Jazz

American composer (1900–1990) and a defining figure of 20th-century classical music. He sought to forge a distinctly American musical style by weaving together elements of jazz, folk music, and popular traditions.

American jazz singer, songwriter, and actress, a major figure of artistic commitment to the civil rights movement. Her expressive voice and her lyrics make her an emblematic artist of 20th-century jazz.

Adelaide Hall was an American jazz singer, later a naturalized British citizen, with an exceptionally long career. A pioneer of wordless singing, she rose to prominence in 1927 alongside **Duke Ellington** before becoming a star of the European stage.

American jazz pianist, harpist, organist and composer, a major figure of spiritual jazz. The wife of John Coltrane, she pursued a body of work blending modal jazz, Indian music and a mystical quest.

American jazz singer (1919-2006), a major figure of swing and later bebop vocals. She rose to fame as the vocalist of the big bands of Gene Krupa and Stan Kenton, distinguishing herself through her rhythmic, percussive phrasing and her mastery of scat singing.

British-American jazz singer and actress, a pioneer of vocalese. A member of the trio Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, she is famous for setting lyrics to instrumental solos, notably her standard “Twisted” (1952).

American jazz drummer and a major figure of hard bop. For over thirty years he founded and led the Jazz Messengers, a band that launched many young musicians who went on to become some of the biggest names in jazz.

Arthur "Art" Tatum (1909-1956) was an American jazz pianist, regarded as one of the greatest virtuosos in the history of the piano. Nearly blind from birth, he revolutionized piano technique through his velocity, his daring harmonies, and his reharmonizations.

Argentine composer and bandoneon player (1921–1992), Astor Piazzolla revolutionized traditional tango by creating "tango nuevo," a fusion of tango, jazz, and classical music. He is considered one of the most influential musicians in 20th-century Latin America.

Brazilian-American singer born in 1940 and died in 2023, an iconic figure of bossa nova. Her soft, understated voice on “The Girl from Ipanema” (1964) introduced this Brazilian style to the entire world.

Barbara Carroll (1925-2017) was an American jazz pianist and singer, regarded as one of the first women to play bebop on the piano. She enjoyed a long career in the clubs of New York.

Ben Webster (1909–1973) was an American tenor saxophonist and a towering figure in jazz. He rose to prominence as a member of Duke Ellington's orchestra in the 1940s, developing a warm and expressive style that established him as one of the greatest soloists in jazz history.

American clarinetist and bandleader (1909-1986), nicknamed “the King of Swing”. He helped bring jazz to mainstream white audiences and racially integrated his bands during the 1930s and 1940s.

Bessie Smith (1894–1937) was an American singer nicknamed the “Empress of the Blues.” A towering figure of classic blues in the 1920s, she helped popularize the genre and paved the way for Black American artists.

Betty Carter was an American jazz singer, famous for her art of vocal improvisation and scat. A major figure of bebop, she left her mark on vocal jazz in the second half of the 20th century with her rhythmic and melodic freedom.

Bill Evans (1929-1980) was an American jazz pianist, one of the most influential of the 20th century. His lyrical playing with its impressionistic harmonies and his approach to the trio make him a major figure in modern jazz, notably through his contribution to Miles Davis's album *Kind of Blue*.

Blossom Dearie (1924-2009) was an American jazz pianist and singer, recognizable by her light, delicate voice. A figure of intimate vocal jazz, she accompanied herself on piano in the clubs of New York and Paris.

French writer, musician, and artist (1920–1959), an iconic figure of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Author of Froth on the Daydream, he embodied the spirit of the postwar generation, blending jazz, literature, and provocation.

Bud Powell was an American jazz pianist and composer, regarded as one of the greatest pianists of bebop. He transposed to the piano the harmonic and rhythmic language invented by Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, leaving a lasting influence on the piano playing of modern jazz.

American jazz alto saxophonist, a major figure of hard bop and soul jazz. A member of the Miles Davis sextet on the album *Kind of Blue* (1959), he went on to lead his own quintet with his brother, cornetist Nat Adderley.

Carla Bley (1936-2023) was an American jazz composer, pianist, and bandleader. A leading figure of the avant-garde, she left her mark on free jazz and large-ensemble composition, notably with her jazz opera *Escalator over the Hill*.

Carmen McRae (1922-1994) was an American jazz singer and pianist, regarded as one of the greatest vocal jazz voices of the 20th century. Known for her phrasing that lagged behind the beat and her subtle, ironic interpretation of lyrics, she stands in the lineage of Billie Holiday.

Charles Mingus (1922-1979) was an American jazz double bassist, composer, and bandleader. A major figure in modern jazz, he is renowned for his virtuoso playing and his ambitious compositions blending gospel, blues, and collective improvisation.

