History Main / Jazz

* ArtTatum: An almost completely blind jazz pianist, whose technique is something that, that, ... [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9Cs_zb4q14 Just see for yourself]]. No wonder too, as (so legend goes) he learned to play by repeating the movements on a autopiano... which [[BeyondTheImpossible played pieces for four hands]]!

* Art Tatum: An almost completely blind jazz pianist, whose technique is something that, that, ... [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9Cs_zb4q14 Just see for yourself]]. No wonder too, as (so legend goes) he learned to play by repeating the movements on a autopiano... which [[BeyondTheImpossible played pieces for four hands]]!

Jazz is one of the few unique cultural contributions that the United States brought to the world.

* Oscar Peterson: A jazz piano legend who was and still is often compared to Art Tatum in terms of virtuosity; indeed, Tatum was a major influence, but Oscar's style was more contemporary to the early bebop era of the mid 1940's (as opposed to the swing era of the 30's) while maintaining some of the more melodic idioms of swing as well as incredible ballad and blues playing.

* Duke Ellington: One of the greatest popular composers of all time, and a damn good pianist and bandleader too.

--> ''Man, if you have to ask what it is, you'll never know.''
---> '''LouisArmstrong'''

--> ''I'll play it first and tell you what it is later.''
--->'''MilesDavis'''

--> ''Jazz is the type of music that can absorb so many things and still be jazz.''
---> '''Sonny Rollins'''

--> ''Jazz is freedom. You think about that.''
--->'''Thelonius Monk'''

* MilesDavis: jazz trumpet virtuoso started in bebop, went on to pioneer multiple styles of jazz (Modal jazz, Cool jazz, and Fusion, among others). His albums 'Kind of Blue', 'Bitches Brew' and 'Birth of Cool' are considered to among the best selling jazz albums in history, not to mention among the most acclaimed, particularly the first.

Jazz started out in the United States in the beginning of the 20th century as 'black music' and is closely related to {{Blues}}, to the extent that many famous jazz compositions can be considered Blues pieces. Since then, there have been [[{{Understatement}} quite a few]] different forms of jazz, listed roughly in historical order: New Orleans, Swing/Big Band, Bebop, Cool, Modal, Free Jazz, Fusion, Nu Jazz... and this is a very incomplete list.

--->'''Miles Davis'''

* Dominic "Nic" LaRocca: A highly controversial figure in jazz history. He's probably the first jazz musician who was ever recorded, and the first to outsell John Phillip Sousa (the best-selling artist in America at the beginning of the twentieth century), but at the same time he is derided for his racist attitude toward contemporary black musicians.
* Paul Whiteman: Known as the "King of Jazz", Whiteman was one of the first white bandleaders and arguably responsible for bringing jazz as a genre to mainstream attention. Having been trained as a classical violinist, he received some criticism from white musicians for "playing below himself", while some black musiciains felt he was becoming famous by copying their style. Nonetheless, he helped to introduce the style to white audiences in a big way.
* LouisArmstrong: a massively influential jazz musician, played the trumpet and cornet, and engaged in a fifty-year career in jazz. He is considered the [[TropeMakers Trope Maker]] or TropeCodifier for many basic elements of jazz, including improvisation and scat singing.
* Duke Ellington: One of the greatest popular composers of all time, and a damn good pianist and bandleader too.
* Count Basie: Jazz composer and bandleader (and pianist as well) at the same time as Ellington, Basie's unique styles mark him solidly as a quintessential Big Band leader, along with Ellington.

* Art Tatum: an almost completely blind jazz pianist, whose technique is something that, that, ... [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9Cs_zb4q14 Just see for yourself]]. No wonder too, as (so legend goes) he learned to play by repeating the movements on a autopiano... which [[BeyondTheImpossible played pieces for four hands]]!
* Bix Biederbecke: A celebrated trumpeter and cornetist whose playing foreshadowed cool jazz and bebop. It was said that the only player who could put a note above him was Louis Armstrong.

* Ella Fitzgerald: One of the most well-known jazz vocalists of all time, her range, accuracy, sense of swing, and the cheerful quality of her voice led many to consider her one of the greatest singers of the 20th century, period. Expect VocalDissonance (Sorry Ella).

