As one of the most revered musical art forms in America, jazz laid the foundation for an entire industry, introducing the world to numerous names brilliant composers, instrumentalists and vocalists and spawning a wide range of genres. 15 of the most influential jazz musicians are responsible for a global phenomenon that has occurred over the last century in the history of the genre.
Jazz developed in later years XIX century and at the beginning of the XX as a direction that combines classical European and American sounds with African folk motifs. The songs were performed with a syncopated rhythm, giving impetus to the development, and subsequently the formation of large orchestras to perform it. Music has made great strides from the days of ragtime to modern jazz.
The influence of West African musical culture in what kind of music is written and how it is performed. Polyrhythm, improvisation and syncopation are what characterize jazz. Over the past century, this style has changed under the influence of contemporaries of the genre, who brought their ideas to the essence of improvisation. New directions began to appear - bebop, fusion, Latin jazz, free jazz, funk, acid jazz, hard bop, smooth jazz, and so on.
15 Art Tatum
Art Tatum – jazz pianist and a virtuoso who was practically blind. He is known as one of the most greatest pianists of all time, which changed the role of the piano in the jazz ensemble. Tatum turned to the stride style to create his own unique style of playing, adding swing rhythms and fantastic improvisations. His attitude towards jazz music radically changed the meaning of the piano in jazz as a musical instrument compared to its previous characteristics.
Tatum experimented with the harmonies of the melody, influencing the chord structure and expanding it. All this characterized the bebop style, which, as we know, would become popular ten years later, when the first recordings in this genre appeared. Critics also noted his impeccable playing technique - Art Tatum was able to play the most difficult passages with such ease and speed that it seemed that his fingers barely touched the black and white keys.
14 Thelonious Monk
Some of the most complex and varied sounds can be found in the repertoire of the pianist and composer, one of the most important representatives of the era of the emergence of bebop and its subsequent development. His very personality as an eccentric musician helped popularize jazz. Monk, always dressed in a suit, hat and sunglasses, openly expressed his free-spirited approach to improvised music. He did not accept strict rules and formed his own approach to creating essays. Some of his most brilliant and famous works were Epistrophy, Blue Monk, Straight, No Chaser, I Mean You and Well, You Needn’t.
Monk's playing style was based on an innovative approach to improvisation. His works are distinguished by shock passages and sharp pauses. Quite often, during his performances, he would jump up from behind the piano and dance while the other band members continued to play the melody. Thelonious Monk remains one of the most influential jazz musicians in the history of the genre.
13 Charles Mingus
The recognized double bass virtuoso, composer and band leader was one of the most extraordinary musicians on jazz scene. He developed a new musical style, combining gospel, hard bop, free jazz and classical music. Contemporaries called Mingus "the heir to Duke Ellington" for his fantastic ability to write works for small jazz ensembles. His compositions demonstrated the skill of playing by all members of the group, each of whom was also not just talented, but was characterized by a unique playing style.
Mingus carefully selected the musicians who made up his band. The legendary double bassist had a temper, and once even hit trombonist Jimmy Knepper in the face, knocking out his tooth. Mingus suffered from depressive disorder, but was not willing to let it affect him in any way. creative activity. Despite this disability, Charles Mingus is one of the most influential figures in jazz history.
12 Art Blakey
Art Blakey was a famous American drummer and bandleader who made a splash in the style and technique of playing the drum kit. He combined swing, blues, funk and hard bop - a style that is heard today in every modern jazz composition. Together with Max Roach and Kenny Clarke, he invented a new way of playing bebop on drums. For more than 30 years, his band The Jazz Messengers gave a start to big jazz to many jazz artists: Benny Golson, Wayne Shorter, Clifford Brown, Curtis Fuller, Horace Silver, Freddie Hubbard, Keith Jarrett, etc.
The Jazz Ambassadors didn't just create phenomenal music, they were a kind of "musical testing ground" for young talented musicians, like the Miles Davis group. Art Blakey's style changed the very sound of jazz, becoming a new musical milestone.
11 Dizzy Gillespie
The jazz trumpeter, singer, composer and bandleader became a prominent figure in the times of bebop and modern jazz. His trumpet playing influenced the styles of Miles Davis, Clifford Brown and Fats Navarro. After his time in Cuba, upon his return to the United States, Gillespie was one of those musicians who actively promoted Afro-Cuban jazz. In addition to his inimitable performance on the characteristically curved trumpet, Gillespie could be identified by his horn-rimmed glasses and incredibly large cheeks when he played.
The great jazz improviser Dizzy Gillespie, as well as Art Tatum, innovated harmonies. The compositions Salt Peanuts and Goovin' High were rhythmically completely different from previous works. Remaining true to bebop throughout his career, Gillespie is remembered as one of the most influential jazz trumpeters.
