Famous jazz singers. The most famous jazz performers

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They were the first to play jazz

Jazz music world gave a meeting of two cultures - European and African. On the international wave in the early 20s of the twentieth century Musical direction broke into the Land of Soviets. We remember the performers who were the first to play jazz in the USSR.

Valentin Parnakh with his son Alexander. Photo: jazz.ru

Valentin Parnakh. Photo: mkrf.ru

“Valentin Parnach’s first eccentric jazz band orchestra in the RSFSR” debuted on stage in October 1922. It was not just a premiere, but a premiere of a new musical direction. The collective, revolutionary for the music of that time, was brought together by a poet, musician and choreographer who lived in Europe for six years. Parnach heard jazz in a Parisian cafe in 1921 and was shocked by this innovative musical movement. He returned to the Soviet Union with a set of instruments for a jazz band. We only rehearsed for a month.

On the day of the premiere, on the stage of the Central College of Theater Arts - the current GITIS - gathered future writer and screenwriter Evgeniy Gabrilovich, actor and artist Alexander Kostomolotsky, Mechislav Kaprovich and Sergei Tizengeizen. Gabrilovich was sitting at the piano: he played well by ear. Kostomolotsky played drums, Kaprovich played saxophone, Tiesengeisen played double bass and foot drum. The double bass players still beat the rhythm with their feet, the musicians decided.

At the first concerts, Valentin Parnakh told the audience about the musical direction and that jazz is a combination of traditions from different continents and cultures into one “international fusion.” The practical part of the lecture was received with enthusiasm. Including Vsevolod Meyerhold, who was not slow in inviting Parnakh to assemble a jazz band for his performance. Popular foxtrots and shimmy were performed in the performances “The Generous Cuckold” and “D.E.” Energetic music came in handy even at the May Day demonstration in 1923. “For the first time, a jazz band participated in state celebrations, which has never happened in the West before!”- the Soviet press trumpeted.

Alexander Tsfasman: jazz as a profession

Alexander Tsfasman. Photo: orangesong.ru

Alexander Tsfasman. Photo: muzperekrestok.ru

The works of Franz Liszt, Heinrich Neuhaus and Dmitry Shostakovich coexisted harmoniously with jazz melodies in the work of Alexander Tsfasman. While still a student at the Moscow Conservatory, from which the musician later graduated with a gold medal, he created the first professional jazz group in Moscow - “AMA-jazz”. The orchestra's first performance took place in 1927 at the Artistic Club. The team immediately received an invitation from one of the most fashionable venues at that time - the Hermitage Garden. In the same year, jazz first appeared on Soviet radio. And it was performed by Tsfasman’s musicians.

“The tired sun tenderly said goodbye to the sea” sounded in 1937 from a record recorded by Alexander Tsfasman’s ensemble under the name “Moscow Guys”.

For the first time in the Union, the famous tango was heard in a jazz adaptation Polish composer Jerzy Petersburg's "Last Sunday" to the words of the poet Joseph Alwek. The first to sing about the tender farewell of the sun and sea was the soloist of the Tsfasman jazz ensemble Pavel Mikhailov. WITH light hand Another recording from the same disc - about an unsuccessful date - became an all-time hit among musicians. “So that means tomorrow, in the same place, at the same hour.”, - the whole country sang after the jazz ensemble.

“Those who have ever listened to A. Tsfasman play will forever remember the art of this virtuoso pianist. His dazzling pianism, combining expression and grace, had a magical effect on the listener.”

Alexander Medvedev, musicologist

Although Alexander Tsfasman was involved in a jazz ensemble, he did not abandon his solo program and performed as a pianist and composer. Together with Dmitry Shostakovich, Tsfasman worked on the music for the epic film “Meeting on the Elbe”, and then, at the request of the composer, performed his music for the film “The Unforgettable 1919”. He also became the author jazz music, which sounded in the famous play “Under the rustle of your eyelashes” by the puppet theater of Sergei Obraztsov.

Leopold Teplitsky. Classics with a jazz twist

Leopold Teplitsky. Photo: history.kantele.ru

Leopold Teplitsky conducted symphony orchestras at silent film shows in the St. Petersburg Hermitage and Lux ​​cinemas while still studying at the conservatory. In 1926, the People's Commissariat sent young musician to Philadelphia to perform at the International Exhibition. In America, Teplitsky heard symphonic jazz - the music of this direction was performed by the Paul Whiteman Orchestra.

