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NOTE: Most images are clickable hyperlinks to more information about that item.

NEA Jazz Masters[edit]

Four NEA Jazzmasters for 2021: Billy Hart, Donald Harrison, Jr., Stanley Clarke, & Cassandra Wilson.

An animated .gif of the head of bassist Stanley Clarke who is slowly moving his head from side to side.

An animated photograph of the head of Donald Harrison, Jr. moving around and looking to his right at Stanley Clarke.

("Hey Stanley, how's it going?)

(Photo^[1] by Tom Pich for NEA Arts Magazine's "A Great Day for Jazz," 2004)
(Permission by NEA^[2])

Left to right from back (top) row: George Russell, Dave Brubeck; second row: David Baker, Percy Heath, Billy Taylor; third row: Nat Hentoff, Jim Hall, James Moody; fourth row: Jackie McLean, Chico Hamilton, Gerald Wilson, Jimmy Heath; fifth row: Ron Carter, Anita O'Day; sixth row: Randy Weston, Horace Silver; standing next to or in front of balustrade: Benny Golson, Hank Jones, Frank Foster (seated), Cecil Taylor, Roy Haynes, Clark Terry (seated) Louie Bellson and Dana Gioia (chairman of NEA). (Only Ron Carter b. 1937, Benny Golson b. 1929, Roy Haynes b. 1925, and Dana Gioia b. 1950 are still alive as of 2021)

(NEA Jazz Masters)
(January 2012)

A slightly enhanced color photograph of the Electric Miles panel at the Jazz Congress in 2019.

Legends in jazz, blues and beyond can be elected into the DownBeat Hall of Fame by way of the annual Critics Poll (designated by “C”), Readers Poll (“R”) or Veterans Committee (“V”). The Readers poll began in 1952 with the Critics in 1961 and the Veterans Committee in 2008.

Ertegun Hall of Fame[edit]

To be nominated to the Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Jazz Academy, an artist must have:

Achieved innovation in a style or a concept of playing.

Created an original concept with a body of music or body of arrangements.

Spoke/speaks across generations, unbound to his or her generation’s concept of style.

Originated a definitive style.

Popularized a style without compromising the aesthetic quality of the music.

Occupies a significant position within the jazz lineage.

Influenced musicians across time.

Artists in alphabetical order and year inducted into the hall with vocalists in bold font are:

Julian “Cannonball” Adderley (2019)
Louis Armstrong (2004)
Count Basie (2005)
Sidney Bechet (2004)
Bix Beiderbecke (2004)
Art Blakey (2013)
Jimmie Blanton (2018)
Clifford Brown (2007)
Benny Carter (2007)
Betty Carter (2014)
Charlie Christian (2007)
Nat “King” Cole (2018)
Ornette Coleman (2008)
John Coltrane (2004)
Miles Davis (2004)
Roy Eldridge (2005)
Duke Ellington (2004)
Bill Evans (2010)
Gil Evans (2008)
Ella Fitzgerald (2005)
Dizzy Gillespie (2004)
Benny Goodman (2005)
Dexter Gordon (2015)
Freddie Green (2020)
Lionel Hampton (2013)
Coleman Hawkins (2004)
Fletcher Henderson (2014)
Earl Hines (2005)
Johnny Hodges (2005)
Billie Holiday (2004)
J.J. Johnson (2016)
James P. Johnson (2015)
Elvin Jones (2014)

Jo Jones (2005)
Lee Konitz (2020)
John Lewis (2020)
Charles Mingus (2005)
Wes Montgomery (2014)
Jelly Roll Morton (2004)
Thelonious Monk (2004)
King Oliver (2005)
Bud Powell (2010)
Charlie Parker (2004)
Tito Puente (2017)
Don Redman (2017)
Django Reinhardt (2007)
Max Roach (2005)
Sonny Rollins (2005)
Wayne Shorter (2016)
Nina Simone (2018)
Bessie Smith (2008)
Billy Strayhorn (2010)
Art Tatum (2004)
Clark Terry (2013)
Lennie Tristano (2015)
Frank Trumbauer (2019)
McCoy Tyner (2017)
Sarah Vaughan (2010)
Fats Waller (2005)
Dinah Washington (2019)
Chick Webb (2019)
Ben Webster (2016)
Mary Lou Williams (2008)
Teddy Wilson (2020)
Lester Young (2004)

Jazz Resources[edit]

Rutgers University Institute of Jazz Studies Research Portal

Rutgers University NEA Jazz Oral History Project

Smithsonian Online Virtual Archives for Topic of Jazz

JazzOnTheTube the biggest annotated and indexed online collection of jazz videos on earth – and it’s free.

United Kingdom's National Jazz Archive a searchable database related to everything jazz. They describe themselves: “The National Jazz Archive holds the UK’s finest collection of written, printed and visual material on jazz, blues and related music, from the 1920s to the present day. Since the Archive was founded by Digby Fairweather in 1988, its vision has been to ensure that the rich cultural heritage of jazz is safeguarded for future generations of enthusiasts, professionals and researchers.”

