LibGuides: Jazz Resources: Musicians

Jazz Composers, Bandleaders & Musicians

If you wish to be generally familiar with jazz music, here are some people you should know:

Name	Birth	Death	Instrument	Style	Representative Pieces
Adams, Pepper	1930	1986	Baritone Saxophone	Big Band, Hard Bop	Reflectory Bossallegro
Basie, Count	1904	1984	Piano	Swing, Big Band	One O'Clock Jump April in Paris
Beiderbecke, Bix	1903	1931	Cornet	Dixieland	In a Mist For No Reason at All in C
Black, Eubie	1887	1983	Piano	Ragtime	I'm Just Wild about Harry Charleston Rag
Brown, Les	1912	2001	Clarinet, Alto Saxophone	Big Band	Sentimental Journey I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm
Brubeck, Dave	1920	2012	Piano	Cool Jazz	Take Five In Your Own Sweet Way Blue Rondo A La Turk
Calloway, Cab	1907	1994	Singer	Blues	Minnie the Moocher The Jumpin' Jive
Carter, Benny	1907	2003	Alto Saxophone, Trumpet	Big Band, Swing	Crazy Rhythm Honeysuckle Rose
Coleman, Ornette	1930		Alto Saxophone	Free Jazz	Free Jazz Lonely Woman
Coltrane, John	1926	1967	Tenor Saxophone	Hard Bop, Free Jazz	My Favorite Things Giant Steps
Dorsey, Jimmy	1904	1957	Clarinet, Alto Saxophone	Big Band, Swing, Dixieland	I'm Glad There Is You So Many Times
Dorsey, Tommy	1905	1956	Trombone	Big Band, Swing	Indian Summer I'll Never Smile Again
Ellington, Duke	1899	1974	Piano	Big Band, Swing	It Don't Mean a Thing if it Ain't Got that Swing Mood Indigo Satin Doll
Gillespie, Dizzy	1917	1993	Trumpet	Bebop, Afro-Cuban	A Night in Tunisia Salt Peanuts
Goodman, Benny	1909	1986	Clarinet	Big Band, Swing	Sing, Sing, Sing Stompin' at the Savoy
Hampton, Lionel	1908	2002	Vibraphone	Swing, Blues	On the Sunny Side of the Street Flying Home
Hawkins, Coleman	1904	1969	Tenor Saxophone	Bebop, Swing	Body and Soul
Herman, Woody	1913	1987	Clarinet	Swing, Blues, Cool Jazz	Woodchopper's Ball Four Brothers
Hirt, Al	1922	1999	Trumpet	Swing, Dixieland	The Green Hornet Java
Hodges, Johnny	1906	1970	Alto Saxophone	Swing, Big Band	Passion Flower Hodge Podge
James, Harry	1916	1983	Trumpet	Big Band, Swing	You Made Me Love You
King, B.B.	1925		Guitar	Blues, R&B	The Thrill Is Gone Sweet Little Angel
Miller, Glenn	1904	1944	Trombone	Big Band, Swing	In the Mood Moonlight Serenade Chattanooga Choo-Choo
Mingus, Charles	1922	1979	Double Bass	Hard Bop	Better Git it in Your Soul Moanin'
Monk, Thelonius	1917	1982	Piano	Bebop, Hard Bop	Round Midnight Blue Monk
Mulligan, Gerry	1927	1996	Baritone Saxophone	Cool Jazz	Bernie's Tune Walkin' Shoes
Parker, Charlie	1920	1955	Alto Saxophone	Bebop	Yardbird Suite
Paxton, George	~1914	1989	Tenor Saxophone	Swing	Paxonia All of Me
Rollins, Sonny	1930		Tenor Saxohpone	Hard Bop	Doxy St. Thomas
Strayhorn, Billy	1915	1967	Piano	Swing, Mainstream	Take the "A" Train Lush Life
Tabackin, Lew	1940		Flute, Tenor Saxophone	Big Band, Bebop	I'll Be Seeing You Tanuki's Night Out
Waters, Muddy	1913	1983	Guitar	Blues	Rollin' Stone Hoochie Coochie Man
Whiteman, Paul	1890	1967	Violin	Symphonic Jazz	Rhapsody in Blue Wang Wang Blues
Young, Lester	1909	1959	Tenor Saxophone	Swing, Bebop	Lester Leaps In Tickle Toe