10 Max Roach
The top ten of the 15 most influential jazz musicians in the history of the genre includes Max Roach, a drummer known as one of the pioneers of bebop. He, like few others, influenced modern drumming. Roach was a fighter for civil rights and together with Oscar Brown Jr. and Coleman Hawkins even recorded the album We Insist! – Freedom Now (“We insist! – Freedom now”), dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Max Roach has an impeccable playing style, capable of performing extended solos throughout the entire concert. Absolutely any audience was delighted with his unsurpassed skill.
9 Billie Holiday
Lady Day is the favorite of millions. Billie Holiday wrote only a few songs, but when she sang, she captivated her voice from the first notes. Her performance is deep, personal and even intimate. Her style and intonation are inspired by the sounds of musical instruments that she has heard. Like almost all the musicians described above, she became the creator of a new, but already vocal style, based on long musical phrases and the tempo of their singing.
The famous Strange Fruit is the best not only in Billie Holiday’s career, but in the entire history of jazz due to the singer’s soulful performance. She was posthumously awarded prestigious awards and inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
8 John Coltrane
The name of John Coltrane is associated with virtuoso playing technique, excellent talent for composing music and a passion for exploring new facets of the genre. On the threshold of the origins of hard bop, the saxophonist achieved enormous success and became one of the most influential musicians in the history of the genre. Coltrane's music had an edgy sound, and he played with great intensity and dedication. He was capable of both playing alone and improvising in an ensemble, creating solo parts of incredible length. Playing tenor and soprano saxophone, Coltrane was also able to create melodic compositions in the smooth jazz style.
John Coltrane is credited with rebooting bebop by incorporating modal harmonies. While remaining a major figure in the avant-garde, he was a very prolific composer and continued to release discs, recording about 50 albums as a band leader throughout his career.
7 Count Basie
A revolutionary pianist, organist, composer and bandleader, Count Basie led one of the most successful bands in jazz history. For 50 years, Count Basie Orchestra, including incredibly popular musicians such as Sweets Edison, Buck Clayton and Joe Williams, has earned a reputation as one of America's most sought-after big bands. Winner of nine Grammy awards, Count Basie instilled a love of orchestral sound in more than one generation of listeners.
Basie wrote many compositions that became jazz standards, such as April in Paris and One O'Clock Jump. Colleagues described him as tactful, modest and full of enthusiasm. Without Count Basie's orchestra in the history of jazz, the big band era would have sounded different and probably would not have been as influential as it became with this outstanding band leader.
6 Coleman Hawkins
The tenor saxophone is a symbol of bebop and all jazz music generally. And for that we can thank Coleman Hawkins. The innovations that Hawkins brought were vital to the development of bebop in the mid-forties. His contribution to the development of the popularity of this instrument may have determined future career John Coltrane, and Dexter Gordon.
Composition Body and Soul(1939) became the standard for tenor saxophone playing for many saxophonists. Other instrumentalists were also influenced by Hawkins: pianist Thelonious Monk, trumpeter Miles Davis, drummer Max Roach. His ability for extraordinary improvisations led to the discovery of new jazz sides of the genre that were not touched upon by his contemporaries. This partly explains why the tenor saxophone has become an integral part of modern jazz ensemble.
5 Benny Goodman
The top five 15 most influential jazz musicians in the history of the genre opens. The famous King of Swing led almost the most popular orchestra of the early 20th century. His 1938 Carnegie Hall concert is recognized as one of the most important live concerts in the history of American music. This show demonstrates the advent of the jazz era, the recognition of this genre as an independent art form.
Despite the fact that Benny Goodman was the lead singer of a large swing orchestra, he also participated in the development of bebop. His orchestra was one of the first to combine musicians of different races. Goodman was an outspoken opponent of the Jim Crow Law. He even canceled a tour of the Southern states in support of racial equality. Benny Goodman was an active figure and reformer not only in jazz, but also in popular music.
4 Miles Davis
One of the central jazz figures of the 20th century, Miles Davis, stood at the origins of many musical events and oversaw their development. He is credited with innovating the genres of bebop, hard bop, cool jazz, free jazz, fusion, funk and techno music. Constantly searching for a new musical style, he always achieved success and was surrounded by brilliant musicians, including John Coltrane, Cannoball Adderley, Keith Jarrett, JJ Johnson, Wayne Shorter and Chica Corea. During his lifetime, Davis was awarded 8 Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Miles Davis was one of the most active and influential jazz musicians of the last century.
3 Charlie Parker
When you think about jazz, you remember the name. Also known as Bird Parker, he was a pioneer of jazz alto saxophone, bebop musician and composer. His fast playing, clear sound and talent as an improviser had a significant influence on the musicians of that time and our contemporaries. As a composer, he changed the standards of jazz music writing. Charlie Parker became the musician who cultivated the idea that jazzmen were artists and intellectuals, and not just showmen. Many artists tried to copy Parker's style. His famous playing techniques can also be traced in the manner of many current beginning musicians, who take as a basis the composition Bird, which is consonant with the nickname of the alt-saccosophist.