List of all NEA Jazz Masters; Wikipedia: NEA Jazz Masters

Wikipedia: List of Jazz Genres

Greatest Jazz Albums[edit]

NOTE: Click on the page to go to its source. These two pages represent great jazz albums released between 1959 and 1979. At least one album, Louis Armstrong's Hot 5 and 7, was recorded much earlier between 1925 and 1928.

See AcclaimedMusic.net's Ranking of Greatest Jazz Albums

Rolling Stone magazine's "The Best Jazz Albums of All Time by User Score"

Vinyl Me, Please's "The 10 Best Albums For A Jazz Beginner" by Andrew Martin and Ryan Kowal

The New Yorker's "100 Essential Jazz Albums"

UDiscoverMusic's "The 50 Greatest Jazz Albums . . . Ever" Published on December 30, 2014 By Sam Armstrong

UDiscoverMusic's "The 50 Greatest Live Jazz Albums published on February 27, 2017 by Sam Armstrong

JazzWiseMagazine.com's "The 100 Jazz Albums That Shook The World"

Jazz at Lincoln Center's Jazz blog: "10 Essential Jazz Albums" May, 21st 2015

"Top 10 Jazz Albums for People Who Don't Know Sh*t About Jazz by Sean J. O'Connell, May 15, 2012

Amazon.com's "100 Greatest Jazz Albums of All Time" 2009 with a lot of critical reaction critiquing this list at NoiseAddicts.com

Discogs.com's "The 50 Greatest Jazz Albums . . . Ever"

RateYourMusic.com's "Best Jazz Albums of All Time - 22 Lists Combined" A list by erikfish who found 22 "top jazz albums of all time" lists in books, magazines and web sites, then combined them into one meta-list. The list here includes all albums contained on three or more of the 22 original source lists. (Last update: October 30, 2011)

Jazz100's "Top 100 Jazz Albums: The Best Jazz Ever Released Digitally" by Peter Sykes & Jazz 100
Jazz 100's "Next 100 Jazz Albums: The Best Jazz Ever Released Digitally" by Peter Sykes & Jazz 100
ESurveysPro's "Top Classic Jazz albums"
Jazz 100's "New (Contemporary jazz recordings over the past ten years 2004-2014) Jazz Top 100: The Best Jazz Ever Released Digitally" See New Jazz Notes
Jazz 100's "Basic Collection of Jazz" 20 Basic Jazz Records
Scott Yanow's—desert 🌵 island 🌴 jazz recommendations with album covers

Woodlawn Cemetery List of Jazz Notables interned

(Southern Syncopated Orchestra at a London venue around 1920)
(Years active 1919-1921)

Jazz: The Smithsonian Anthology[edit]

Jazz: The Smithsonian Anthology (Box Set) 111 tracks of the best of jazz throughout its history from early to the present (release date March 29, 2011)

Disc: 1

 1. Maple Leaf Rag (Dick Hyman)
 2. In Gloryland (Bunk's Brass Band)
 3. Livery Stable Blues (Original Dixieland Jazz Band)
 4. Dipper Mouth Blues (King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band)
 5. The Stampede (Fletcher Henderson & Orchestra)
 6. Black Bottom Stomp (Jelly Roll Morton & His Red Hot Peppers)
 7. Singin the Blues [Till My Daddy Comes Home] (Frankie Trumbauer & Orchestra)
 8. Back Water Blues (Bessie Smith & James P. Johnson)
 9. Black & Tan Fantasy (Duke Ellington & Orchestra)
 10. From Monday On (Bix Beiderbecke/Paul Whiteman & Orchestra)
 11. West End Blues (Louis Armstrong & His Hot Fives)
 12. Weather Bird (Louis Armstrong & Earl Hines)
 13. That's a Serious Thing (Eddie Condon's Hot Shots)
 14. Handful of Riffs (Eddie Lang & Lonnie Johnson)
 15. You've Got to Be Modernistic (James P. Johnson)
 16. Moten Swing (Bennie Moten & Kansas City Orchestra)
 17. Everybody Loves My Baby (Boswell Sisters)
 18. Maple Leaf Rag (Sidney Bechet)
 19. Dinah (Fats Waller & His Rhythm)
 20. Swing That Music (Louis Armstrong & Orchestra)
 21. Honky Tonk Train Blues (Meade Lux Lewis)
 22. Mean to Me (Billie Holiday with Teddy Wilson & Orchestra)
 23. For Dancers Only (Jimmie Lunceford & Orchestra)
 24. 1 O'clock Jump (Count Basie & Orchestra)
 25. Harlem Congo (Chick Webb & Orchestra)