When Leopold Teplitsky returned to the USSR, he organized the “First Concert Jazz Band” from professional musicians. The classics - the music of Giuseppe Verdi and Charles Gounod - were heard in a jazz arrangement. A jazz band played and works by contemporary American authors - George Gershwin, Irving Berlin. This is how Leopold Teplitsky found himself at the forefront of professional Leningrad jazz in the 1930s. Leonid Utesov called him “the first Russian musician to show jazz playing.”

The jazzmen's first performance took place in 1927. The concert was preceded by a lecture “The Jazz Band and the Music of the Future” by musicologist and composer Joseph Schillinger. The music, unusual for those years, and the soloist aroused particular interest among the public - pop and jazz singer from Mexico Coretti Arle-Tietz performed with the musicians. The success of the team did not last long: in 1930, Leopold Teplitsky was arrested and convicted of espionage. He was released two years later, but Teplitsky did not stay in Leningrad - he moved to Petrozavodsk.

Since 1933, the musician worked as the chief conductor of the Karelian Symphony Orchestra, but did not leave jazz - he played with academic orchestra and a jazz program. Teplitsky also performed with his new group in Leningrad - as part of the Ten Days of Karelian Art. In 1936, with the participation of the musician, new team"Kantele", for which Teplitsky wrote "Karelian Prelude". The ensemble became the winner of the First All-Union Radio Festival folk art in 1936. Leopold Teplitsky remained to live in Petrozavodsk. The “Stars and Us” jazz music festival is dedicated to the memory of the famous jazzman.

Leonid Utesov. "Song Jazz"

Leonid Utesov. Photo: music-fantasy.ru

Leonid Utesov. Photo: mp3stunes.com

A high-profile premiere at the turn of the 1930s was “Thea Jazz” by Leonid Utesov. The fashionable musical direction, with the light hand of the famous pop artist, who dropped out of commercial school for the sake of music, acquired the scale of a theatrical performance. Utesov became interested in jazz during a trip to Paris, where the Ted Lewis Orchestra amazed the Soviet musician with its “theatricalization” in the best traditions of music hall.

These impressions were embodied in the creation of “Thea Jazz”. Utesov turned to the virtuoso trumpet player, academic musician Yakov Skomorovsky, who also found the idea of ​​a jazz orchestra interesting. Gathering musicians from Leningrad theaters, Tea Jazz performed on the stage of the Leningrad Maly Opera Theater in 1929. This was the first composition of the group, which did not work for long and soon moved to the Leningrad Radio in the “Concert Jazz Orchestra”.

Utesov dialed new line-up“Thea-jazz” - musicians staged entire performances. One of them - “Music Store” - later formed the basis famous film, the first Soviet musical comedy. Painting by Grigory Alexandrov “Jolly Guys” with Lyubov Orlova in leading role was released in 1934. She became popular not only at home, but also abroad.

The repertoire of "Thea-jazz" included jazz rhapsodies by Isaac Dunaevsky on the themes folk songs and songs based on poems by Soviet composers. So, with the light hand of Utesov, a brilliant performer who “sang with his heart,” a wave of “song jazz” swept across the country. Dunaevsky's songs were picked up by many jazz orchestras: they were included in improvisations, fantasies and arrangements.

Oleg Lundstrem. "Jazz King of the Far East"

Oleg Lundstrem. Photo: classicalmusicnews.ru

Oleg Lundstrem. Photo: kp.ru

Oleg Lundstrem became inspired by jazz music in 1933 when he heard Duke Ellington's "Dear Old South". Impressed, Lundström wrote out the arrangement, assembled a band, and sat down at the piano himself. Two years later, the musician conquered Shanghai, where he lived at that moment. So I decided further fate: Abroad, Lundström studied simultaneously at a polytechnic institute and a music college. His orchestra played jazz classics and music of Soviet composers in jazz arrangements. The press called Lundström “the king of jazz of the Far East.”

In 1947, the musicians decided to move to the Soviet Union - to in full force, with families. Everyone settled in Kazan and studied at the Conservatory here. However, a year later, a resolution of the CPSU Central Committee was issued, condemning “formalism in music.” The team returned to their homeland to become state-owned jazz band Tatar ASSR, but the musicians were assigned to the opera house and cinema orchestras. Together they performed only at rare one-off concerts.