Charlie Parker, nicknamed “Bird,” was an American alto saxophonist and composer. With Dizzy Gillespie, he founded bebop in the late 1940s, revolutionizing jazz through his virtuosity and harmonic sense. His dazzling career was cut short by addiction.

Chet Baker (1929-1988) was an American jazz trumpeter and singer, a major figure of West Coast cool jazz. His soft, lyrical trumpet tone and his fragile voice made him an icon, despite a life marked by addiction.

Cleo Laine is a British jazz singer and actress, famous for her deep timbre and an exceptional vocal range of more than three octaves. The lifelong companion of saxophonist and bandleader John Dankworth, she became one of the major figures of 20th-century British vocal jazz.

Clora Bryant (1927-2019) was an American jazz trumpeter, one of the very few women to establish herself as a soloist in bebop. A key figure on the Central Avenue scene in Los Angeles, she rubbed shoulders with the greatest musicians of her time.

Coleman Hawkins (1904-1969) was an American tenor saxophonist widely regarded as the father of the jazz saxophone. He was one of the first to establish the saxophone as a jazz solo instrument and influenced generations of musicians.

William James Basie, known as Count Basie (1904-1984), was an American pianist, organist, and bandleader. A major figure in jazz, he led one of the most famous big bands in history, contributing to the rise of swing in the 1930s–1940s.

Dakota Staton (1930-2007) was an American jazz and blues singer. She rose to fame in the late 1950s and enjoyed huge success with her album The Late, Late Show in 1957.

French composer born in Aix-en-Provence in 1892, member of the Groupe des Six. He developed polytonality and drew inspiration from American jazz and Latin American music to create a prolific body of work of more than 400 opus.

Dexter Gordon (1923-1990) was an African American jazz tenor saxophonist and a major figure of bebop. A pioneer of his instrument in this style, he enjoyed a long career between the United States and Europe, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1987.

American singer (1924-1963), nicknamed the “Queen of the Blues.” A major figure in jazz, blues, and rhythm and blues during the 1940s and 1950s, she left her mark on African American music through her incisive phrasing and expressive voice.

An American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader, Dizzy Gillespie was, alongside Charlie Parker, one of the principal founders of bebop in the 1940s. A trumpet virtuoso recognizable by his bent-bell horn and his puffed-out cheeks, he was also a pioneer of Afro-Cuban jazz.

Dorothy Ashby was an American jazz harpist and composer, considered one of the pioneers who established the harp as a fully-fledged solo instrument in jazz. Active from the 1950s to the 1980s, she blended jazz, world music, and soul.

Duke Ellington (1899-1974) was an American pianist, composer, and bandleader, a central figure in jazz. For nearly half a century, he led his big band and composed thousands of works that elevated jazz to the status of a major art form.

Ella Fitzgerald (1917–1996) is considered one of the greatest jazz singers of all time. Nicknamed the “First Lady of Song,” she revolutionized jazz singing through her mastery of scat and the exceptional range of her voice.

Eric Dolphy (1928-1964) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist, a virtuoso of the alto saxophone, the flute, and the bass clarinet. A major figure of avant-garde jazz and free jazz, he collaborated with Charles Mingus, John Coltrane, and Ornette Coleman before dying prematurely at the age of 36.

Ethel Waters (1896-1977) was an African American singer and actress. A pioneer of jazz and vocal blues, she broke through racial barriers on Broadway, in film, and on American television, becoming one of the most famous Black artists of the first half of the 20th century.

African American jazz pianist, organist, composer and singer, a major figure of stride piano. A virtuoso showman, he left his mark on the jazz of the 1920s-1930s with standards like “Ain't Misbehavin'” and “Honeysuckle Rose.”

Flora Purim is a Brazilian jazz singer born in 1942 in Rio de Janeiro. A major figure in jazz fusion, she is celebrated for her remarkably wide vocal range and her pioneering role in bringing together Brazilian music and American jazz.

Freddie Hubbard (1938-2008) was an American jazz trumpeter, one of the major figures of hard bop. Blessed with a brilliant technique and a dazzling sound, he left his mark on the 1960s and 1970s before broadening his style toward jazz fusion.

American composer and pianist (1898–1937), George Gershwin revolutionized music by blending jazz, blues, and classical music. The creator of Rhapsody in Blue and the opera Porgy and Bess, he is one of the defining symbols of twentieth-century American culture.

Gerry Mulligan (1927-1996) was an American baritone saxophonist, composer, and arranger, a major figure of cool jazz. He made his mark with his pianoless quartet formed with trumpeter Chet Baker and with his participation in the founding sessions of “cool” jazz.