* MilesDavis: jazz trumpet virtuoso started in bebop, went on to pioneer multiple styles of jazz (Modal jazz, Cool jazz, and Fusion, among others). His album, KindOfBlue, is usually considered to ''the'' best selling jazz album in history and, for many, one the greatest creations in musical history.

* MilesDavis: jazz trumpet virtuoso started in bebop, went on to pioneer multiple styles of jazz (Modal jazz, Cool jazz, and Fusion, among others).

* Paul Whiteman: Known as the "King of Jazz", Whiteman was one of the first white bandleaders and arguably responsible for bringing jazz as a genre to mainstream attention. Having been trained as a classical violinist, he received some criticism from white musicians for "playing below himself", while some black musiciains felt he was becoming famous by copying their style. Nonetheless, he

* Glenn Miller: One of the most popular band leaders, he led his orchestra as one of the biggest record sellers from 1939 to his (literal) dissappearance in late 1944. His greatest hit was "In The Mood", not counting his work with the Andrews Sisters. Expect on of his pieces in any {{WWII} setting.

Notable Jazz artists include (note, some of these musicians, most notably Miles Davis, belong in multiple categories!):

* Weather Report: A jazz fusion band formed by Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter, members of Miles Davis' jazz fusion era quartet. Perhaps best known for their 1977 album ''Heavy Weather''. During the late 70's and early 80's, the band's lineup famously included...

* Jaco Pastorius: Widely considered to be the most innovative bass player ever. Pretty much every modern jazz bassist cites him as a major influence.

* Paul Whiteman: Known as the "King of Jazz", Whiteman was one of the first white bandleaders and arguably responsible for bringing jazz as a genre to mainstream attention.

* Bix Biederbecke: A troubled cornetist whose playing foreshadowed cool jazz and bebop. It was said that the only player who could put a note above him was Louis Armstrong.

* Ella Fitzgerald: One of the most well-known jazz vocalists of all time, her range, accuracy, sense of swing, and the cheerful quality of her voice led many to consider her one of the greatest singers of the 20th century, period. Expect VocalDissonance. (Sorry Ella)

* Wayne Shorter: together with Sonny, one of Bebop's last living legends, a saxophonist that was and remains very influential.

* Art Blakey: Brilliant drummer whose band, the Jazz Messengers, created almost as many big names as Coltrane's various lineups. His style of playing Jazz is also probably the TropeCodifier for the hard bop that pretty much defines mainstream jazz.

* Ella Fitzgerald

* Kenny G: He has to be mentioned to some extent. An American saxophonist, Kenny G is probably the most successful jazz musician worldwide in terms of record sales, but he's probably the most controversial musician on this list. He's the best known exponent of the so called 'smooth jazz', although this particular style has been [[LoveItOrHateIt criticized by jazz critics and fans]][[hottip:*:Virtually anyone who enjoys the music made by ANY of the authors above would seriously dispute whether Kenny G can be called a jazz musician]] for being barely one step above Easy Listening lounge music. To his credit, though, he defines his own music as "instrumental pop" rather than jazz.

* Kenny G: He has to be mentioned to some extent. An American saxophonist, Kenny G is probably the most successful jazz musician worldwide in terms of record sales, but he's probably the most controversial musician on this list. He's the best known exponent of the so called 'smooth jazz', although this particular style has been [[LoveOrHateIt criticized by jazz critics and fans]][[hottip:*:Virtually anyone who enjoys the music made by ANY of the authors above would seriously dispute whether Kenny G can be called a jazz musician]] for being barely one step above Easy Listening lounge music. To his credit, though, he defines his own music as "instrumental pop" rather than jazz.

* Kenny G: He has to be mentioned to some extent. An American saxophonist, Kenny G is probably the most successful jazz musician worldwide in terms of record sales, but he's probably the most controversial musician on this list. He's the best known exponent of smooth jazz, although his particular style has been criticised by jazz critics for being one step above Easy Listening lounge music. To his credit, though, he defines his own music as "instrumental pop" rather than jazz.

--> ''Man, if you have to ask what it [jazz] is, you'll never know.''

* Wynton Marsalis: a controversial, but probably the most famous and popular living jazz musician (together with Sonny Rollins), who plays a more 'traditional' Jazz, with heavy influences from anything up to the Bebop and Cool jazz era.