Male Jazz Musicians

Vote for Your Favourite Male Jazz Musicians

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 1 
Miles Davis
(Trumpeter and one of the Most Prominent Figures in the History of Jazz)
Miles Davis
5
Birthdate: May 26, 1926
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Alton, Illinois, United States
Died: September 28, 1991
Jazz trumpeter and composer Miles Davis was a pioneer in the bepop and jazz fusion genres. His work also had electronic, African, and Spanish influences. His album Kind of Blue sold 5 million copies in the U.S. and was termed a national treasure by the House of Representatives, years later. 
 2 
Nat King Cole
(Singer and Jazz Pianist Best Known His Soft Baritone Voice)
Nat King Cole
5
Birthdate: March 17, 1919
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Montgomery, Alabama, United States
Died: February 15, 1965
Jazz pianist/singer Nat King Cole, father of singer Natalie Cole, is best remembered for tracks such as Too Young and Mona Lisa. His last album, L-O-V-E, was recorded while he battled lung cancer. With The Nat King Cole Show, he became the first African-American to host his own show.
 3 
John Coltrane
(One of the Most Influential Saxophonists in Music History)
John Coltrane
4
Birthdate: September 23, 1926
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: HaHamlet, North Carolina, United States
Died: July 17, 1967
Jazz saxophonist John Coltrane is remembered for his significant influence on modern jazz. He was initially part of the Navy band and eventually collaborated with musicians such as Miles Davis. He won a Pulitzer Prize and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and was canonized by the African Orthodox Church.
 4 
Charlie Watts
(Drummer)
Charlie Watts
5
Birthdate: June 2, 1941
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Kingsbury, London, England
Died: August 24, 2021

English drummer, Charlie Watts, was best known as a member of the band Rolling Stones. He was associated with the group for almost 60 years. He began his career as a graphic designer for an advertising company and played with bands in his leisure time. He eventually started drumming full time with Rolling Stones.

 5 
Charlie Parker
(Jazz Saxophonist & Developer of the 'Bebop' Style of Jazz)
Charlie Parker
4
Birthdate: August 29, 1920
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Kansas City, Kansas, United States
Died: March 12, 1955

Charlie Parker was an American composer and jazz saxophonist. A highly influential soloist, Parker played a significant role in the development of a form of jazz called bebop. He is also credited with introducing harmonic ideas into jazz, such as chord substitutions and rapid passing chords. His contribution to jazz and bebop made him an icon of the hipster subculture.

 6 
Ginger Baker
(Former Drummer known for co-founder and occasional vocalist of the rock band Cream)
Ginger Baker
4
Birthdate: August 19, 1939
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Lewisham, South London, England
Died: October 6, 2019
Height: 6'4" (193 cm)
 7 
Jon Batiste
(Musician)
Jon Batiste
4
Birthdate: November 11, 1986
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Kenner, Louisiana, United States
 8 
Chet Baker
(Trumpeter and Vocalist Known for Major Innovations in 'Cool Jazz')
Chet Baker
4
Birthdate: December 23, 1929
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Yale, Oklahoma, United States
Died: May 13, 1988

Chet Baker was an American vocalist and jazz trumpeter. He achieved recognition during the 1950s and his innovations within cool jazz, a style of modern jazz music, earned him the nickname prince of cool. However, his drug addiction overshadowed much of his professional achievements. His life and work inspired the 2015 drama film Born to Be Blue.

 9 
Herbie Hancock
(Singer-songwriter, Bandleader, Conductor, Jazz musician, Keyboardist, Actor, Musician, Pianist, Film score composer)
Herbie Hancock
5
Birthdate: April 12, 1940
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Chicago
 10 
Herb Alpert
(Trumpeter and Co-Founder of the American Record Label 'A&M Records')
Herb Alpert
4
Birthdate: March 31, 1935
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Herb Alpert is an American trumpeter who achieved popularity in the 1960s when he led the band Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass. He is also credited with co-founding A&M Records. Also a well-known philanthropist, Alpert launched the Herb Alpert Foundation in the 1980s in an attempt to deal with environmental issues and support youth and arts education.
 11 
Buddy Rich
(Musician)
Buddy Rich
4
Birthdate: September 30, 1917
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, USA
Died: April 2, 1987
 12 
Thelonious Monk
(Jazz Pianist & Composer)
Thelonious Monk
4
Birthdate: October 10, 1917
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Rocky Mount, North Carolina, United States
Died: February 17, 1982

Thelonious Monk was an American jazz pianist and composer who was noted for his unorthodox approach and idiosyncrasy during his performance. Mentored by Mary Lou Williams, Thelonious Monk contributed to bebop and was associated with Columbia and Riverside labels. His run-in with the police affected his performance after his New York City Cabaret Card was confiscated following the discovery of narcotics in a car.

 13 
Chick Corea
(Jazz musician, Composer)
Chick Corea
4
Birthdate: June 12, 1941
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Chelsea, Massachusetts, United States
Died: February 9, 2021
 14 
Jaco Pastorius
(Musician)
Jaco Pastorius
4
Birthdate: December 1, 1951
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Norristown, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: September 21, 1987
 15 
Dizzy Gillespie
(One of the Greatest Jazz Trumpeters of All Time)
Dizzy Gillespie
4
Birthdate: October 21, 1917
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Cheraw, South Carolina, United States
Died: January 6, 1993

Jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and singer Dizzy Gillespie developed the virtuoso style of Roy Eldridge, modifying it with innovative harmony and rhythm. He popularized the bebop style of music and was famous for his signature horn-rimmed spectacles. His contribution to modern jazz earned him the title of the Ambassador of Jazz.