Jazz pianist and singer of Trinidadian and American descent, a virtuoso known for her arrangements blending classical music and swing. A star of nightclubs and the silver screen, she was also a civil rights activist who refused to perform for segregated audiences.

Helen Merrill (born Jelena Ana Milčetić, 1929-2025) was an American jazz singer of Croatian descent. Known for her intimate, hushed voice, she established herself from the 1950s onward as a leading interpreter of standards and vocal jazz.

American jazz pianist, keyboardist, and composer born in 1940. He rose to prominence in Miles Davis's quintet during the 1960s, becoming one of the leading figures of modal jazz and later of jazz-funk fusion, while never ceasing to explore new electronic sounds.

Ina Ray Hutton (1916-1984) was an American bandleader, singer, and dancer of the swing era. Nicknamed “The Blonde Bombshell of Rhythm,” she led the Melodears in the 1930s, one of the first all-female big bands, before hosting her own musical television show in the 1950s.

Jeanne Lee (1939-2000) was an American avant-garde jazz singer, poet, and composer. A pioneer of free vocal improvisation, she explored extended vocal techniques and the fusion of voice, poetry, and free jazz.

American pianist, composer, and bandleader, a major figure in the early days of jazz in New Orleans. He proclaimed himself “the inventor of jazz” and was one of the first to set his compositions down in writing, bridging ragtime and orchestrated jazz.

Joe Henderson (1937-2001) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and composer. A major figure of hard bop and post-bop, he made his name in the 1960s at Blue Note before achieving belated recognition and numerous awards in the 1990s.

John Coltrane (1926-1967) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and composer. A major figure of modal jazz and free jazz, he profoundly renewed the language of improvisation and gave his music a spiritual dimension.

Canadian singer-songwriter and painter born in 1943, Joni Mitchell is one of the central figures of folk-rock and jazz fusion. Her album *Blue* (1971) is considered one of the greatest albums in the history of popular music.

June Christy (1925-1990) was an American jazz singer and a major figure of the cool jazz movement. After rising to fame within Stan Kenton's big band in the 1940s, she went on to establish a successful solo career with her soft, velvety voice.

Jutta Hipp (1925-2003) was a German jazz pianist, one of the few female instrumentalists in post-war European jazz. After emigrating to the United States in 1955, she recorded for the prestigious Blue Note label before abruptly abandoning music to become a seamstress and painter.

Keith Jarrett is an American jazz pianist and composer born in 1945. Famous for his fully improvised solo concerts, he created the Köln Concert (1975), one of the best-selling solo piano albums in history.

Lester Young (1909-1959) was an American tenor saxophonist considered one of the fathers of cool jazz. His lyrical, airy style influenced generations of musicians, most notably Charlie Parker.

American pianist, composer, and bandleader, one of the first major female figures in jazz. A member of King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band and then a mainstay of Louis Armstrong's Hot Five and Hot Seven, she was also his wife.

American jazz trumpeter and singer born in New Orleans, nicknamed “Satchmo.” A founding figure of jazz, he revolutionized the art form with his virtuoso trumpet playing and his “scat” singing. He became one of the most famous musicians of the 20th century.

British-American jazz pianist Marian McPartland made her mark on the New York scene from the 1950s onward. She is best known for hosting the radio show “Piano Jazz” for more than thirty years on the American public radio network NPR.

Mary Lou Williams (1910-1981) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. A major and influential figure across several decades, she moved through all the great jazz styles, from swing to bebop, and was a mentor to many musicians.

Mary Osborne (1921-1992) was an American jazz guitarist, one of the few women instrumentalists to make a name for herself in the swing and bebop eras. Inspired after hearing Charlie Christian, she became a much-sought-after studio musician in New York.

Maxwell Lemuel Roach (1924-2007) was an American jazz drummer, percussionist, and composer. A pioneer of bebop alongside Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, he was also a committed activist for civil rights.

American jazz pianist, one of the most influential of the post-war era. A member of John Coltrane's historic quartet, he developed a recognizable piano style built on quartal chords and a powerful left-hand technique.

Melba Liston (1926-1999) was an American jazz trombonist, composer, and arranger. A pioneer as a woman instrumentalist in the big bands of the bebop era, she collaborated with Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, and above all the pianist Randy Weston.

Michel Petrucciani (1962-1999) was a French jazz pianist and composer, one of the greatest European virtuosos of his instrument. Affected by a rare bone disease, he led a dazzling international career before dying at the age of 36.

Miles Davis (1926-1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader. A major figure of the musical 20th century, he relentlessly reinvented jazz, from cool jazz to modal jazz and on to electric fusion.

