Miles Davis. Charlie Parker. Dizzy Gillespie. Many of the greatest jazz musicians are household names, larger than life – men who left an indelible mark on American music and the culture at large.
Jazz can trace its roots to the very early 20th century, when people from around the world began to mingle and play music in the diverse city of New Orleans. The earliest jazz was dance music, a toe-tapping fusion of ragtime, blues, marches, and other styles that was considered dangerous in its day. The earliest jazz recording was made in 1917, and this helped fuel its popularity nationwide. (Here’s a roster of the most famous musician born every year since 1930.)
Over the years, jazz began to branch off into the multitude of styles we know today: roots-oriented Dixieland, ‘40s-style swing and big band, cool West Coast jazz, free-flowing bebop, avant-garde “free jazz,” commercially-oriented smooth jazz….
But when we think of jazz nowadays, we usually think of the style that developed in the 1950s, when a group of four or five musicians would start off by playing a melody, branch off to give each musician an improvisational solo, and come back around to the melody at the end. This is the style that put many of history’s most iconic jazz musicians on the map. (Though many jazz performers have died young – only three on this list are still alive – some do continue playing for many decades, and are included in our list of 35 musicians with legendariy long careers.)
It’s worth noting that only eight of the 50 musicians on this list are white, an indication that despite the huge number of excellent non-Black jazz musicians, the true greats of the previous century in terms of lasting influence do tend to be overwhelmingly African-American. (They also tended to be mostly male.)
To compile a list of the 50 greatest jazz musicians of all time, 24/7 Tempo reviewed articles and rankings on sites including DownBeat, Jazzfuel, Dig!, The Guardian, DigitalDreamDoor, and uDiscoverMusic. (They are not ranked here, but appear in random order.) Jazz vocalists were not included, though a few of the musicians on our list are also known for their singing – Louis Armstrong most famously. Some musicians here have recorded on instruments other than their principal one(s) – for instance bassist Charles Mingus on piano or saxophonist Ornette Coleman on violin, but only the instruments for which they are best known are mentioned.
Click here to see the greatest jazz musicians of the 20th century
Some compilation albums or recordings originally released under the names of other artists are included among the representative albums here, but the majority are albums made by the musician as leader. No recordings of New Orleans jazz pioneer Buddy Bolden are known to exist, but he was a major influence on other musicians, sometimes called “the father of jazz,” so is included here.
Source: Express / Hulton Archive via Getty Images
Louis Armstrong (1901-1971)
> Principal instrument: Trumpet, vocals
> Representative album: The Complete Hot Five & Hot Seven Recordings
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Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Buddy Bolden (1877-1931)
> Principal instrument: Cornet
> Representative album: None
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
John Coltrane 1926-1967)
> Principal instrument: Tenor and soprano saxophone
> Representative album: A Love Supreme
Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images
Duke Ellington (1899-1974)
> Principal instrument: Piano, bandleader
> Representative album: Ellington at Newport
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Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Bud Powell (1924-1966)
> Principal instrument: Piano
> Representative album: The Amazing Bud Powell, Vol. 1
Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images
Charlie Parker (1920-1955)
> Principal instrument: Alto and tenor saxophone
> Representative album: Jazz at Massey Hall
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Source: David Redfern / Redferns via Getty Images
Miles Davis (1926-1991)
> Principal instrument: Trumpet
> Representative album: In a Silent Way
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Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images
Thelonious Monk (1917-1982)
> Principal instrument: Piano
> Representative album: Big Band and Quartet in Concert
Sonny Rollins (1930- )
> Principal instrument: Tenor and soprano saxophone
> Representative album: Saxophone Colossus
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Ornette Coleman (1930-2015)
> Principal instrument: Tenor saxophone
> Representative album: The Shape of Jazz to Come
Source: David Redfern / Redferns via Getty Images
Bill Evans (1929-1980)
> Principal instrument: Piano
> Representative album: Waltz for Debby
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Charles Mingus (1922-1979)
> Principal instrument: Bass
> Representative album: Mingus Ah Um
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Source: David Redfern / Redferns via Getty Images
Count Basie (1904-1984)
> Principal instrument: Piano, bandleader
> Representative album: April in Paris
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Max Roach (1924-2007)
> Principal instrument: Drums
> Representative album: We Insist! Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suite
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Source: library_of_congress / Flickr
Lester Young (1909-1959)
> Principal instrument: Tenor saxophone
> Representative album: Lester Young with the Oscar Peterson Trio
Source: David Redfern / Redferns via Getty Images
Dizzy Gillespie (1917-1993)
> Principal instrument: Trumpet
> Representative album: An Electrifying Evening with the Dizzy Gillespie Quintet
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Source: David Redfern / Redferns via Getty Images
