Ivie (Ivy) Anderson, (1904-1949)
- Louis Armstrong, (1901-1971)
- Patti Austin
- Mildred Bailey, (1907-1951)
- Anita Baker
- Josephine Baker
- Tony Bennett
- Dee Dee Bridgewater
- Cab Calloway, (1907-1994)
- Betty Carter, (died 1998)
- Eva Cassidy, (1963-1996)
- Ray Charles, (1930-2004)
- June Christie
- Rosemary Clooney
- Nat King Cole, (1919-1965)
- Blossom Dearie
- Billy Eckstine, (died 1993)
- Ethel Ennis
- Ella Fitzgerald, (1918-1996)
- Roberta Flack
- Johnny Hartman
- Jon Hendricks
- Billie Holiday, (1915-1959)
- Shirley Horn
- Lena Horne, (born 1917)
- Alberta Hunter
- Phyllis Hyman
- Etta James, (born 1938)
- Al Jarreau
- Eddie Jefferson
- Etta Jones
- Sheila Jordan
- Morgana King
- Eartha Kitt
- Cleo Laine
- Peggy Lee, (1920-2002)
- Abby Lincoln
- Gloria Lynne
- Bobby McFerrin, (born 1950)
- Carmen McRae
- Mabel Mercer
- Anita O'Day, (born 1919)
- Esther Phillips
- Della Reese
- Jimmy Rushing, (1902-1972)
- Nina Simone, (1933-2003)
- Bessie Smith, (1894-1937)
- Frank Sinatra
- Phoebe Snow
- Maxine Sullivan
- Leon Thomas, (?-1992)
- Mel Torme
- Sarah Vaughan, (1924-1990)
- Dinah Washington, (1924-1963)
- Ethel Waters, (1896-1977)
- Leo Watson
- Lee Wiley (1915-1975)
- Joe Williams, (1918-1999)
- Cassandra Wilson
- Nancy Wilson
Multi-instrumentalists
- Sidney Bechet, (1897-1959), (clarinet, soprano sax, trumpet, bass, drums)
- Eric Dolphy, (1928-1964), (bass clarinet, clarinet, flute, alto sax)
- Yusef Lateef (tenor sax, flute, oboe, many other woodwinds)
- Jaki Byard (alto sax, piano)
- Ray Nance (trumpet, violin)
- Mark Ledford
- Benny Carter, (1907-2003), (alto sax, trumpet)
- Ira Sullivan (various reeds and brass)
- David Moss (vocals, drums, electronics)
- Sun Ra, (died 1993)
- John Surman (saxes, clarinets, piano, synthesizer)
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