Disc: 2

 1. Minor Swing (Quartet du Hot Club de France)
 2. Mary's Idea (Mary Lou Williams/Andy Kirk & the Clouds of Joy)
 3. When Lights Are Low (Lionel Hampton)
 4. Body & Soul (Coleman Hawkins & Orchestra)
 5. Honeysuckle Rose (Bennie Goodman & Orchestra)
 6. Tiger Rag (Art Tatum)
 7. Ko-Ko (Duke Ellington & His Famous Orchestra)
 8. Hard Times [Topsy Turvy] (Cab Calloway & Orchestra)
 9. I Can't Believe That You're in Love with Me (Chocolate Dandies)
 10. Stardust (Artie Shaw & Orchestra)
 11. Let Me Off Uptown (Gene Krupa & Orchestra)
 12. Shaw Nuff (Dizzy Gillespie's Allstar Quintet)
 13. Manteca (Dizzy Gillespie & Orchestra)
 14. Virgo f/ Zodiac Suite (Mary Lou Williams)
 15. Dexter Rides Again (Dexter Gordon)
 16. I Want to Be Happy (Lester Young/Buddy Rich Trio)
 17. Indiana (Bud Powell)
 18. Embraceable You (Charlie Parker Quintet)
 19. 4 Brothers (Woody Herman & Orchestra)
 20. Misterioso (Thelonious Monk Quartet)
 21. Lady Bird (Tadd Dameron Sextet)
 22. Tanga (Machito & his Afro-Cuban Orchestra)
 23. Sept in the Rain (George Shearing Quintet)
 24. WOW (Lennie Tristano Sextet)

Disc: 3

 1. Boplicity (Miles Davis Nonet)
 2. Golden Bullet (Count Basie Octet)
 3. Popo (Shorty Rogers & His Giants)
 4. Walkin Shoes (Gerry Mulligan Quartet with Chet Baker)
 5. 23 Degrees N. 82 Degrees W. (Stan Kenton)
 6. Daahoud (Clifford Brown/Max Roach Quintet)
 7. Django (Modern Jazz Quartet)
 8. The Preacher (Horace Silver & the Jazz Messengers)
 9. I'll Remember April (Erroll Garner Trio)
 10. Jonaleh (Chico Hamilton Quintet)
 11. Tricrotism (Lucky Thompson Trio)
 12. St. Thomas (Sonny Rollins)
 13. Call For All Demons (Sun Ra & His Arkestra)
 14. When I Grow Too Old to Dream (Nat King Cole & Trio)
 15. Stompin t the Savoy (Louis Armstrong & Ella Fitzgerald)
 16. Blues in the Closet (Stan Getz & J.J. Johnson)
 17. Ol Man River (Oscar Peterson Trio)
 18. Summertime (Miles Davis orchestrated by Gil Evans)

Disc: 4

 1. Moanin' (Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers)
 2. Meet BB (Count Basie & Orchestea)
 3. So What (Mikes Davis Sextet)
 4. Giant Steps (John Coltrane Quartet)
 5. Better Git It in Your Soul (Charles Mingus)
 6. Blue Rondo à la Turk (Dave Brubeck Quartet)
 7. Ramblin (Ornette Coleman Quartet)
 8. Work Song (Cannonball Adderley)
 9. Wrap your Troubles in Dreams (Sarah Vaughan)
 10. My Favorite Things Pt1 [Sngl Ver] (John Coltrane Quartet)
 11. Waltz for Debby (Bill Evans)
 12. Round Midnight (George Russell Sextet)
 13. Cotton Tail (Ella Fitzgerald with the Duke Ellington Orchestra)

Disc: 5

 1. 1 by 1 (Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers)
 2. The Girl from Ipanema (Stan Getz & Astrud Gilberto)
 3. Love Supreme Pt 1: Acknowledgement (John Coltrane Quartet)
 4. E.S.P. (Miles Davis Quintet)
 5. Haig & Haig (Clark Terry/Bob Brookmeyer Quintet)
 6. King of the Road (Jimmy Smith & Wes Montgomery)
 7. Isfahan (Duke Ellington & Orchestra)
 8. New National Anthem [f/ A Genuine Tong Funeral] (Gary Burton)
 9. Matrix (Chick Corea)
 10. Miles Runs the Voodoo Down (Miles Davis)
 11. Celestial Terrestrial Commuters (Mahavishnu Orchestra)
 12. Watermelon Man (Herbie Hancock)
 13. Long Yellow Rd (Toshiko Akiyoshi/Lew Tabackin Big Band)
 14. Jitney #2 (Cecil Taylor)
 15. Bright Size Life (Pat Metheny)

Disc: 6

 1. Maple Leaf Rag (Anthony Braxton & Muhal Richard Abrams)
 2. Birdland (Weather Report)
 3. My Song (Keith Jarrett)
 4. Iya (Irakere)
 5. Bush Magic (Art Ensemble of Chicago)
 6. Steppin (World Sax Quartet)
 7. Glide Was in the Ride (Steve Coleman Group)
 8. Manenberg [Revisited] (Abdullah Ibrahim)
 9. Nothing Personal (Michael Brecker)
 10. Airegin (Tito Puente)
 11. Down the Ave. (Wynton Marsalis Septet)
 12. Ting Ning (Nguyen Le)
 13. Kilayim (Masada)
 14. Hey-Hee-Hi-Ho (Medeski Martin & Wood)
 15. Neutralisme (Martial Sola & Johnny Griffin)
 16. Suspended Night Variation VIII (Tomasz Stanko)

(52nd Street, New York City, July, 1948)

(Photograph above of 52nd street by William P. Gottlieb^[3] pictured at right)

(Portrait of William P. Gottlieb)
(possibly at WINX radio studios)
(Washington, D.C., ca. 1940)
(Photographed by Delia Potofsky Gottlieb)