2 Duke Ellington
He was a great pianist, composer and one of the most outstanding orchestra leaders. Although he is known as a pioneer of jazz, he excelled in other genres including gospel, blues, classical and popular music. It is Ellington who is credited with elevating jazz to its own art form. With countless awards and honors, the first great composer jazz has never stopped improving. He was an inspiration to subsequent generations of musicians, including Sonny Stitt, Oscar Peterson, Earl Hines, and Joe Pass. Duke Ellington remains a recognized genius of the jazz piano - instrumentalist and composer.
1 Louis Armstrong
Unquestionably the most influential jazz musician in the history of the genre, Satchmo is a trumpeter and singer from New Orleans. He is known as the creator of jazz, who played a key role in its development. The amazing abilities of this performer made it possible to elevate the trumpet into a solo jazz instrument. He is the first musician to sing in the scat style and popularize it. It was impossible not to recognize his low, “thundering” voice.
Armstrong's commitment to his own ideals influenced the work of Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby, Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie. Louis Armstrong influenced not only jazz, but also the entire musical culture, giving the world new genre, a unique style of singing and style of playing the trumpet.
A new musical direction, called jazz, arose at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries as a result of the fusion of European musical culture with African one. He is characterized by improvisation, expressiveness and a special type of rhythm.
At the very beginning of the twentieth century, new musical ensembles, called . They included wind instruments (trumpet, trombone clarinet), double bass, piano and percussion instruments.
Famous jazz players, thanks to their talent for improvisation and ability to subtly feel music, gave impetus to the formation of many musical styles. Jazz has become the primary source of many modern genres.
So, whose performance jazz compositions made the listener's heart skip a beat in ecstasy?
Louis Armstrong
For many music connoisseurs, his name is associated with jazz. The musician's dazzling talent captivated him from the first minutes of his performance. Merging into one with musical instrument– with a trumpet – he plunged his listeners into euphoria. Louis Armstrong went through a difficult journey from a nimble boy from a poor family to the famous King of Jazz.
Duke Ellington
Unstoppable creative personality. A composer whose music played with the modulations of many styles and experiments. The talented pianist, arranger, composer, and orchestra leader never tired of surprising with his innovation and originality.
His unique works were tested with great enthusiasm by the most famous orchestras of the time. It was Duke who came up with the idea of using the human voice as an instrument. More than a thousand of his works, called by connoisseurs the “golden fund of jazz,” were recorded on 620 discs!
Ella Fitzgerald
The “First Lady of Jazz” had a unique voice with a wide range of three octaves. It is difficult to count the honorary awards of the talented American. Ella's 90 albums were distributed around the world in incredible numbers. It's hard to imagine! Over 50 years of creativity, about 40 million albums performed by her have been sold. Masterfully mastering the talent of improvisation, she easily worked in duets with other famous jazz performers.
Ray Charles
One of the most famous musicians, called "a true jazz genius." 70 music albums sold around the world in numerous editions. He has 13 Grammy awards to his name. His compositions have been recorded by the Library of Congress. The popular magazine Rolling Stone determined Ray Charles Number 10 out of hundreds of great artists of all time “List of Immortals”.
Miles Davis
American trumpeter who has been compared to the artist Picasso. His music was highly influential in shaping the music of the 20th century. Davis represents the versatility of styles in jazz, the breadth of interests and accessibility for audiences of all ages.
Frank Sinatra
The famous jazz player came from a poor family, was short in stature and did not differ in any way in appearance. But he captivated the audience with his velvety baritone. The talented vocalist starred in musicals and dramatic films. Recipient of many awards and special awards. Won an Oscar for The House I Live In
Billie Holiday
A whole era in the development of jazz. Songs performed American singer acquired individuality and radiance, played with tints of freshness and novelty. The life and work of “Lady Day” was short, but bright and unique.
Famous jazz musicians enriched musical art sensual and spiritual rhythms, expressiveness and freedom of improvisation.
Oleg Lundstrem - Caravan
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While jazz was actively developing in the USA, in post-revolutionary Russia of the 20s it was just beginning its timid movement. It cannot be said that this musical genre were categorically prohibited, but the development of jazz in Russia did not proceed without criticism from the authorities. The expression “Today he plays jazz, and tomorrow he will sell his homeland” (or another less popular “From the saxophone to the Finnish knife - one step”) - clearly reflects the attitude towards jazz in the USSR.
There is a version that jazz survived in the USSR due to the fact that it was considered “the music of blacks,” and blacks as an oppressed nation, and therefore friendly to the Soviet power. Therefore, jazz in the Union was not completely strangled, despite the fact that many talented jazzmen could not “break through” to the general public. They were not allowed to perform or record on records. Jazz in Russia was still considered an allegedly ideological weapon with the help of which the United States was going to enslave the USSR. Mentions of jazz in the media were secretly prohibited.
