List of jazz musicians

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

• Louis Armstrong, (1901-1971)
• Duke Ellington, (1899-1974)
• Charlie Parker, (1920-1955)
• Dizzy Gillespie, (1917-1993)
• Miles Davis, (1926-1991)
• John Coltrane (1926-1967)
• Ornette Coleman, (born 1930)

Noted jazz figures by period

Early jazz musicians

• Jelly Roll Morton, (1890-1941)
• Joe King Oliver, (1885-1938)
• Louis Armstrong, (1901-1971)
• Original Dixieland Jass Band
• Sidney Bechet, (1897-1959)
• Bix Beiderbecke, (1903-1931)
• Red Nichols, (1905-1965)

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)

Modern innovators

• Dave Brubeck, (born 1920)
• John Coltrane, (1926-1967)
• Miles Davis, (1926-1991)
• Charles Mingus, (1922-1979)
• Charlie Parker, (1920-1955)
• Dizzy Gillespie, (1917-1993)

Noted jazz figures by instrument

Bass

• Bill Johnson, (1872-1972)
• Pops Foster[?]
• Wellman Braud, (1891-1966)
• Steve Brown[?]
• Al Morgan[?]
• Milt Hinton[?]
• Jimmy Blanton[?]
• Ray Brown[?], (died 2002)
• Oscar Pettiford[?]
• Marcus Miller, (1975-2000)
• Charles Mingus, (1922-1979)
• Eugene Wright[?]
• Paul Chambers[?]
• Stanley Clarke
• Ron Carter, (born 1937)
• Steve Rodby[?]
• Charlie Haden[?]
• Stuart Hamm
• Dave Holland[?]
• Dr. Art Davis[?]
• Gary Willis[?]
• Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen[?]

Clarinet

• 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 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

• Baby Dodds
• Paul Barbarin, (born 1902)
• Dave Tough[?]
• 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[?]
• Buddy Rich[?], (1917-1987)
• Kenny Clarke[?], (born 1914)
• Elvin Jones[?]
• Billy Higgins[?]

Guitar

• 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)

Piano

• Jelly Roll Morton, (1890-1941)
• Willie The Lion Smith[?]
• James P. Johnson
• Earl Hines[?], (1903-1983)
• Duke Ellington, (1899-1974)
• Count Basie, (1904-1984)
• Fats Waller, (1904-1943)
• Art Tatum, (1909-1956)
• Dave Brubeck, (born 1920)
• Bud Powell, (1924-1966)
• John Mehegan
• Brad Mehldau[?]
• Thelonious Monk, (1920-1982)
• Bill Evans, (1929-1980)
• Oscar Peterson, (1925-)
• Chick Corea[?], (born 1941)
• Herbie Hancock, (born 1940)
• Keith Jarrett, (born 1945)
• Cecil Taylor, (born 1930)
• Lyle Mays[?]
• Fred Simon[?]
• Horace Tapscott[?]
• John Taylor

Saxophone

• Julian Cannonball Adderley (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)
• Cannonball Adderley[?], (1928-1975), (alto)
• 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)
• Wayne Shorter[?] (tenor, soprano)
• Stan Getz[?], (1927-1991), (tenor)
• Hank Mobley[?] (tenor)
• Sonny Rollins, (born 1930), (tenor)
• Zoot Sims[?] (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)

Trombone

• Kid Ory
• Tom Brown, (1888-1958)
• Charlie Green[?]
• Roy Palmer[?]
• 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

• 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[?]
• David Douglas, (1799-1834)
• Markus Stockhausen[?]
• Maynard Ferguson, (born 1928)

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)
• Mildred Bailey[?], (1907-1951)
• Cab Calloway, (1907-1994)
• Betty Carter[?], (died 1998)
• Eva Cassidy, (1963-1996)
• Billy Eckstine, (died 1993)
• Ella Fitzgerald, (1918-1996)
• Lena Horne[?], (born 1917)
• Johnny Hartman[?]
• Billie Holiday, (1915-1959)
• Etta James, (born 1938)
• Sheila Jordan[?]
• Peggy Lee, (1920-2002)
• Bobby McFerrin[?], (born 1950)
• Anita O'Day, (born 1919)
• Jimmy Rushing, (1902-1972)
• 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)

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[?], (born 1907), (alto sax, trumpet)
• Ira Sullivan[?] (various reeds and brass)
• David Moss[?] (vocals, drums, electronics)
• Sun Ra, (died 1993)
• John Surman[?] (saxes, clarinets, piano, synthesizer)
• Hans Jürgen Buchner[?] (saxes, trombone, trumpet, fluegelhorn)

Organ-Players

• Barbara Dennerlein, (Hammond-B3,synthesizer)