Interview with William P. Gottlieb

Jazz Sub-Genres[edit]

Wikipedia's List of Sub-genres in Jazz

Jazz Sub-Genres	Jazz Sub-Genres
A-J	J-Z
African jazz Afro-Cuban jazz Ambient jazz Avant-Garde jazz Ballad Bebop/Bop Big Band Swing Blues Boogie Woogie Bossa Nova Cape jazz Chamber jazz Chicago Style Club jazz Continental jazz Cool jazz Cubop Dixieland Early jazz Ethio jazz Ethno jazz/World jazz European Free jazz Free jazz Gypsy Jazz/Gypsy Swing/Hot Club jazz Hard Bop Hot jazz Indo jazz Jazz-Funk	Jazztronica/Nu-jazz/Bluescreen jazz Jazz rap Jazz-Rock fusion/Fusion Kansas City Swing Latin jazz Mainstream jazz M-Base Modal jazz Neo-bop New Orleans/Traditional jazz Orchestral jazz Post-bop Punk jazz Ragtime Reggae jazz Ska jazz South African jazz Riff Style Swing Smooth jazz Straight-ahead jazz Stride/Harlem Stride Piano Soul jazz Swing Third Stream Trad (traditional) jazz Vocal jazz Vocalese World fusion jazz/Ethno jazz/non-Western jazz

Regional scenes:

Australian jazz

Azerbaijani jazz

Bossa nova

British jazz

Cuban jazz

Dutch jazz

French jazz

Indo jazz

Italian jazz

Japanese jazz

Jazz in Germany

Music of Malawi

Polish jazz

South African jazz

Spanish jazz

Cape jazz

Kansas City jazz

Dixieland

West Coast jazz

A photograph of the planet Earth 🌎 of North America and part of South America with PoJ.fm logos.

The Blue Marble

(Album cover of "Kitten On the Keys. Popular Music from Pianola Rolls")
(used by permission^[4] of Saydisc Records)
(with PoJ.fm logos added)

Tables of jazz legend's notable achievements 1890-1990 [edit]

NOTE: The majority of images have hyperlinks that are clickable for more information about that item.

NOTE: Also see PoJ.fm's Sp7. Women and Jazz.

Buddy Bolden [edit]

Charles Joseph “Buddy” Bolden (1877–1931) (1895^[5]→1907) (Buddy Bolden's statue in Louis Armstrong Park, New Orleans, Louisiana) (Photo by Jon Lebkowsky taken December 29, 2012) Cosmic Buddy Bolden Instrument cornet Roles bandleader soloist masterful improviser Style/Genre: Old School jazz pioneer. waltzes, ragtime, and popular songs of the day. “took the guttural moan of the blues played at medium tempos, some with raunchy lyrics, mixed it with the spirit of the black Baptist church, and applied a ‘ragged’ rhythmic feel [syncopation] to his songs.”^[6] Notable Achievements^[7] known as "King" Bolden.^[8] pioneer in Ragtime and Jazz^[9] coming to prominence when only at the age of 18 his band began playing in New Orleans.^[10] (1895) “member of string ensembles that played at dances and parties.”^[5] his bands “emphasize the wind instruments over the strings.”^[5] “single biggest contribution to jazz (was) his focus on the blues . . . by incorporating the blues sensibility and structure into his music.”^[11] created a style all his own by embellishing ragtime music and adding in blues tunes and blues tonality with significant improvisations. “those who heard him agreed that he had great volume, a talent for beautiful ornamentation and a profound feeling for playing the blues on the brass horn.”^[12] “his proto-jazz playing influenced the next generation of players like King Oliver and Freddie Keppard, masters of the four-bar break.^[12] a self-taught cornet player. famous for his loud, clear, powerful tones that could be heard far away. “Clarinetist Alphonse Picou (1878–1961) said: “He was the loudest there ever was because you could hear Buddy’s cornet as loud as what Louis Armstrong played through the mike.”^[13] (bold not in original) skilled improviser. his band had a large following in and around New Orleans. impressed younger musicians.^[14] Donald M. Marquis (1933–2021), In Search of Buddy Bolden: First Man of Jazz (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2006). Danny Barker (1909–1994), Buddy Bolden and the Last Days of Storyville (New York: Continuum, 1998). David C. Perry, Jazz Greats (London: Phaidon Press Limited, 1996). Part of the 20th Century Composers series covering various jazz greats including Buddy Bolden, Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, Duke Elllington, Lester Young, Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus, John Coltrane, Miles Davis and briefly, Ornette Coleman, Wynton Marsalis, and Keith Jarrett. Listen to "Don't Go Away Nobody," which is alleged to sound like Bolden's opening number.