The first jazz orchestra in Soviet Russia was created in Moscow in 1922 by the poet, translator, dancer, theater figure Valentin Parnakh and was called “The first eccentric orchestra of jazz bands of Valentin Parnakh in the RSFSR.”
The first professional jazz ensemble to perform on the radio and record a record is considered to be the orchestra of Moscow pianist and composer Alexander Tsfasman - his AMA-Jazz orchestra performed in 1927 on Moscow radio and recorded the record “Hallelujah.” Following him, early Soviet jazz bands specialized in performing fashionable dances - foxtrot, Charleston and others.
However, Leonid Utesov can be considered the “father” of Russian jazz. In the mass Soviet consciousness, jazz began to gain wide popularity in the 30s, thanks to the Leningrad ensemble led by actor and singer Leonid Utesov and trumpeter Ya. B. Skomorovsky. Popular comedy film with his participation “Jolly Guys” (1934, original title"Jazz Comedy") was dedicated to the history of a jazz musician and had an appropriate soundtrack (written by Isaac Dunaevsky). Utyosov and Skomorovsky formed the original style of “thea-jazz” (theater jazz), which was based on a mix of music and theater, operetta, that is, vocal numbers and the element of performance played a large role in it.
Leonid Utesov - Mishka Odesit
The work of composer and orchestra leader Eddie Rosner significantly influenced the development of Soviet jazz. He began his career in Germany and Poland, and when he came to the USSR, he became one of the pioneers of swing in the USSR. Important role Moscow bands of the 30s and 40s also played a role in popularizing and mastering the swing style. under the leadership of Alexander Tsfasman a and Alexander Varlamov a. The big-band of Oleg Lundstrem is also widely known (toured in China in 1935 - 1947)
Khrushchev's “thaw” weakened the persecution of musicians. VI World Festival youth, held in Moscow, gave birth to a new generation of Soviet jazzmen. Soviet jazz entered the European arena. The II Moscow Jazz Festival made history - the all-Union recording company Melodiya released a collection of the best musical numbers of the festival. Steel famous names jazz musicians Igor Bril, Boris Frumkin and others. Leonid Chizhik's tour to the USA caused a real sensation among the American public, showing the highest level of skill of Russian pianists.
In the 50-60s. In Moscow, the orchestras of Eddie Rosner and Oleg Lundstrem resumed their activities. Among the new compositions are the orchestras of Joseph Weinstein (Leningrad) and Vadim Ludvikovsky (Moscow), as well as the Riga Variety Orchestra (REO). Big bands have trained a whole galaxy of talented arrangers and improvising soloists. Among them are Georgy Garanyan, Boris Frumkin, Alexey Zubov, Vitaly Dolgov, Igor Kantyukov, Nikolay Kapustin, Boris Matveev, Konstantin Nosov, Boris Rychkov, Konstantin Bakholdin.
During this period, chamber and club jazz was actively developing in all the diversity of its stylistics (Vyacheslav Ganelin, David Goloshchekin, Gennady Golshtein, Nikolai Gromin, Vladimir Danilin, Alexey Kozlov, Roman Kunsman, Nikolai Levinovsky, German Lukyanov, Alexander Pishchikov, Alexey Kuznetsov, Victor Fridman , Andrey Tovmasyan, Igor Bril, Leonid Chizhik, etc.) Many of the above-mentioned masters of Soviet jazz began their creative career on the stage of the legendary Moscow jazz club “
Jazz performers invented a special musical language, which was built on improvisation, complex rhythmic figures (swing) and unique harmonic patterns.
Jazz originated in late XIX- the beginning of the 20th century in the United States of America and represented a unique social phenomenon, namely, the fusion of African and American culture. The further development and stratification of jazz into various styles and sub-styles is due to the fact that jazz performers and composers continuously continued to complicate their music, look for new sounds and master new harmonies and rhythms.
Thus, a huge jazz heritage has accumulated, in which the following main schools and styles can be distinguished: New Orleans (traditional) jazz, bebop, hard bop, swing, cool jazz, progressive jazz, free jazz, modal jazz, fusion, etc. d. This article contains ten outstanding jazz performers, after reading which you will get the most complete picture of the era of free people and energetic music.
Miles Davis
Miles Davis was born on May 26, 1926 in Alton (USA). Known as an iconic American trumpeter whose music had a profound influence on the 20th century jazz and music scene as a whole. He experimented a lot and boldly with styles, and perhaps that is why Davis is at the origins of such styles as cool jazz, fusion and modal jazz. Miles started his musical career as a member of the Charlie Parker Quintet, but later managed to find and develop his own musical sound. Miles Davis's most important and seminal albums include Birth of the Cool (1949), Kind of Blue (1959), Bitches Brew (1969), and In a Silent Way (1969). Main feature Miles Davis was constantly in search of creativity and showing the world new ideas, and that is why the history of modern jazz music owes so much to his exceptional talent.