“Deep penetration into the nature of jazz performance, into its classical traditions, on the one hand, and the desire to contribute to this genre, using national folklore, by creating and performing original jazz works and arrangements, on the other hand, this is the orchestra’s credo.”

Oleg Lundstrem

Only the thaw brought jazz back to the stage. In the year of its 60th anniversary, Oleg Lundstrem's orchestra entered the Guinness Book of Records as the world's oldest continuously existing jazz orchestra. The musician also had a chance to meet the author of that same “Dear Old South” when Duke Ellington came to Moscow in the 1970s. Oleg Lundstrem kept the record all his life, which gave him a love for jazz.

Jazz can do anything. He will support you in moments of sadness, he will make you dance, he will plunge you into the abyss of pleasure in rhythm and virtuoso music. Jazz is not a musical style, but a mood. Jazz is an entire era, he leaves no one indifferent.

So let me invite you to beautiful world swing and improvisation. In this article, we have collected for you ten jazz artists that will definitely make your day.

1. Louis Armstrong

The jazzman, who had a huge influence on the development of jazz, was born in the poorest black neighborhood of New Orleans. Your first musical education Louis was sent to a correctional camp for colored teenagers, where he was sent for firing a pistol on New Year's Day. By the way, he stole the pistol from a policeman who was a client of his mother (I think you can guess what profession she belonged to). At the camp, Louis became involved in the local brass band, where he learned to play the tambourine, alto horn and clarinet. His love for music and perseverance helped him achieve success, and now each of us knows and loves his raspy bass.

2. Billie Holiday

Billie Holiday practically created a new form of jazz vocals, because now this style of singing is called jazz. Her real name is Eleanor Fagan. The singer was born in Philadelphia, her mother, Sadie Fagan, was 18 years old at that time, and her musician father, Clarence Holiday, was 16. Around 1928, Eleanor moved to New York, where she was arrested along with her mother for prostitution. From the 30s she began performing in nightclubs, and later in theaters, and after 1950 she rapidly began to gain popularity. After thirty years, the singer began serious problems with health due to large quantity alcohol and drugs. Under the harmful influence of booze, Holiday's voice lost its former flexibility, but it was short. creative life It didn’t stop the singer from becoming one of the idols of jazz.

3. Ella Fitzgerald

The owner of a voice with a range of three octaves was born in Virginia. Ella grew up in a very poor, but God-fearing and practically exemplary family. But after the death of her mother, the 14-year-old girl dropped out of school, and after disagreements with her stepfather (Ella’s mom and dad were divorced at that time), she moved to live with her aunt and began working in a brothel as a caretaker. There she encountered mafiosi and their lives. The police soon took care of the minor girl, and she was sent to a boarding school in Hudson, from which Ella ran away and was homeless for some time. In 1934, she performed on stage for the first time, singing two songs at the Amateur Nights competition. And this was the first impetus in the long and dizzying career of Ella Fitzgerald.

4. Ray Charles

The genius of jazz and blues was born in Georgia in a very poor family. As Ray himself said: “Even among other blacks, we were at the bottom of the ladder, looking up at the others. Nothing below us is only the earth.” When he was five years old, his brother drowned in a tub that stood on the street. Presumably due to this shock, by seven years old Ray completely blind. Many world pop and cinema stars have admired and continue to admire the talent of the great Ray Charles. The musician received 17 Grammy awards and was inducted into the rock and roll, jazz, country and blues halls of fame.\

5. Sarah Vaughn

One of the greatest jazz vocalists was born in California. She was called “the greatest voice of the twentieth century,” and the singer herself objected to being called a jazz singer, since she considered her range wider. Over the years, Sarah's skills became more refined, and her voice acquired greater depth. The singer’s favorite technique was a quick but smooth glide of her voice between octaves - glissando.

6. Dizzy Gillespie

Dizzy is a brilliant jazz virtuoso trumpeter, composer and vocalist, one of the founders of the bebop style. The musician received his nickname “Dizzy” (translated from English as “dizzy”, “stunning”) as a child, thanks to his tricks and antics with which he shocked those around him. Dizzy took trombone, theory and harmony classes at the Laurinburg Institute. In addition to basic training, the musician independently masters the trumpet, which has become his favorite, as well as piano and drums.