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-masked-merriment-of-mardi-gras-15580133/

Jelly Roll Morton [edit]

Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe known professionally as “Jelly Roll” Morton^[15] (1890^[16]–1941) (active 1904→1941) Instrument: piano Roles: singer bandleader composer arranger music teacher minstrel shows Style/Genre: Progressive Ragtime Stomps Early Jazz Morton liked to brag he was "the suit man from suit land."^[17] Notable Achievements:^[18] pivotal figure from New Orleans. “combined ragtime, French quadrilles and the hot Blues played by Buddy Bolden.”^[19] (According to jazz historian William (Bill) Russell (1905–1992) this is the earliest known photo of Morton around age 17 in 1906) performed as a solo artist and/or as part of vaudeville troupes in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and throughout the South. first jazz arranger. jazz promotion. “a roving snake-oil salesman, card shark, vaudevillian, poolroom hustler, gambler and pimp. He chose a sexual nickname—“Jelly Roll” (which typically refers to the male organ)—and wore a diamond in his gold tooth”^[20] raconteur story teller. wrote over 100 compositions (52 listed at Wikipedia: Jelly Roll Morton) including “Jelly Roll Blues” (written in 1905, but not recorded until 1924), “Frog-I-More Rag” (written in 1908, but not copyrighted until 1918), “King Porter Stomp” (Morton claimed to compose it in 1905, but not recorded until 1923 as a piano solo and not copyrighted until 1924), “Milenburg Joys” (recorded 1923), “Wolverine Blues” (recorded 1923), “The Pearls,” “Grandpa’s Spells” (recorded 1923), “Mr. Jelly Lord,” “Shreveport Stomp,” “Black Bottom Stomp,” “Winin’ Boy Blues,” “The Crave,” “Don’t You Leave Me Here,” “Sweet Substitute,” “Wild Man Blues,” and “I Thought I Heard Buddy Bolden Say.” claimed to have invented jazz in 1902,^[21] which would make him 12 years old; read his August, 1938 letter defending his jazz bona fides published in DownBeat. played piano in brothels at age 14. arguably "Jelly Roll Blues" was first jazz composition published (1915). recording contract with Victor Talking Machine Company in Chicago recording with his newly named septet, “The Red Hot Peppers,” including “Black Bottom Stomp,” named for an African-American dance step from the deep South and has now been recorded over 190 times.^[20] "Jelly Roll Morton & His Red Hot Peppers" recordings are classics of 1920's jazz. (Jelly Roll Morton on left) + first act booked on tours by MCA. + own short-lived radio show (1934).^[22] “helped lead the transition from ragtime to jazz as a piano wizard of the first rank who could transform all sorts of music into jazz—embellishing, paraphrasing and improvising; smoothing out the rhythms of ragtime; and making everything flow and swing.”^[20] Morton's 30 year old composition "King Porter Stomp"^[23] became Benny Goodman's first hit and a swing standard (1935). his oral life history recorded by Alan Lomax while Morton talks and demonstrates on his piano for the Library of Congress (1938) Read John Szwed's (b. 1936) "Doctor Jazz: Jelly Roll Morton" But beware of historical shaping of Morton's story done by Lomax for his own purposes of conforming Morton's story to Lomax's positions on 'authenticity' in musical expression and motivations, convincingly argued by Katy E. Martin: “Distortions are abundant in [Lomax's] book, in the form of omissions, alterations, and the voices of Lomax and others working to conform Morton’s story to Lomax’s own ideas about American culture and folk music. Because of his romantic conceptions of folk culture, Lomax is compelled to attribute to Morton his own preoccupations and adjust Morton’s story to fit his own a priori model of authenticity: the racialized, oppressed organic musician whose suffering gives rise to a redeeming creative genius.”^[24] “The composer and pianist Jelly Roll Morton envisaged a more sophisticated and coloured sound, and he expanded jazz instrumentation by enriching its textures and harmonies.”^[25] DownBeat magazine Hall of Fame, Critic's Poll (1963). U.S. Commemorative stamp (1995). “Black Bottom Stomp” transcribed and published in the series Essential Jazz Editions (1999). “Black Bottom Stomp” added to the Library of Congress’s prestigious National Recording Registry (2006). (Photo in public domain) "Jelly Roll Morton: The Complete Library of Congress Recordings by Alan Lomax" (Rounder Records) won in two categories at the 48th annual Grammy Awards ceremony held on Feb 8, 2006. “Black Bottom Stomp” included in the Smithsonian's authoritative “Jazz: The Smithsonian Anthology” (2010). Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (2015). The opener of Jazz at Lincoln Center’s 30th season (2017–18), its flagship orchestra will debut arrangements of Jelly Roll Morton’s compositions, some of which are a century old.^[26] (Jelly Roll Morton is buried at Calvary Cemetery in East Los Angeles, California) Los Angeles Morgue Files. Scroll down to fourth entry on Jelly Roll Morton. "The Saga of Jelly Roll Morton" at Jazz Rhythm.com. Jelly Roll Morton history at DoctorJazz.co.uk. Stephen Kinzer, "The Man Who Made Jazz Hot; 60 Years After His Death, Jelly Roll Morton Gets Respect," New York Times, November 28, 2000.