Louis Armstrong (Louis Armstrong)
Louis Armstrong, the man whose name comes to mind for most people when they hear the word “jazz,” was born on August 4, 1901, in New Orleans (USA). Armstrong had a dazzling talent on the trumpet and did much to develop and popularize jazz music throughout the world. In addition, he also captivated the audience with his hoarse bass vocals. The path that Armstrong had to go from a tramp to the title of King of Jazz was thorny. And it began in a colony for black teenagers, where Louis ended up for an innocent prank - shooting a pistol at New Year's Eve. By the way, he stole a pistol from a policeman, a client of his mother, who was a representative the oldest profession in the world. Thanks to this not very favorable set of circumstances, Louis Armstrong received his first musical experience in a camp brass band. There he mastered the cornet, tambourine and alto horn. In a word, Armstrong went from marching in the colonies and then occasional performances in clubs to a musician of world significance, whose talent and contribution to the treasury of jazz is difficult to overestimate. The influence of his landmark albums Ella and Louis (1956), Porgy and Bess (1957), and American Freedom (1961) can still be heard in the game today. contemporary performers various styles.
Duke Ellington
Duke Ellinton was born on April 29, 1899 in Washington. Pianist, orchestra leader, arranger and composer, whose music became a real innovation in the world of jazz. His works were played on all radio stations, and his recordings are rightfully included in the “gold fund of jazz.” Ellinton was recognized throughout the world, received many awards, wrote a huge number of brilliant works, which includes the “Caravan” standard, which has bypassed the entire globe. His most famous releases include Ellington At Newport (1956), Ellington Uptown (1953), Far East Suite (1967) and Masterpieces By Ellington (1951).
Herbie Hancock (Herbie Hancock)
Herbie Hancock was born on April 12, 1940, in Chicago (USA). Hancock is known as a pianist and composer, as well as the winner of 14 Grammy awards, which he received for his work in the jazz field. His music is interesting because it combines elements of rock, funk and soul, along with free jazz. Also in his compositions one can find elements of modern classical music and blues motifs. In general, almost every sophisticated listener will be able to find something for themselves in Hancock’s music. If we talk about innovative creative solutions, Herbie Hancock is considered one of the first jazz performers to combine synthesizer and funk in the same way, the musician is at the origins of the newest jazz style- post-bebop. Despite the specificity of the music of some stages of Herbie's work, most of his songs are melodic compositions that are loved by the general public.
Among his albums are the following: “Head Hunters” (1971), “Future Shock” (1983), “Maiden Voyage” (1966) and “Takin' Off” (1962).
John Coltrane (John Coltrane)
John Coltrane, an outstanding jazz innovator and virtuoso, was born on September 23, 1926. Coltrane was a talented saxophonist and composer, band leader and one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. Coltrane is rightfully considered a significant figure in the history of jazz, who inspired and influenced modern performers, as well as the school of improvisation as a whole. Until 1955, John Coltrane remained relatively unknown until he joined Miles Davis' band. A few years later, Coltrane left the quintet and began to work closely on his own work. During these years, he recorded albums that formed the most important part of the jazz heritage.
These are Giant Steps (1959), Coltrane Jazz (1960) and A Love Supreme (1965), records that have become icons of jazz improvisation.
Charlie Parker(Charlie Parker)
Charlie Parker was born on August 29, 1920 in Kansas City (USA). His love for music awoke in him quite early: he began to master the saxophone at the age of 11. In the 1930s, Parker began to master the principles of improvisation and developed some techniques in his technique that preceded bebop. He later became one of the founders of this style (along with Dizzy Gillespie) and, in general, had a very strong influence on jazz music. However, while still a teenager, the musician became addicted to morphine, and later the problem of heroin addiction arose between Parker and music. Unfortunately, even after treatment in the clinic and recovery, Charlie Parker could not work and write as actively new music. Ultimately, heroin derailed his life and career and caused his death.
The most significant albums for jazz by Charlie Parker are “Bird and Diz” (1952), “Birth of the Bebop: Bird on Tenor” (1943), and “Charlie Parker with strings” (1950).
Thelonious Monk Quartet
Thelonious Monk was born on October 10, 1917, in Rocky Mount (USA). He is best known as a jazz composer and pianist, as well as one of the founders of bebop. His original “ragged” style of playing incorporated various styles - from avant-garde to primitivism. Such experiments made the sound of his music not entirely characteristic of jazz, which, however, did not prevent many of his works from becoming classics of this style of music. Being a very unusual person, who since childhood did everything possible just not to be “normal” and like everyone else, Monk became famous not only for his musical decisions, but also for his unusual complex nature. His name is associated with many anecdotal stories about how he was late for his own concerts, and once completely refused to play in a Detroit club because his wife did not show up for the performance. And so Monk sat on a chair with his hands folded until his wife was finally brought into the hall - in slippers and a robe. In front of her husband's eyes, the poor woman was urgently transported by plane, just so that the concert would take place.