Stan Getz (1927-1991)
> Principal instrument: Tenor saxophone
> Representative album: Stan Getz and the Oscar Peterson Trio
Source: Courtesy of Amazon
Eric Dolphy (1928-1964)
> Principal instrument: Alto saxophone, bass clarinet, flute
> Representative album: Eric Dolphy at the Five Spot
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Art Tatum (1909-1956)
> Principal instrument: Piano
> Representative album: Piano Starts Here: Live at the Shrine
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Wayne Shorter (1933- )
> Principal instrument: Tenor and soprano saxophone
> Representative album: Adam’s Apple
Source: David Redfern / Redferns via Getty Images
Lee Morgan (1938-1972)
> Principal instrument: Trumpet
> Representative album: The Sidewinder
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Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Chick Corea (1941-2021)
> Principal instrument: Keyboards
> Representative album: Now He Sings, Now He Sobs
Django Reinhardt (1910-1953)
> Principal instrument: Guitar
> Representative album: The Best of Django Reinhardt
Freddie Hubbard (1938-2008)
> Principal instrument: Trumpet
> Representative album: Red Clay
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Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Jelly Roll Morton (circa 1890-1941)
> Principal instrument: Piano
> Representative album: Doctor Jazz
Source: M. Stroud / Hulton Archive via Getty Images
Benny Goodman (1909-1986)
> Principal instrument: Clarinet, bandleader
> Representative album: The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert
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Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Herbie Hancock (1940- )
> Principal instrument: Keyboards
> Representative album: Mwandishi
Source: David Redfern / Redferns via Getty Images
Art Blakey (1919-1990)
> Principal instrument: Drums
> Representative album: Art Blakey!!!! Jazz Messengers!!!!
Source: David Redfern / Redferns via Getty Images
Jimmy Smith (1925-2005)
> Principal instrument: Organ
> Representative album: The Sermon!
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Source: David Redfern / Redferns via Getty Images
Wes Montgomery (1923-1968)
> Principal instrument: Guitar
> Representative album: The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Ray Brown (1926-2002)
> Principal instrument: Bass
> Representative album: Soular Energy
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Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
King Oliver (1861-1938)
> Principal instrument: Cornet
> Representative album: Sugar Foot Stomp: The Original Decca Recordings
Source: David Redfern / Redferns via Getty Images
J.J. Johnson (1924-2001)
> Principal instrument: Trombone
> Representative album: The Eminent J.J. Johnson, Vol. 1
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Coleman Hawkins (1904-1969)
> Principal instrument: Tenor saxophone
> Representative album: The Hawk Swings
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Source: David Redfern / Redferns via Getty Images
Earl Hines (1903-1983)
> Principal instrument: Piano
> Representative album: Earl Hines Plays Duke Ellington
Source: Courtesy of Amazon
Paul Chambers 1935-1969)
> Principal instrument: Bass
> Representative album: Bass on Top
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Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images
Dexter Gordon (1923-1990)
> Principal instrument: Tenor saxophone
> Representative album: Go!
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Source: David Redfern / Redferns via Getty Images
Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
> Principal instrument: Drums
> Representative album: Illumination! Elvin Jones/Jimmy Garrison Sextet
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Charlie Christian (1916-1942)
> Principal instrument: Guitar
> Representative album: The Genius of the Electric Guitar
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Charlie Haden (1937-2014)
> Principal instrument: Bass
> Representative album: Dream Keeper
Source: Courtesy of Amazon
Jo Jones (1911-1985)
> Principal instrument: Drums
> Representative album: Percussion and Bass (with Milt Hinton)
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Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images
Bix Beiderbecke (1903-1931)
> Principal instrument: Cornet
> Representative album: The Absolutely Essential Collection
Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images
Fats Waller (1904-1943)
> Principal instrument: Piano
> Representative album: Handful of Keys
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Kenny Clarke (1914-1985)
> Principal instrument: Drums
> Representative album: Bohemia After Dark
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Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Clifford Brown (1930-1956)
> Principal instrument: Trumpet
> Representative album: Clifford Brown and Max Roach
McCoy Tyner (1938-2020)
> Principal instrument: Piano
> Representative album: The Real McCoy
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Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Jimmy Blanton (1918-1942)
> Principal instrument: Bass
> Representative album: Duke Ellington and Jimmy Blanton
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Fats Navarro (1923-1950)
> Principal instrument: Trumpet
> Representative album: The Fabulous Fats Navarro, Vol. 1
Source: Graphic House / Archive Photos via Getty Images
Gene Krupa (1909-1973)
> Principal instrument: Drums
> Representative album: Gene Krupa and His Orchestra
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Rahsaan Roland Kirk (1935-1977)
> Principal instrument: Tenor saxophone, strich, manzello
> Representative album: Rahsaan Rahsaan
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