From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
A jazz musician is someone who plays 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
Modern innovators
Noted jazz figures by instrument
Cello
Clarinet
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
Drums
See Jazz Drummers- Baby Dodds
- Paul Barbarin, (born 1902)
- Dave Tough
- Sonny Greer
- Louis Bellson
- Dave Weckl
- Big Sid Catlett
- Joe Morello
- Cal Tjader, (1925-1982), (bongos)
- Chick Webb
- Tony Williams, (1945-1997)
- Max Roach
- Paul Wertico, (born 1953)
- Antonio Sanchez
- Gene Krupa, (1909-1973)
- Buddy Rich, (1917-1987)
- Kenny Clarke, (born 1914)
- Elvin Jones
- Billy Higgins
- Frank Capp
- Ed Blackwell
Guitar
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
Piano
See also: Jazz pianists- Muhal Richard Abrams
- Paul Bley
- Dave Brubeck, (born 1920)
- 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)
- Fred Simon
- Willie The Lion Smith
- Bobo Stenson
- Horace Tapscott
- Art Tatum, (1909-1956)
- Cecil Taylor, (born 1930)
- John Taylor
Saxophone
- Julian Cannonball Adderley (1928-1975), (alto)
- Sidney Bechet, (1897-1959), (soprano)
- Luciano Caruso (soprano)
- Coleman Hawkins, (1901?-1969), (tenor)
- Adrian Rollini (bass, baritone, goofus)
- Lester Young, (born 1909), (tenor)
- Ben Webster (tenor)
- Johnny Hodges, (1906-1970), (alto)
- Harry Carney (baritone)
- Dexter Gordon, (1923-1990), (tenor)
- John Coltrane, (1926-1967), (tenor, soprano, flute)
- Paul Desmond, (1924-1977), (alto)
- Gerry Mulligan, (1927-1996), (baritone)
- Charlie Parker, (1920-1955), (alto)
- Evan Parker (soprano)
- Maceo Parker, (1943-?) (alto)
- Wayne Shorter (tenor, soprano)
- Stan Getz, (1927-1991), (tenor)
- Hank Mobley (tenor)
- Sonny Rollins, (born 1930), (tenor)
- Zoot Sims, (1925-1985), (tenor)
- David Murray, (born 1955)
- Branford Marsalis, (born 1960), (tenor, soprano)
- Rahsaan Roland Kirk, (1935-1977), (all saxes - including some of his own creation)
- Kenny Garrett (alto)
- Joshua Redman (tenor)
- Ornette Coleman, (born 1930), (alto)
- Anthony Braxton (alto)
- Steve Coleman (alto)
- Albert Ayler, (1936-1970), (alto, tenor)
- Peter Brötzmann (alto, tenor, bass)
- Jackie McLean (alto)
- John Zorn (born 1953, alto)
Trombone
See Jazz Trombonists- Kid Ory
- Tom Brown, (1888-1958)
- Charlie Green
- Roy Palmer
- Lawrence Brown
- Miff Mole
- J.C. Higgenbotham
- Dickie Wells
- J.J. Johnson, (1924-2001)
- Kai Winding, (1922-1983)
- Jack Teagarden, (1905-1964)
- Steve Turre
- Bob Brookmeyer
- Ray Anderson
Trumpet
See also Jazz Trumpeters- Kenny Ball
- Chris Barber
- Buddy Bolden, (1877-1930)
- Freddie Keppard, (1890-1933)
- Joe King Oliver, (1885-1938)
- Louis Armstrong, (1901-1971)
- Bix Beiderbecke, (1903-1931)
- Tommy Ladnier, (1900-1939)
- Henry Red Allen, (1908-1967)
- Fats Navarro
- Roy Eldridge, (1911-1989)
- Clifford Brown, (1930-1956)
- Dizzy Gillespie, (1917-1993)
- Miles Davis, (1926-1991)
- Chet Baker, (died 1988)
- Donald Byrd
- Lee Morgan, (1938-1972)
- Freddie Hubbard
- Humphrey Lyttelton, (born 1921)
- Woody Shaw
- Don Cherry, (1936-1995)
- Cuong Vu
- Eric Vloeimans, (born 1963)
- Markus Stockhausen
- Maynard Ferguson, (born 1928)
- Clark Terry (born 1920)
Vibraphone
- Paul Barbarin, (born 1902)
- Milt Jackson
- Red Norvo
- Lionel Hampton, (1908-2002)
- Cal Tjader, (1925-1982)
Violin
- Armand Piron, (1888-1943)
- Joe Venuti, (1894-1978)
- Stuff Smith
- Stephane Grappelli, (1908-1997)
- Jean-Luc Ponty
Vocal
- Louis Armstrong, (1901-1971)
- Ivy Anderson, (died 1998)
- Mildred Bailey, (1907-1951)
- Cab Calloway, (1907-1994)
- Betty Carter, (died 1998)
- Eva Cassidy, (1963-1996)
- Ray Charles, (born 1930)
- Nat King Cole, (1919-65)
- Billy Eckstine, (died 1993)
- Ella Fitzgerald, (1918-1996)
- Lena Horne, (born 1917)
- Johnny Hartman
- Billie Holiday, (1915-1959)
- Etta James, (born 1938)
- Sheila Jordan
- Cleo Laine
- Peggy Lee, (1920-2002)
- Bobby McFerrin, (born 1950)
- Anita O'Day, (born 1919)
- Jimmy Rushing, (1902-1972)
- Nina Simone, (1928-2003)
- Bessie Smith, (1894-1937)
- Frank Sinatra, (1915-1998)
- Sarah Vaughan, (1924-1990)
- Dinah Washington, (1924-1963)
- Ethel Waters, (1896-1977)
- Leo Watson
- Joe Williams, (1918-1999)
- Jon Hendricks
- Eddie Jefferson
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)
Organ-Players
- Barbara Dennerlein, (Hammond-B3,synthesizer)
- Jimmy Smith
- Larry Young
- John Patton