Some of Monk's most notable albums include Monk's Dream (1963), Monk (1954), Straight No Chaser (1967), and Misterioso (1959).
Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday, famous American jazz vocalist, born April 7, 1917 in Philadelphia. Like many jazz musicians, Holiday began her musical career in nightclubs. Over time, she was lucky enough to meet producer Benny Goodman, who organized her first recordings in the studio. Fame came to the singer after participating in the big bands of such jazz masters as Count Basie and Artie Shaw (1937-1938). Lady Day (as her fans called her) had a unique performance style, thanks to which she seemed to reinvent a fresh and unique sound for the simplest compositions. She was especially good at romantic, slow songs (such as “Don’t Explain” and “Lover Man”). Billie Holiday's career was bright and brilliant, but it did not last long, because after thirty years she became addicted to drink and drugs, which negatively affected her health. The angelic voice lost its former strength and flexibility, and Holiday was rapidly losing the favor of the public.
Billie Holiday enriched the art of jazz with such outstanding albums as Lady Sings the Blues (1956), Body and Soul (1957), and Lady in Satin (1958).
Bill Evans
Bill Evans, legendary American jazz pianist and composer, was born on August 16, 1929 in New Jersey, USA. Evans is one of the most influential jazz performers of the 20th century. His musical works so sophisticated and unusual that few pianists are able to inherit and borrow his ideas. He could masterfully swing and improvise like no one else, at the same time, melody and simplicity were far from alien to him - his interpretations of famous ballads gained popularity even among non-jazz audiences. Evans was trained as an academic pianist, and after serving in the army began to appear in public with various little-known musicians as jazz performer. Success came to him in 1958, when Evans began playing in the Miles Davis sextet, along with Cannonball Auderly and John Coltrane. Evans is considered the creator chamber genre a jazz trio, which is characterized by a leading improvising piano, as well as solo drums and double bass. His musical style brought a variety of colors to jazz music - from inventive graceful improvisations to lyrically colored tones.
To the nai best albums Evans' credits include his one-man solo recording "Alone" (1968), "Waltz for Debby" (1961), "New Jazz Conceptions" (1956) and "Explorations" (1961).
Dizzy Gillespie (Dizzy Gillespie)
Dizzy Gillespie was born on October 21, 1917 in Cheraw, USA. Dizzy has many merits in the history of the development of jazz music: he is known as a trumpeter, vocalist, arranger, composer and orchestra leader. Gillespie also founded improvisational jazz with Charlie Parker. Like many jazz musicians, Gillespie started out performing in clubs. Then he moved to live in New York and successfully joined the local orchestra. He was known for his original, if not buffoonish, behavior, which successfully turned the people who worked with him against him. From the first orchestra, in which the very talented but peculiar trumpeter Dizz went on tour in England and France, he was almost kicked out. The musicians of his second orchestra also did not react entirely cordially to Gillespie’s ridicule of their playing. In addition, few people understood his musical experiments - some called his music “Chinese”. Collaboration with the second orchestra ended in a fight between Cab Calloway (his leader) and Dizzy during one of the concerts, after which Gillespie was miserably kicked out of the band. After Gillespie creates his own band, in which he and other musicians work to diversify the traditional jazz language. Thus, the style known as bebop was born, the style of which Dizzy actively worked on.
The best albums of the brilliant trumpeter include “Sonny Side Up” (1957), “Afro” (1954), “Birk’s Works” (1957), “World Statesman” (1956) and “Dizzy and Strings” (1954).
For decades, the music of freedom performed by dizzying jazz virtuosos has been a huge part of music scene and just human life. The names of the musicians that you can see above are immortalized in the memory of many generations and, most likely, the same number of generations will inspire and amaze with their skill. Perhaps the secret is that the inventors of trumpets, saxophones, double basses, pianos and drums knew that some things could not be done on these instruments, but forgot to tell jazz musicians about it.
Jazz performers invented a special musical language, which was based on improvisation, complex rhythmic figures (swing) and unique harmonic patterns.
Jazz arose in the late 19th and early 20th years in the United States of America and represented a unique social phenomenon, namely, a fusion of African and American cultures. The further development and stratification of jazz into various styles and sub-styles is due to the fact that jazz performers and composers continuously continued to complicate their music, look for new sounds and master new harmonies and rhythms.
Thus, a huge jazz heritage has accumulated, in which the following main schools and styles can be distinguished: New Orleans (traditional) jazz, bebop, hard bop, swing, cool jazz, progressive jazz, free jazz, modal jazz, fusion, etc. d. This article contains ten outstanding jazz performers, after reading which you will get the most complete picture of the era of free people and energetic music.
