| Name | Occupation | Birth | Death | Known for |
|---|
| Count Basie |
Pianist |
21-Aug-1904 |
26-Apr-1984 |
Big band pianist |
| Tony Bennett |
Singer |
3-Aug-1926 |
|
Left his heart in San Francisco |
| Art Blakey |
Drummer |
11-Oct-1919 |
16-Oct-1990 |
Principal bebop instigator and drummer |
| Dave Brubeck |
Jazz Musician |
6-Dec-1920 |
|
Take Five |
| Benny Carter |
Jazz Musician |
8-Aug-1907 |
12-Jul-2003 |
Jazz and big bandleader |
| Kenny Clarke |
Drummer |
9-Jan-1914 |
26-Jan-1985 |
Droppin' Bombs |
| Ornette Coleman |
Jazz Musician |
19-Mar-1930 |
|
Free Jazz innovator |
| Chick Corea |
Jazz Musician |
12-Jun-1941 |
|
Jazz keyboardist |
| Miles Davis |
Jazz Musician |
26-May-1926 |
28-Sep-1991 |
Jazz trumpeter, Kind of Blue |
| Roy Eldridge |
Jazz Musician |
30-Jan-1911 |
26-Feb-1989 |
Swing-era jazz trumpeter |
| Gil Evans |
Jazz Musician |
13-May-1912 |
20-Mar-1988 |
Jazz pianist and arranger |
| Ella Fitzgerald |
Singer |
25-Apr-1917 |
15-Jun-1996 |
The First Lady of Jazz |
| Dizzy Gillespie |
Jazz Musician |
21-Oct-1917 |
7-Jan-1993 |
Be-bop jazz trumpeter |
| Lionel Hampton |
Jazz Musician |
20-Apr-1908 |
31-Aug-2002 |
Jazz vibrophonist and bandleader |
| Herbie Hancock |
Jazz Musician |
12-Apr-1940 |
|
Innovative jazz/fusion composer and pianist |
| Nat Hentoff |
Critic |
10-Jun-1925 |
|
The Jazz Life |
| Billy Higgins |
Jazz Musician |
11-Oct-1936 |
3-May-2001 |
Leading free-jazz and bop drummer |
| Shirley Horn |
Musician |
1-May-1934 |
20-Oct-2005 |
Here's To Life |
| Freddie Hubbard |
Jazz Musician |
7-Apr-1938 |
29-Dec-2008 |
Hard-bop jazz trumpet soloist |
| Elvin Jones |
Drummer |
9-Sep-1927 |
18-May-2004 |
Different Drummer |
| Hank Jones |
Jazz Musician |
31-Jul-1918 |
16-May-2010 |
Jazz Piano Luminary |
| Ramsey Lewis |
Jazz Musician |
27-May-1935 |
|
Ramsey Lewis Trio |
| Carmen McRae |
Singer |
8-Apr-1922 |
10-Nov-1994 |
Jazz vocalist |
| Anita O'Day |
Singer/Songwriter |
18-Oct-1919 |
23-Nov-2006 |
Feminine master of scat |
| Sun Ra |
Jazz Musician |
22-May-1914 |
30-May-1993 |
Jazz musician from Saturn |
| Max Roach |
Jazz Musician |
10-Jan-1924 |
16-Aug-2007 |
Enduring jazz drummer |
| Sonny Rollins |
Jazz Musician |
7-Sep-1930 |
|
Tenor sax master |
| Artie Shaw |
Musician |
23-May-1910 |
30-Dec-2004 |
Clarinetist, big band leader |
| Horace Silver |
Jazz Musician |
2-Sep-1928 |
|
Song For My Father |
| Jimmy Smith |
Jazz Musician |
8-Dec-1925 |
8-Feb-2005 |
Master of the Hammond B3 organ |
| Billy Taylor |
Jazz Musician |
24-Jul-1921 |
28-Dec-2010 |
I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free |
| Cecil Taylor |
Jazz Musician |
15-Mar-1929 |
|
Avant-garde jazz pianist |
| Sarah Vaughan |
Singer |
28-Mar-1924 |
3-Apr-1990 |
The Divine One |
| Joe Williams |
Singer |
12-Dec-1918 |
29-Mar-1999 |
Baritone jazz vocalist |
| Nancy Wilson |
Singer |
20-Feb-1937 |
|
Jazz and pop diva |