7. Charlie Parker

Charlie began playing the saxophone at the age of 11 and showed by his example that the main thing is practice, because the musician practiced the saxophone 15 hours a day for 3-4 years. Such work bore fruit, and very significant ones - Charlie became one of the founders of bebop (together with Dizzy Gillespie) and greatly influenced jazz as a whole. The musician's heroin addiction practically derailed his career. Despite treatment at the clinic and his complete recovery, as Charlie himself believed, he was unable to continue to work as actively on his works.

This trumpet player also had a significant influence on jazz and was at the origin of such styles as modal jazz, cool jazz and fusion. For some time, Miles played in Charlie Parker's quintet, where he developed his own individual sound. After listening to Davis's discography, you will be able to trace the entire history of the development of modern jazz, because Miles practically created it. The peculiarity of the musician was that he never limited himself to any one jazz style, which, in fact, made him great.

9. Joe Cocker

Not quite doing it smooth transition To modern performers, we're including everyone's favorite Joe on our list. In the 70s, Joe Cocker experienced significant difficulties with his repertoire due to alcohol abuse, so in his repertoire we can hear a lot of re-covers of songs by other performers. Unfortunately, alcohol turned the singer's powerful voice into the hoarse baritone we can hear today. But, despite his age and failing health, old Joe is still performing. And I can say from my own experience that he is very energetic and even pleases the audience, bouncing up and down cheerfully in between verses.

10. Hugh Laurie

Everyone's favorite Dr. House showed off his musical skills in the series. But recently, Hugh has been delighting us with his rapid career in the jazz field. Despite the fact that his repertoire is full of re-covers of famous performers, Hugh Laurie adds his own romanticism and special sound to works already familiar to us. Let's hope this one is incredible talented person will continue to delight us, breathing life into jazz that is slipping into the past, but is still so beautiful.

How the musical direction of jazz was formed in the USA in late XIX- the beginning of the twentieth century, representing a synthesis of cultures: African and European. Since then it has evolved greatly and has become the impetus for the development of many other musical styles. At the beginning of the last century, jazz bands gained popularity, musical ensembles, which featured wind and percussion instruments, as well as piano and double bass. The most bright performers jazz were forever inscribed in the history of music.

Cult jazzmen

Perhaps the most famous jazzman in the world is Louis Armstrong. This name is known not only to fans of this musical style, for a wide audience it is so closely associated with jazz that it has become its personification. Armstrong is a representative of traditional New Orleans jazz, thanks to him this style developed and became popular in the world, and his influence on the music of the last century can hardly be overestimated. He is also called the "Jazz Maestro" or "King of Jazz". Louis Armstrong's main instrument was the trumpet, but he was also an excellent vocalist and jazz band leader.

And Frank Sinatra was a legendary jazz vocalist with an incredible vocal timbre. Besides this, he was also wonderful actor and a showman, a standard of musical taste and style. For my musical career he received 9 highest music awards - Grammy, and also won an Oscar for his acting.

The most famous jazz performers

Ray Charles is a true jazz genius, awarded America's main music award as many as 17 times! He is ranked 10th out of 100 on the magazine's list of the greatest artists. Rolling Stone. In addition to jazz, Charles also performed compositions in the genres of soul and blues. This great artist He went blind as a child, but this did not stop him from achieving world fame and making a huge contribution to the history of the music industry.

Miles Davis, a talented jazz trumpeter, gave rise to new varieties of this musical style, such as fusion, cool jazz and modal jazz. He was never limited to one direction - traditional jazz, this made his music multifaceted and unusual. He was the one who can be said to have founded modern jazz. Performers of this style today are often its followers.

Great women

The best jazz performers are not necessarily men. Ella Fitzgerald is the greatest singer with a unique voice with a three-octave range. This magnificent vocalist was a master of voice improvisation and received many awards during her long career, including 13 Grammys. 50 years of the singer’s work is a whole era in music, during which this jazz diva released more than 90 albums.

Billie Holiday had a much shorter career, but no less colorful. Her singing style was unique, and therefore the legendary vocalist is considered the founder of jazz vocals. Unfortunately, the singer's unhealthy lifestyle led to her death at the age of 44, and in 1987 she was awarded a Grammy posthumously. These great singers are far from the only women jazz performers. But they are definitely one of the brightest.

