Trying to decide on a definitive list of key jazz artists in such an expansive musical world is an impossible and thankless task. As we saw in our previous blog What is Jazz Music of all the musical art forms Jazz is arguably one of the broadest and most diverse. From Big Band Swing to Fusion, from Hard Bop to Jazz Rap the many diverse strands bring with it an even broader list of important artists. So with this list, I’ve tried to cover a wide range of pioneering jazz artists, all of whom have contributed something unique to the Jazz world.

Miles Davis

Born: East St. Louis, Illinois (1926-1991)

A complex yet visionary artist Miles Davis is considered one of the most iconic and important Jazz artists of all time. Davis’s weapon of choice was the trumpet which he learnt to play at a young age. During the 1950s he established himself as a key player in the Bebop movement alongside fellow musicians Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker and Thelonious Monk. Not content with standing still, Davis has always positioned himself at the cutting edge of new musical developments, often proving instrumental in their development.

Many consider his 1962 LP Kinda Blue the greatest Jazz recording of all time constantly topping polls. This album established a cool jazz sound combined with modal elements. Always at the vanguard in 1970 Davis would flip the jazz world on its head with the release of Bitches Brew. This album fused Jazz with elements of rock, funk, electronic and event-grade music. This eclectic template would go on to inspire the disparate directions jazz would take over the coming decades.

Essential Listening: Kind of Blue LP (1959)

Charlie Parker

Born: Kansas City, Kansas (1920-1955)

Charlie Parker or ‘Bird’ as he was known was a revolutionary saxophone player and composer famous for his pioneering contributions to the Bebop style of jazz. During his tragically short life, Bird established himself as possibly the greatest sax player to have ever blown. Unfortunately, like many of his contemporaries, Bird developed a serious heroin addiction that would go on to lead to his early demise. His innovative improvisational style and harmonic ideas would go on to set the blueprint for jazz in the decades that followed making him one of the most influential jazz musicians of all time.

Essential Listening: Jazz at Massey Hall LP (1953)

Ella Fitzgerald

Born: Newport News, Virginia (1917-1996)

Our first vocalist on the list and one of the most iconic voices in Jazz, Ella Fitzgerald arguably wrote the rule book on jazz vocals. her immaculately detailed yet expressive vocal delivery earned her the title “First Lady of Song”. Fitzgerald began singing in the Big Band era with the Chick Webb Orchestra circa 1939. During the following decades, she would pioneer a vocalization technique known as Jazz Scat. Scat would replace words in favour of vocal emulations of musical instruments such as trumpet. Throughout her illustrious career, Ella worked with all of the biggest jazz artists of the time including Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Louise Armstrong.

Essential Listening: Summertime with Louis Armstrong (1959)

Louis Armstrong

Born: New Orleans, Louisiana (1901-1971)

Louis Armstrong, affectionately known as “Satchmo” is regarded as one of the true Jazz pioneers. Hailing from New Orleans Satchmo helped to introduce the sound of this iconic jazz capital to the rest of the world. As well as being a talented trumpet player Sachmo’s unique gravelly voice and natural charisma made him the ultimate all-round entertainer. This endeared him to audiences throughout the world, earning him the title of America’s “Ambassador of Jazz.” This accolade would, in turn break down racial barriers helping him become an icon of resilience and optimism.

Essential Listening: What a Wonderful World (1968)

John Coltrane

Born: Hamlet, North Carolina (1926 -1967)

John Coltrane rose to fame in the Miles Davis Quintet in the mid-to-late 1950s as a pioneer of the bebop and later hardbop eras. While Coltrane played the tennor Sax it’s his soprano sax work that he is most recognised for. After leaving the confines of the Miles Davis Quintet, Coltrane would go on to explore modal jazz forms moving into the realms of spiritual jazz and later free jazz. This deeply personal approach to jazz would resonate with audiences around the world. Coltrane was only 40 when he died in 67 but his spiritually uplifting music as well as that of his second wife Alice Coltrane would go on to enthrawl and inspire generations to come.