Miles Davis
Miles Davis was born on May 26, 1926 in Alton (USA). Known as an iconic American trumpeter whose music had a profound influence on the 20th century jazz and music scene as a whole. He experimented a lot and boldly with styles, and perhaps that is why Davis is at the origins of such styles as cool jazz, fusion and modal jazz. Miles began his musical career as a member of the Charlie Parker Quintet, but later managed to find and develop his own musical sound. Miles Davis's most important and seminal albums include Birth of the Cool (1949), Kind of Blue (1959), Bitches Brew (1969), and In a Silent Way (1969). The main characteristic of Miles Davis was that he was constantly in creative search and showed the world new ideas, and that is why the history of modern jazz music owes so much to his exceptional talent.
Louis Armstrong (Louis Armstrong)
Louis Armstrong, the man whose name comes to mind for most people when they hear the word “jazz,” was born on August 4, 1901, in New Orleans (USA). Armstrong had a dazzling talent on the trumpet and did much to develop and popularize jazz music throughout the world. In addition, he also captivated the audience with his hoarse bass vocals. The path that Armstrong had to go from a tramp to the title of King of Jazz was thorny. And it began in a colony for black teenagers, where Louis ended up for an innocent prank - shooting a pistol on New Year's Eve. By the way, he stole a pistol from a policeman, a client of his mother, who was a representative of the oldest profession in the world. Thanks to this not very favorable set of circumstances, Louis Armstrong received his first musical experience in a camp brass band. There he mastered the cornet, tambourine and alto horn. In a word, Armstrong went from marching in the colonies and then occasional performances in clubs to a musician of world significance, whose talent and contribution to the treasury of jazz is difficult to overestimate. The influence of his landmark albums Ella and Louis (1956), Porgy and Bess (1957), and American Freedom (1961) can still be heard in the playing of contemporary artists of various styles.
Duke Ellington
Duke Ellinton was born on April 29, 1899 in Washington. Pianist, orchestra leader, arranger and composer, whose music became a real innovation in the world of jazz. His works were played on all radio stations, and his recordings are rightfully included in the “gold fund of jazz.” Ellinton was recognized throughout the world, received numerous awards, and wrote a huge number of brilliant works, including the standard “Caravan”, which went around the globe. His most famous releases include Ellington At Newport (1956), Ellington Uptown (1953), Far East Suite (1967) and Masterpieces By Ellington (1951).
Herbie Hancock (Herbie Hancock)
Herbie Hancock was born on April 12, 1940, in Chicago (USA). Hancock is known as a pianist and composer, as well as the winner of 14 Grammy awards, which he received for his work in the jazz field. His music is interesting because it combines elements of rock, funk and soul, along with free jazz. You can also find elements of modern classical music and blues motifs in his compositions. In general, almost every sophisticated listener will be able to find something for themselves in Hancock’s music. If we talk about innovative creative solutions, Herbie Hancock is considered one of the first jazz performers to combine synthesizer and funk in the same way, the musician is at the origins of the newest jazz style - post-bebop. Despite the specificity of the music of some stages of Herbie’s work, most of his songs are melodic compositions that are loved by the general public.
Among his albums are the following: “Head Hunters” (1971), “Future Shock” (1983), “Maiden Voyage” (1966) and “Takin' Off” (1962).
John Coltrane (John Coltrane)
John Coltrane, an outstanding jazz innovator and virtuoso, was born on September 23, 1926. Coltrane was a talented saxophonist and composer, band leader and one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. Coltrane is rightfully considered a significant figure in the history of jazz, who inspired and influenced modern performers, as well as the school of improvisation as a whole. Until 1955, John Coltrane remained relatively unknown until he joined Miles Davis' band. A few years later, Coltrane left the quintet and began to work closely on his own work. During these years, he recorded albums that formed the most important part of the jazz heritage.
These are Giant Steps (1959), Coltrane Jazz (1960) and A Love Supreme (1965), records that have become icons of jazz improvisation.
Charlie Parker (Charlie Parker)
Charlie Parker was born on August 29, 1920 in Kansas City (USA). His love for music awoke in him quite early: he began to master the saxophone at the age of 11. In the 1930s, Parker began to master the principles of improvisation and developed some techniques in his technique that preceded bebop. He later became one of the founders of this style (along with Dizzy Gillespie) and, in general, had a very strong influence on jazz music. However, while still a teenager, the musician became addicted to morphine, and later the problem of heroin addiction arose between Parker and music. Unfortunately, even after treatment at the clinic and recovery, Charlie Parker could not work as actively and write new music. Ultimately, heroin derailed his life and career and caused his death.
The most significant albums for jazz by Charlie Parker are “Bird and Diz” (1952), “Birth of the Bebop: Bird on Tenor” (1943), and “Charlie Parker with strings” (1950).