Louis Armstrong [edit]

Louis Armstrong (1901–1971) (active: 1919→1971) Musical Instrument: cornet trumpet Roles: bandleader featured soloist composer singer actor Style/Genre: Early Jazz New Orleans Jazz Dixieland Swing Vocal Jazz Traditional Pop Notable Achievements:^[27] joined^[28] King Oliver's band in Chicago moving from his hometown of New Orleans (1922). moved to New York in 1924 to play with the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra, (Photo by Gianluigi Destefanis in 2010]) the top Afro-American band of the day, switching from cornet to trumpet. widely recognized as the founding father of jazz. an instrumentalist virtuoso. pioneered jazz style vocals and popularized scat style vocals. along with Fletcher Henderson and many others he was the instigator of the second wave of jazz, Swing. (Photo by William P. Gottlieb July, 1946) (Photo by William P. Gottlieb July, 1946 — colorized) recording hit songs, many of which have become jazz standards, for five decades. (Photo by William P. Gottlieb c. 1938–1948 with colorized version on right) his talent for improvisation helped the trumpet emerge as a solo instrument. (Photo by William P. Gottlieb July, 1946) a masterful accompanist and ensemble player. known as a tireless performer, averaging over 300 concerts a year. (Photo by William P. Gottlieb c. April, 1947) his celebrity extended beyong music, appearing in over 30 motion pictures. (Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong (1901-1971) & Joe "King" Oliver (1885-1938)) promoted extended improvised solos. “Armstrong was jazz's first superstar. Satchmo's explosive creativity defied conventions of early New Orleans jazz; he was a charismatic showman and dazzling trumpet player who was, literally, too good for his band. His performances were largely responsible for shifting the focus from the group to the soloist, and he was also quite an innovator when it came to scat. Perhaps most importantly, his acceptance by the social elite helped popularize jazz across racial and social boundaries.”^[29] (bold not in original) world entertainer. America's 1st jazz ambassador. strong vocalist.^[30] “recorded with Clarence Williams, Fletcher Henderson, Bessie Smith and others before making his leader debut in late 1925.”^[31] "Melancholy Blues," (1927) performed by Louis Armstrong and his Hot Seven included on golden record sent in 1977 on Voyager 1 spacecraft. developed a way of playing jazz, as an instrumentalist and a vocalist, which has had an impact on all musicians to follow. recorded hit songs for five decades, and his music is still heard today on television and radio and in films. Listen to Armstrong's music, including in his own words, at Jazz Rhythms: "Louis Armstrong: A Seminal Voice in Jazz." wrote two autobiographies (click on book titles to read them), and , more than ten magazine articles, hundreds of pages of memoirs, , and thousands of letters. appeared in more than thirty films (over twenty were full-length features) as a gifted actor with superb comic timing and an unabashed joy of life as in "Hello Dolly" (1964/1969) where he co-starred with Barbra Streisand and Walter Matthau. He also had many television appearances. composed or performed dozens of songs that have become jazz standards, such as "Dippermouth Blues/"Sugar Foot Stomp," "Heebie Jeebies," "Potato Head Blues," "West End Blues," "Basin Street Blues," and "Ain't Misbehavin'." performed an average of 300 concerts each year, with his frequent tours to all parts of the world earning him the nickname “Ambassador Satch,” and became one of the first great celebrities of the twentieth century. Timemagazine cover (1949). Downbeat magazine Hall of Fame, Reader's Poll (1952). Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie sang and played together only once on the song "Umbrella Man" as part of the Timex All-Star Jazz Show on NBC January 7, 1959. The joint-appearance was preplanned but not rehearsed. Cover of Life magazine, April 15, 1966. Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (1972). inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1990 (Early Influence). U.S. Commemorative stamp (1995). inducted into the Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame (2017) as a 20th Century Early Music Influence. 50 year career (Louis Armstrong House^[32] in Queens, New York City, NY) (Photo by Wally Gobetz in 2007) See and hear him play and sing (including scatting) in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1933. Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong Marker in Armstrong Park, New Orleans, Louisiana Statue sculpted in 1976 by Elizabeth Catlett (1915–2012) Photo by Richard E. Miller taken July 14, 2009 Krebs, Albin. "Louis Armstrong, Jazz Trumpeter and Singer, Dies." New York Times Obituary, July 7, 1971. Glaser, Matt. "Satchmo: The Philosopher," in Satchmo at 100, Village Voice, June 5, 2001. Morgenstern, Dan. "Satchmo and the Critics." in Satchmo at 100, Village Voice, June 5, 2001. Louis Armstrong Readings.

Sydney Bechet[edit]

Name & Pictures	Instrument Roles Style/Genre Years Active	Notable Achievements^[33]