Essential Listening: A Love Supreme LP (1964)

Herbie Hancock

Born: Chicago, Illinois (1940 – present)

It’s hard to believe but Herbie Hancock has been laying it down on the keys for over 60 years! After a brief stint with Trumpeter Donald Byrd, Herbie joined the illustrious Miles Davis quintet. By the mid-60s he had several solo recordings under his belt including the classic Watermelon Man and Cantaloupe Island. One of the most versatile and prolific Jazz Pianists of all time, there are few musical avenues that Mr Hancock hasn’t explored. In the 70s he fully embraced the eclectic Jazz Fusion scene experimenting with a wide range of synthesized and electric sounds. Always one step ahead of his contemporaries he even rode the early wave of hip hop with his electro-funk classic “Rockit”. Rockit is one of the first records to feature the hip-hop-inspired technique of scratching. Still very much active, last year saw him perform a stellar set on the pyramid stage of the Glastonbury festival.

Essential Listening: Chameleon (1973)

Duke Ellington

Born: Edward Kennedy Ellington in Washington DC (1899-1974)

Spanning over 5 decades Duke Ellington is regarded as one of the most important figures in the development of jazz. As a pianist, composer and bandleader, Ellington began his career in the famous Cotton Club of Harlem NY during the late 20’s. Alongside his orchestra, Ellington was instrumental in ushering in the swing era. The Duke Ellington Orchestra offered a sophisticated blend of melody and swung rhythm conducive to both listening and dancing. His complete mastery of orchestration and sense of musical colour gave the Duke Ellington Orchestra, a distinctive sound that set them apart from their peers. Many would argue that Ellington is the most prolific jazz composer of all time with a huge body of work that encompasses multiple facets of jazz. Never one to stay in his lane he would famously collaborate with rising stars of jazz such as Charles Mingus and John Coltrane.

Essential Listening: Take the A Train (1930)

Nina Simone

Born: Eunice Waymon in Tryon, North Carolina (1933 -2003)

When it comes to displaying vulnerability as well as strength of character nobody quite compares to Nina Simone. A singer and pianist Simone’s music offered a forthright directness that was refreshingly new. She did not suffer fools gladly and embodied a commanding presence. This was possibly influenced by the racial injustice that she experienced when in her teens. She had ambitions to become a classical concert pianist yet these dreams would be dashed when confronted by the racist opinions that there was no place in the classical world for people of colour. Simone used this experience to empower her and she reinvented herself as a Jazz and blues singer. Classical music’s loss was very much the jazz world’s gain as Simone would go on to enthral audiences the world over with her heartfelt songs and captivating performances.

Essential Listening: Mississippi Goddam (1964)

Sun Ra

Born: Herman Poole Blount in Birmingham, Alabama (1914 – 1993)

While Sun Ra may not be a household name like many artists on this list his music and dedication to Jazz make him a hugely respected figure. Sun Ra embraced an event-grade and cosmic approach to his music. Determined to constantly reinvent and push boundaries Sun Ra’s music remains challenging and unique. His music and that of his Arkestra, combined elements of jazz, blues, space-age exotica, and science fiction. It transcended conventional boundaries and aimed to transport listeners to otherworldly realms. Sun Ra and his Arkestra all lived in a large house known as Arkestra House. With its space-inspired belief system centred largely around Saturn, members of the Arkestra would also practice art and poetry. Almost a type of musical cult, living in this environment required extreme levels of discipline. Despite this, members of the Arkestra remained fiercely loyal to their leader and few left.

Essential Listening: Space is the Place LP (1973)

Billie Holiday

Eleanora Fagan in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1915 – 1959)

Billie Holiday was born into a life of extreme poverty and hardship. A life she would eventually escape but never fully overcome. A hugely talented yet troubled soul, Holiday would go on to become one of the most iconic vocalists of the 20th century. While Holiday didn’t have the largest vocal range she made up for this with her exquisite and unique delivery. Her vocals had a haunting quality, making you feel as though you had a direct line to her soul. Songs such as God Bless the Child and the immensely powerful Strange Fruit bear testimony to this. Unfortunately, Holiday never managed to fight off her demons and struggled all of her life with drug and alcohol addiction. An affliction that eventually got the better of her dying from complications arising from liver cirrhosis age just 44.

Essential Listening: Strange Fruit (1939)

---

Remember – RouteNote Create subscriptions start from as little as $2.99. You also get 10 FREE credits to spend on samples along with access to our FREE sample pack bundle when you sign-up