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Apr 2, 2023 · 44 Of The Greatest And Most Famous Jazz Musicians Of All Time. Written by Dan Farrant. Last updated 2nd April 2023. Compared to the centuries-long history of Western classical music, jazz music—what some would call the greatest art form of America—is a much younger art form that dates back to the early 20th century.
- 3 min
- Duke Ellington. Born: 1899. Best known as the leader of his long-running Duke Ellington Orchestra, Ellington is the most recorded, and arguably greatest, jazz composer in history, with tunes like Satin Doll , Don’t Get Around Much Anymore, Mood Indigo, and hundreds of other jazz standards to his name.
- Louis Armstrong. Born: 1901. After growing up in extreme poverty in New Orleans, jazz trumpeter Louis Armstrong broke down racial barriers and became a hugely famous mainstream celebrity at a time when this was unusual for African Americans.
- Count Basie. Born: 1904. For many, the Count Basie Orchestra, with its vibrato-drenched, deeply swinging sound, is the quintessential big band in jazz. Count Basie had played piano with two important early swing bands (Walter Page’s Blue Devils and Bennie Moten’s orchestra) before forming his own Kansas-based outfit in 1935.
- Coleman Hawkins. Born: 1904. Hawk, or Bean as he was also sometimes nicknamed, is widely regarded as the father of jazz saxophone which, remarkably, was not really considered a jazz instrument until his emergence in the 1920s.
- Charles Waring
- 5 min
- Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996) Born in Newport News, Virginia, Ella Fitzgerald earned the title “The First Lady Of Song” due to her peerless vocal abilities.
- Duke Ellington (1899-1974) Between 1927 and 1974, Washington DC-born Duke Ellington commanded one of the finest ensembles in jazz. A pianist by trade – he played in a unique staccato style – Ellington made his name performing at Harlem’s famous Cotton Club in the late 20s where his orchestra helped to usher in the big band swing movement.
- Louis Armstrong (1901-1971) Nicknamed “Satchmo” or “Pops,” New Orleans-born Louis Armstrong was one of jazz’s most significant founding fathers and played a profoundly influential role in exporting the music to other parts of the world.
- Miles Davis (1926-1991) A trumpeter and bandleader from East St. Louis, Illinois, Miles Davis is arguably the most influential jazz musician of all time.
- Miles Davis. 1,636 votes. Miles Davis, a true innovator, pushed the boundaries of jazz with his pioneering approaches to improvisation, harmonic structure, and instrumentation.
- Louis Armstrong. 1,537 votes. A founding father of jazz, Louis Armstrong's impact on the genre remains unparalleled, as his virtuosic trumpet playing and distinctive gravelly voice laid the foundation for its future.
- John Coltrane. 1,391 votes. John Coltrane's powerful saxophone playing and relentless pursuit of innovation make him a true titan of jazz. With a career spanning bebop, hard bop, modal jazz, and the avant-garde, Coltrane consistently reinvented his sound and expanded the boundaries of jazz expression.
- Art Tatum. 1,176 votes. Art Tatum's jaw-dropping technique and incomprehensible speed on the piano place him among the greatest pianists in jazz history and arguably of all genres.
- Louis Armstrong. Louis Armstrong is widely regarded as the best jazz artist of all time. He was a singer and a trumpeter, and his music made a huge impact on the jazz music scene of the 1920s.
- Ella Fitzgerald. Known as the ‘First Lady of Song’, Ella Fitzgerald is by far one of the most legendary jazz musicians in music history. Her purity of tone, phrasing, and improvisational abilities were impeccable.
- Miles Davis. Needless to say, Miles Davis was one of the jazz greats. He was a brilliant trumpeter, bandleader, and composer, and he is widely regarded as one of the leading jazz figures of the 20th century.
- Duke Ellington. When thinking about the most famous jazz musicians in history, Duke Ellington immediately comes to mind. His name became synonymous with jazz music, and his impact on the whole genre is immense.
May 16, 2023 · The 50 Best Jazz Singers Of All Time. From loud, robust voices to delicate and refined ones, vocal gymnasts and smooth balladeers, the 50 best jazz singers ever is a varied and stunning list....
Jun 2, 2023 · The Best Jazz Musicians of All Time – 40 Legendary Jazz Artists. Published by Jazzfuel.com - June 2, 2023. Of course, there’s no way to come up with a definitive list of the best jazz musicians of all time.