Other artists

There are, undoubtedly, other famous jazz performers of yesteryear. Sarah Vaughan is “the greatest voice of the 20th century”, her voice was truly unique, mannered and sophisticated, becoming deeper and deeper over the years. Throughout her career, the singer honed her skills. And Dizzy Gillespie was a virtuoso trumpet player, vocalist, composer and arranger. Dizzy founded modern improvisational jazz (bebop) with Charlie Parker, an amazing saxophonist who became so through hard practice and 15 hours of music lessons.

Living and popular jazzmen

Diversity and fusion of styles is what modern jazz is all about. Performers often do not limit themselves to one direction, combining jazz with soul, blues, rock or pop music. Today the most famous are: George Benson, a master of voice and guitar for about 50 years, Grammy winner; Bob James is a smooth jazz pianist, one of the founders of this style and the creator of the band called the Bob James Trio, which features saxophone, drums and bass performed by David McMurray, Billy Kilson and Samuel Burgess. Another piano genius and composer is Chick Corea. A multiple Grammy winner and a very talented musician, in addition to keyboards, he also plays the percussion instruments. Flora Purim is a Brazilian jazz performer with a rare voice with a range of 6 octaves, known for her joint performances with many jazz stars. Georgian Nino Katamadze is one of the most famous jazz singers of our time, she is also a composer own songs. He has a surprisingly deep, special voice. She has her own jazz band called Insight, with which she records and performs. The ensemble consists of guitar, bass guitar and drums, performed by Gocha Kacheishvili, Uchi Gugunava and David Abuladze, sound engineer - Gia Chelidze.

Younger generation

Modern popular jazz performers are often young talents, among whom girls especially stand out. A real breakthrough was the talented Norah Jones, author and performer of her own songs, singer and pianist. Thanks to the range and timbre of her voice, many compare her to Billie Holiday. During her 10-year career, she managed to release 10 albums, as well as earn a Grammy and many other prestigious awards. Another young jazz singer is multi-instrumentalist Esperanza Spalding, the first jazz artist to win a Grammy for Best New Artist of the Year in 2011, who has also won other awards. Plays many instruments and speaks several languages.

Above are the brightest and most outstanding jazz performers. And although there are a lot of excellent musicians in this direction, it is enough to listen to the best to get a basic understanding of such a concept as jazz.

As one of the most revered musical art forms in America, jazz laid the foundation for an entire industry, introducing the world to numerous 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 is obvious in the kind of music that 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 American jazz, free jazz, funk, acid jazz, hard bop, smooth jazz, and so on.

15 Art Tatum

Art Tatum was a jazz pianist and virtuoso who was practically blind. He is known as one of the greatest pianists of all time, who 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 attitude to music of improvisation. 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 the 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 a depressive disorder, but was not ready to allow it to somehow affect his 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 waves in his drumming style and technique. He combined swing, blues, funk and hard bop - a style that is heard today in every modern jazz composition. Along with Max Roach and Kenny Clarke, he invented new way 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 while playing.

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 faithful to bebop throughout his career, Gillespie is remembered as one of jazz's most influential 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 sound musical instruments that she had 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 groups 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 in general. 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 contributions to the instrument's popularity may have shaped the future careers of 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 the modern jazz ensemble.

5 Benny Goodman

The top five 15 most influential jazz musicians in the history of the genre opens. Famous King 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 independent type art.

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 Chick 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. Ellington is credited with bringing jazz to the forefront. separate species art. With countless awards and honors to his name, the first great composer of jazz 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 recognized genius jazz piano - instrumentalist and composer.

1 Louis Armstrong

Unarguably 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 own ideals influenced the work of Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby, Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie. Louis Armstrong influenced not only jazz, but the entire musical culture, giving the world new genre, a unique style of singing and style of playing the trumpet.

The best jazz singers

Frank Sinatra (1915-1998)

A talented person is talented in everything - this is how one can describe. He succeeded in any activity that was in his hands. Whether it was acting and filming, writing music or participating in television shows, Frankie showed class everywhere.

Who doesn't know songs like Let It Snow or strangers in the Night? Sinatra gave them the strongest energy

It’s not for nothing that in his youth the singer had the nickname “The Voice”. No one else on the planet has such a rich and soft voice, like velvet. He became classic example in a conversation about pop performance and swing. More than one generation was brought up in his manner of singing “crooning”.