Sidney Bechet (1897–1959) (Photo by William P. Gottlieb)	clarinet soprano saxophone tenor saxophone piano double bass drums featured soloist composer Dixieland Early jazz Trad jazz 1908→1957	“one of the first important soloists in jazz, beating trumpeter Louis Armstrong to the recording studio by several months.”^[34] “major figure in early jazz, outstanding clarinetist, only soprano saxophonist of consequence for decades, made melodically rich and emotional music.”^[35] master of improvisation (both individual and collective) with wide vibrato.^[36] dominating sound.^[36] Listen to his music at Jazz Rhythm: "Sidney Bechet: First soprano saxophonist of jazz" “Bechet is far too individual to keep to the strict New Orleans tradition that no one instrument shall dominate the band. Except for (Louis) Armstrong there is no player of sufficient quality to match him in the cut and thrust of counterpoint. While the Réwéliotty players echoed the familiar phrases learned from gramophone records of the great, or subtle innovations mastered by rote, Bechet created each dip and flow of melody according to the instant prompting of imagination.” “Even more than (Louis) Armstrong, he seems to speak through music. This not just to praise his relaxation but also his curious changes of mood. In the slow "Basin Street Blues" his saxophone throbbed in rich nightingale sadness then soared in "Muskat Ramble" with the twittering shrillness of a lark, its line of melody whirling ever higher in spiral flights of exuberant sound. When a press photographer annoyed him he fired the instrument with a sharp crack of reproach; when the pianist lagged behind the others he implored him with a musical whine.”^[37] (bold and bold italic not in original) (Photo by William P. Gottlieb) performed in parades at the age of 8 with Freddie Keppard's brass band, and by the age of 15 with the Olympia Orchestra and in John Robichaux's dance orchestra.^[38] (Bust of Sidney Bechet in Armstrong Park, New Orleans, Louisiana) performed with Bunk Johnson in the Eagle Band of New Orleans (1911–12). worked with King Oliver in the Olympia Band (1913–14). In summary, performed in American cities of New Orleans with Freddie Keppard's Olympia Orchestra brass band, John Robichaux's dance orchestra, Bunk Johnson's Eagle Band of New Orleans (1911–1912), and with King Oliver in the Olympia Orchestra (1913–1914). studied clarinet in New Orleans with Lorenzo Tio (1916). in Chicago toured frequently often performing with Freddie Keppard (1914–1917). (Photo of mug shot taken in London September 1922 of Sidney Bechet) traveled to New York City where he joined Will Marion Cook's Southern Syncopated Orchestra (Spring, 1919). played in Louis Mitchell's Jazz Kings in 1919 and 1920, touring Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 and England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿. Will Marion Cook's Southern Syncopated Orchestra traveled to Europe touring England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 and Ireland 🇮🇪 (1920–21) and performed at the Royal Philharmonic Hall in London. sailed to Europe as a member of the Revue Nègre, including Josephine Baker (September 15, 1925), arriving at Cherbourg, France, on September 22, 1925 and opening at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Paris, on October 2, 1925. toured Europe with various bands reaching as far as Russia 🇷🇺 (1926). led his own small band at Ada "Bricktop" Smith's club Chez Bricktop in Montmartre, Paris (1928). In summary, promoted jazz internationalization by visiting and playing in London England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 at the Philharmonic Hall (1919–1920) and later (September 15, 1925), toured with members of the La Revue Nègre, including Josephine Baker arriving at Cherbourg, France, on September 22, opening at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris (October 2, 1925), and returning in 1928 to lead his small band at Chez Bricktop in Montmartre, Paris, France 🇫🇷, then on to Germany 🇩🇪 (Berlin), and Russia 🇷🇺 (June 1926). returned to New York City to lead a band with Tommy Ladnier (1932) who performed at the Savoy Ballroom. worked with Noble Sissle and his New Orleans Feetwarmers in 1932 (featuring trumpeter Tommy Ladnier). ran an unsuccessful tailor shop with trumpeter Tommy Ladnier. had a hit recording of "Summertime" (1938). Listen to a terrific version of "Summertime" by Bechet six rows down, 15th video at TheSongSummertime.Wordpress.com: dedicated to the most beautiful song ever, one hundred times. Hugues Panassié (1912–1974) featured Bechet on some records (1938) and soon he was signed to Bluebird Records where he recorded quite a few classics during the next three years. worked regularly in New York, appeared on some of Eddie Condon's Town Hall concerts, and in 1945 tried unsuccessfully to have a band with the veteran trumpeter Bunk Johnson (whose constant drinking killed the project). opened an unsuccessful music school where his main pupil, Bob Wilber became his protégé. “invited to the Salle Pleyel Jazz Festival in Paris (1949) where he caused a sensation, and decided to move permanently overseas. Within a couple years he was a major celebrity and a national hero in France 🇫🇷.”^[39] discouraged by jazz's reception in America moved permanently to France (1950) where “his performance as a soloist at the Paris Jazz Fair caused a surge in his popularity in that country, where he easily found well-paid work.”^[40] signed a recording contract with Disques Vogue (1953) lasting for the rest of his life where he recorded many hit tunes, including "Les Oignons", "Promenade aux Champs-Elysees," and the international hit "Petite Fleur" (1952). composed a classical ballet score in the late Romantic style of Tchaikovsky called "La Nuit est Sorcière" ("The Night Is a Witch"). Downbeat magazine Hall of Fame, Critic's Poll (1968) The Recordings of Sidney Bechet by Mal Collins as of June 2011

Duke Ellington[edit]