Norma Winstone is a British jazz singer born in 1941, a major figure in European vocal jazz. Famous for her wordless vocalises and her art of writing lyrics for instrumental themes, she has profoundly shaped contemporary jazz.

Ornette Coleman (1930-2015) was an American saxophonist, composer, and theorist. A major figure of avant-garde jazz, he was the leading pioneer of free jazz, a movement that freed improvisation from traditional harmonic frameworks.

Canadian jazz pianist and composer (1925-2007), regarded as one of the greatest virtuosos of jazz piano. Renowned for his dazzling technique, his swing, and his feel for the blues, he recorded more than 200 albums.

Peggy Lee (1920-2002) was an American jazz and popular singer, songwriter, and actress. After rising to fame with Benny Goodman's orchestra, she established herself as a solo artist with hits such as “Fever” and “Is That All There Is?”.

American jazz saxophonist (1940-2022), a major figure of free jazz and spiritual jazz. A collaborator of John Coltrane in the 1960s, he developed an intense style blending powerful breath, ecstatic sonorities, and African and Eastern inspirations.

Quincy Jones (1933-2024) is one of the most influential musicians and producers of the 20th century. A jazz composer, arranger, and bandleader, he is also the producer of Michael Jackson's best-selling albums, including Thriller.

American jazz singer (1924–1990), nicknamed “The Divine One” or “Sassy,” Sarah Vaughan is considered one of the greatest voices of the 20th century. Her exceptional timbre, vibrato, and technical mastery earned her international recognition.

Sheila Jordan, born in 1928 in Detroit, is an American jazz singer. Shaped by bebop and the music of Charlie Parker, she is celebrated for her inventive phrasing and for having popularized the voice-and-double-bass duo.

Shirley Horn (1934-2005) was an American jazz pianist and singer. Famous for her intimate phrasing and very slow tempos, she accompanied herself on the piano and achieved late but dazzling recognition in the 1990s.

Sidney Bechet was an American clarinetist and soprano saxophonist, one of the first great jazz soloists. Born in New Orleans, he was a major figure of traditional jazz and ended his life famous in France.

Sonny Rollins, born Theodore Walter Rollins, was one of the most influential tenor saxophonists in jazz history. A major figure of the post-bebop era, he left his mark on the genre with albums like *Saxophone Colossus* (1956) and composed standards played worldwide, such as "Oleo" and "St. Thomas." He passed away on May 25, 2026, in Woodstock at the age of 95.

American tenor saxophonist and a leading figure of 1950s “cool” jazz. Nicknamed “The Sound” for the warm, lyrical tone of his instrument, he popularized bossa nova in the United States in the early 1960s.

Stéphane Grappelli (1908-1997) was a French jazz violinist who co-founded the Quintette du Hot Club de France with guitarist Django Reinhardt. A leading figure of gypsy jazz, he raised the violin to the status of a jazz solo instrument over a career spanning nearly sixty years.

Sun Ra (1914-1993) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader. A pioneer of the avant-garde, he founded the Sun Ra Arkestra and developed a “cosmic” aesthetic blending free jazz, Egyptian mysticism, and the imagery of outer space.

Thelonious Monk (1917-1982) was an American jazz pianist and composer, a major figure of bebop. His distinctive harmonic and rhythmic style, built on dissonance and silence, profoundly renewed the language of modern jazz.

Toshiko Akiyoshi is a Japanese American jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader born in 1929. The first Japanese student at the Berklee College of Music, she has led a celebrated big band since 1973, blending American jazz with elements of traditional Japanese music.

Valaida Snow (1904-1956) was an African American jazz trumpeter, singer, and bandleader. Nicknamed “the Queen of the Trumpet,” she enjoyed an international career between the two World Wars before the Second World War shattered her trajectory.

Vi Redd (1928-2022) was an American jazz alto saxophonist and singer, one of the few recognized women instrumentalists on the postwar jazz scene. An heir to Charlie Parker's bebop style, she pursued a dual career as a musician and a teacher.

American jazz saxophonist (tenor and soprano) and composer, a major figure of modern jazz. He made his name with the Jazz Messengers, Miles Davis's second great quintet, and then the jazz-fusion band Weather Report, which he co-founded.

Wes Montgomery (1923-1968) was an American jazz guitarist, one of the most influential in the instrument's history. Recognizable by his thumb-picking technique and his melodies played in octaves, he left his mark on hard bop before achieving great popular success in the 1960s.

British singer and songwriter born in 1983, Amy Winehouse is celebrated for her deep, distinctive voice and her style blending soul, jazz, and R&B. Her album *Back to Black* (2006) earned her five Grammy Awards in a single night. She died at the age of 27 in 2011, joining the infamous 27 Club.