Little known facts about the great singer in the film

Probably Frank Sinatra, “Mr. Blue Eyes,” is the only singer who was not only able to maintain his popularity, but also repeat his success youth. The song New York, New York, performed by him, was so loved by the residents of the city that to this day it is its unspoken anthem.

Perry Como (1919-2001)

Actor and singer Pierino Ronald Como. A voice with an unsurpassed baritone. Starting his career path even before the war, he went through many barriers, reaching the very stars. No one else had such an approach to business as Como.

He was bright, daring and fearless in his own way. He loved irony and sarcasm, and was not afraid to use all this in his work. Perry Como was not like others and that’s why he fascinated.

Nat King Cole (1919-1965)

A king who cannot be forgotten - . He is known as the “golden hands” of the piano. He was equally skillful in performing simple melodies and the most complex works. But that’s not why they called him the King. And not even for his undoubtedly wonderful, low baritone. He became the first representative of jazzmen with dark skin, who was able to openly express himself in creativity.

Nat King Cole – “golden hands” of the piano

Music on topics close to his black listeners, a TV show with his participation - he got it all the greatest work. But it was worth it, because it opened bon voyage for other performers. Nat had an amazing charm, which, along with a well-delivered and rich speech, simply captivated listeners and everyone who only once communicated with him. Many actors still comment on Cole's clarity of diction.

Dean Martin (1917-1995)

Dino Paul Crocetti, better known as , is a true representative of . People liked his music so much that it still occupies a worthy place in the repertoires of other singers, and is also used as soundtracks for films.

Dean Martin's singing style was called authentic

Martin was one of the members of the Rat Pack, a group of entertainers and actors that included Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis. His voice was firm, flexible and a little cool, just like its owner. However, it was precisely this “little piece of ice” that attracted his listeners. Everyone found something different in Dean’s work: some found the bright and cheerful notes of the Mamba of Italy, others found soulful cool jazz.

Sam Cooke (1931-1964)

If you understand jazz, then the name Sam Cooke is not an empty phrase for you. In about 10 years, his charming tenor became so close to listeners that the sudden death of the musician at the hands of a sharp shooter plunged the country into deep depression.

As a young man, Sam Cooke did not seek recognition from the aesthetes of high jazz, did not try to be feignedly serious, but appealed to a young audience. He was someone who considered his audience to be fresh minds - young people.

Despite the calm nature of the melodies in his repertoire, they had a special internal energy, thanks to which they not only pacified the soul, but also lifted the mood.

Sammy Davis Jr. (1917-1995)

The man with the disarming smile is Sammy Davis Jr., an actor and singer. He had a subtle sense of musical style. His voice seemed light and airy, as if Sammy was not walking on the same ground as us, but was floating in the air. It's amazing how a person with such difficult fate There was such a gentle voice that gave me goosebumps.

You'll probably recognize it when you hear it famous song Candyman. We also advise you to include When I look in Your Eyes in your repertoire. You will literally fall in love with his singing and wish you could dance at least one dance with Sammy Davis.

Bing Crosby (1903-1977)

Successful and attractive Bing Crosby was favored by women and respected by other jazzmen. He was one of the first to sing in the crooner style and had an unrivaled sense of swing. It is not surprising that his albums contain collaborations with Louis Armstrong.

To this day, Crosby's hits are in swing styles and are known, if not performed by him, then as re-covers of other groups. His Christmas songs, particularly White Christmas, are loved even decades later.

Chet Baker (1929-1988)

Louis Armstrong (1901-1971)

The musician’s name has become synonymous with jazz; he is the first person everyone remembers when talking about this music. And although, first of all, he was an excellent trumpeter, his voice captivated listeners no less. The musician himself was very embarrassed about his hoarseness, which was a consequence of the operation.

Armstrong took up music seriously in a correctional institution (he was arrested for shooting in the air on New Year's Day). There Louis learned to play the altohorn, bugle, and then the cornet. He did not know musical notation, but had excellent hearing and sang in the choir since childhood.

Unconditional hits late creativity Armstrong's song Hello, Dolly! From the musical with. Latest hit What a Wonderful World reached number one in the UK chart.