Duke Ellington (1899–1974) (active 1914→1974) (Photo by William P. Gottlieb) (Photo by William P. Gottlieb) (Portrait of Duke Ellington (center), Cat Anderson (left), and Sidney De Paris(?) (right), unknown far right) (Aquarium, New York, N.Y., ca. Nov. 1946) (Photo by William P. Gottlieb) Instrument: piano ++ orchestra +++ ++ (Duke Ellington introducing his orchestra before the concert at Rang Bhavan in Bombay India on October 9–10, 1963 with colorized version on right) Roles: composer big band leader Style/Genre: Big band Swing combos Notable Achievements:^[41] over 3,000 compositions.^[42] charming, erudite, well spoken, polite with sophisticated elegance.^[43] orchestra leader 1923 through 1974. loyal to his musicians and only ever personally fired three of them: Bubber Miley (in 1929) for alcoholism, (although it is falsely reported that he only ever personally fired just Miley or just Mingus), Charles Mingus (in 1953) for attacking bandmate Juan Tizol as well as splitting his chair with an axe, and Ben Webster in 1937. Wikipedia: Ben Webster reports in the fourth paragraph that Webster was fired for cutting up Ellington's clothing and Clark Terry reporting that Webster slapped Duke and Webster was then given two weeks notice. There is also possibly a fourth musician personally fired by Ellington named Rudy Jackson, who was co-credited as composing "Creole Love Call" along with Ellington and Buber Miley. Jackson had plagiarized the song from King Oliver's tune "Camp Meeting Blues."^[44] often called his music "beyond category." “That Ellington was "beyond category" is indisputable. Following his own dictum of keeping one foot in the academy and one in the street, Ellington evolved a musical language that imposed formal order on the rhythms, timbres, and attitudes of African-American everyday life. He struck a fine balance between organizational discipline and individual expressive freedom; and merged the traditionally distinct roles of composer and bandleader by embedding the writing process in a Deweyian social process of performative experimentation.”^[45] tailored music to his soloists.^[46] most recorded jazz composer.^[47] composed "Black, Brown and Beige" (1943). Timemagazine cover (1956). Downbeat magazine Hall of Fame, Reader's Poll (1956) along with Billy Strayhorn composed the film score for “Anatomy of a Murder” (1959). “The late Ellington pieces that will be featured—Such Sweet Thunder (1957), Suite Thursday (1960) and Anatomy of a Murder (1959)—show how well Ellington mastered the integration of rhythm section and band; these extended pieces prove that he is one of the great musical thinkers as well as one of the great masters of musical form.”^[48] (Duke Ellington in San Remo, Italy 🇮🇹 in 1964) President Lyndon Johnson presented Duke Ellington the President’s Gold Medal (1966). President Richard M. Nixon (on right) presented Duke Ellington with the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House in Washington, D.C.. (1969) 13 Grammy Awards. Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (1966). denied Pulitzer Prize (1965), but awarded the deceased Duke Ellington a special citation to commemorate the centennial of his birth (1999). French Legion of Honor (1973). image on a United States Commemorative stamp^[49] (1986) influenced millions of people around the world. 50 year career over 20,000 performances in North America, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia.^[42] recorded albums with: Ella Fitzgerald John Coltrane, Count Basie Louis Armstrong worked musically with Florenz Ziegfeld, Irving Berlin, Jimmy Durante, Al Jolson, Mary Lou Williams, Will Marion Cook, Lena Horne, Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, Mahalia Jackson, Charles Mingus, Frank Sinatra, Maurice Chevalier, and Bing Crosby wrote oratorios, suites, concertos, and even opera, as well as for the Broadway stage, movies, television, and nightclubs. frequently collaborating with writing partner Billy Strayhorn (1915–1967), created over 1,500 pieces of music, and nearly 6,000, if brief musical interludes are included. wrote the shows "Jump for Joy," “Man with Four Sides,” and “My People” (for the Century of Negro Progress Exposition in Chicago) (1963). classical music includes “The Liberian Suite” (commissioned for the centenary of Liberia 🇱🇷), background music for Shakespeare’s "Timon of Athens," and versions of Tchaikovsky’s "Nutcracker Suite" and Grieg’s "Peer Gynt Suite." film scores include "Black and Tan Fantasy," "Cabin in the Sky," and "Assault on a Queen" In 1950, Ellington was featured in three film shorts: "Salute to Duke Ellington," "Symphony in Swing," and "Date with Duke" accepted a commission from the American Ballet Theatre to develop "The River," a ballet choreographed by Alvin Ailey, as well as a commission from the New York Public Broadcasting Service station, WNET, to complete a comic opera. received sixteen honorary doctorates from U.S. universities. received the Order of the Star of Ethiopia 🇪🇹 awarded the Order of Lenin from the Soviet Union received the Spingarn medal (1959) from the NAACP for outstanding and unique musical achievements. wrote and performed three Sacred Concerts drawing on classical European and African-American forms and styles, first at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco (1965), second premiered at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York (1968) in front of an audience of 7,500, and the third at Westminster Abbey, London (1973). composed the Uwis Suite (1972). over 12,000 mourners attended his funeral (1974). the United States Mint issued a coin (February 24, 2009) with Duke Ellington on it, making him the first African American to appear by himself on a circulating U.S. coin Listen to: Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra Live performances from 1938 to 1963. Read two 1958 Duke interview transcripts made by Steve Voce and first published in Jazz Journal of March 1959. See Ellington on the Web. Los Angeles Times Obituary May 25, 1974. (Duke Ellington gravestone at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, New York])