Thelonious Monk Quartet
Thelonious Monk was born on October 10, 1917, in Rocky Mount (USA). He is best known as a jazz composer and pianist, as well as one of the founders of bebop. His original “ragged” style of playing incorporated various styles - from avant-garde to primitivism. Such experiments made the sound of his music not entirely characteristic of jazz, which, however, did not prevent many of his works from becoming classics of this style of music. Being a very unusual person who, since childhood, did everything possible just not to be “normal” and like everyone else, Monk became famous not only for his musical decisions, but also for his extremely complex character. His name is associated with many anecdotal stories about how he was late for his own concerts, and once completely refused to play in a Detroit club because his wife did not show up for the performance. And so Monk sat on a chair with his hands folded until his wife was finally brought into the hall - in slippers and a robe. In front of her husband's eyes, the poor woman was urgently transported by plane, just so that the concert would take place.
Some of Monk's most notable albums include Monk's Dream (1963), Monk (1954), Straight No Chaser (1967), and Misterioso (1959).
Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday, a famous American jazz vocalist, was born on April 7, 1917 in Philadelphia. Like many jazz musicians, Holiday began her musical career in nightclubs. Over time, she was lucky enough to meet producer Benny Goodman, who organized her first recordings in the studio. Fame came to the singer after participating in the big bands of such jazz masters as Count Basie and Artie Shaw (1937-1938). Lady Day (as her fans called her) had a unique performance style, thanks to which she seemed to reinvent a fresh and unique sound for the simplest compositions. She was especially good at romantic, slow songs (such as “Don’t Explain” and “Lover Man”). Billie Holiday's career was bright and brilliant, but it did not last long, because after thirty years she became addicted to drink and drugs, which negatively affected her health. The angelic voice lost its former strength and flexibility, and Holiday was rapidly losing the favor of the public.
Billie Holiday enriched the art of jazz with such outstanding albums as Lady Sings the Blues (1956), Body and Soul (1957), and Lady in Satin (1958).
Bill Evans
Bill Evans, legendary American jazz pianist and composer, was born on August 16, 1929 in New Jersey, USA. Evans is one of the most influential jazz performers of the 20th century. His musical works are so sophisticated and unusual that few pianists are able to inherit and borrow his ideas. He could masterfully swing and improvise like no one else, at the same time, melody and simplicity were far from alien to him - his interpretations of famous ballads gained popularity even among non-jazz audiences. Evans was trained as an academic pianist, and after serving in the army he began appearing in public with various little-known musicians as a jazz performer. Success came to him in 1958, when Evans began playing in the Miles Davis sextet, along with Cannonball Auderly and John Coltrane. Evans is considered the creator of the chamber genre of the jazz trio, which is characterized by a leading improvising piano, as well as solo drums and double bass. His musical style brought a variety of colors to jazz music - from inventive graceful improvisations to lyrically colored tones.
Evans' best albums include his solo recording "Alone" (1968), made in man-orchestra mode, "Waltz for Debby" (1961), "New Jazz Conceptions" (1956) and "Explorations" (1961).
Dizzy Gillespie (Dizzy Gillespie)
Dizzy Gillespie was born on October 21, 1917 in Cheraw, USA. Dizzy has many merits in the history of the development of jazz music: he is known as a trumpeter, vocalist, arranger, composer and orchestra leader. Gillespie also founded improvisational jazz with Charlie Parker. Like many jazz musicians, Gillespie started out performing in clubs. Then he moved to live in New York and successfully joined the local orchestra. He was known for his original, if not buffoonish, behavior, which successfully turned the people who worked with him against him. From the first orchestra, in which the very talented but peculiar trumpeter Dizz went on tour in England and France, he was almost kicked out. The musicians of his second orchestra also did not react entirely cordially to Gillespie’s ridicule of their playing. In addition, few people understood his musical experiments—some called his music “Chinese.” Collaboration with the second orchestra ended in a fight between Cab Calloway (his leader) and Dizzy during one of the concerts, after which Gillespie was miserably kicked out of the band. After Gillespie creates his own band, in which he and other musicians work to diversify the traditional jazz language. Thus, the style known as bebop was born, the style of which Dizzy actively worked on.
The best albums of the brilliant trumpeter include “Sonny Side Up” (1957), “Afro” (1954), “Birk’s Works” (1957), “World Statesman” (1956) and “Dizzy and Strings” (1954).
For many decades, the music of freedom performed by breathtaking jazz virtuosos has been a huge part of the music scene and simply human life. The names of the musicians that you can see above are immortalized in the memory of many generations and, most likely, the same number of generations will inspire and amaze with their skill. Perhaps the secret is that the inventors of trumpets, saxophones, double basses, pianos and drums knew that some things could not be done on these instruments, but forgot to tell jazz musicians about it.
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