 16 
Jack Bruce
(Scottish Singer-Songwriter and Former Member of the Band Cream)
Jack Bruce
4
Birthdate: May 14, 1943
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Bishopbriggs
Died: October 25, 2014

Legendary Scottish singer-songwriter, bassist, and composer Jack Bruce gained international fame with the British rock band Cream and released iconic tracks such as I Feel Free. He also performed as part of the jazz fusion group the Tony Williams Lifetime. In 2006, he received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

 17 
Walter Becker
(American Musician, Songwriter and Record Producer)
Walter Becker
4
Birthdate: February 20, 1950
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Queens, New York, United States
Died: July 3, 2017
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 18 
Scatman John
(Musician, Singer)
Scatman John
4
Birthdate: March 13, 1942
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Monte, California, United States
Died: December 3, 1999
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 19 
Charles Mingus
(One of The Greatest Jazz Musicians & Composers in History)
Charles Mingus
4
Birthdate: April 22, 1922
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Nogales, Arizona, United States
Died: January 5, 1979
Jazz double bassist and pianist Charles Mingus is remembered for his stints with artists such as Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker, Dannie Richmond, and Herbie Hancock, and was named to the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame. His scores and recordings are preserved in the Library of Congress.
 20 
Benny Goodman
(Bandleader and clarinetist)
Benny Goodman
4
Birthdate: May 30, 1909
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Died: June 13, 1986
 21 
Louis Armstrong
(One of the Most Influential Figures in Jazz)
Louis Armstrong
0
Birthdate: August 4, 1901
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Died: July 6, 1971

Louis Armstrong was an American trumpeter and singer who played an important role in the development of jazz. Thanks to his playing, trumpet became known as a solo instrument and jazz, which was previously known as a collectively improvised folk music, became a soloist's art form. Not surprisingly, Louis Armstrong is widely accepted as the embodiment of jazz. 

 22 
Louis Prima
(Singer-songwriter)
Louis Prima
5
Birthdate: December 7, 1910
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Died: August 24, 1978
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 23 
Thundercat
(Musician)
Thundercat
4
Birthdate: October 19, 1984
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
 24 
Jonathan Cain
(Musician Best Known as the Keyboardist and Rhythm Guitarist for the Rock Band ‘Journey')
Jonathan Cain
4
Birthdate: February 26, 1950
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States

Jonathan Cain is a singer-songwriter and musician. He is a keyboardist for the rock band Journey. Interested in music from a young age, he attended the Chicago Conservatory of Music. He began his professional music career in the mid-1970s and played with numerous bands before joining Journey. He is also a solo artist and owns a recording studio. 

 25 
Henry Mancini
(Composer Best Known for His Soudtrack for the 'Peter Gunn' TV Series & 'The Pink Panther' Film Series)
Henry Mancini
5
Birthdate: April 16, 1924
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Little Italy, Ohio, United States
Died: June 14, 1994
 26 
Chet Atkins
(Guitarist, Jazz musician, Record producer, Jazz guitarist, Classical guitarist, Songwriter)
Chet Atkins
5
Birthdate: June 20, 1924
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Luttrell
Died: June 30, 2001
 27 
Wynton Marsalis
(Trumpeter)
Wynton Marsalis
5
Birthdate: October 18, 1961
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
 28 
Chuck Mangione
(Composers)
Chuck Mangione
3
Birthdate: November 29, 1940
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Rochester, New York, USA
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
 29 
Doc Severinsen
(Musician)
Doc Severinsen
3
Birthdate: July 7, 1927
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Arlington, Oregon, USA
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 30 
Oscar Peterson
(Jazz Pianist)
Oscar Peterson
3
Birthdate: August 15, 1925
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Montreal
Died: December 23, 2007
Seven-time Grammy-winning jazz pianist Oscar Peterson had initially wished to be a trumpeter but switched to the piano because of a lung ailment. He was the first living person, apart from a king, to get a commemorative Canadian stamp. He used a signature handkerchief between performances.
 31 
Danny Carey
(Drummer, Jazz musician)
Danny Carey
4
Birthdate: May 10, 1961
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Lawrence
Height: 6'5" (196 cm)
 32 
Gary Kemp
(Actor, Musician, Guitarist, Songwriter)
Gary Kemp
4
Birthdate: October 16, 1959
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: England
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 33 
John Densmore
(Musician)
John Densmore
3
Birthdate: December 1, 1944
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Santa Monica, California, USA
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 34 
Kyle Eastwood
(Actor, Composer, Jazz musician, Music arranger, Jazz guitarist, Film score composer)
Kyle Eastwood
5
Birthdate: May 19, 1968
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Los Angeles
Height: 6'4" (193 cm)
 35 
Tito Puente
(actor, bandleader, conductor, composer, jazz musician, percussionist)
Tito Puente
3
Birthdate: April 20, 1922
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: New York City
Died: June 1, 2000
 36 
Keith Jarrett
(Pianist, Composer, Jazz musician, Saxophonist, Songwriter, Musician)
Keith Jarrett
3
Birthdate: May 8, 1945
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Allentown
 37 
Bobby Caldwell
(Singer-songwriter, Composer, Jazz musician)
Bobby Caldwell
3
Birthdate: August 15, 1951
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: New York City
 38 
Montell Jordan
(Singer, Singer-songwriter, Record producer)
Montell Jordan
3
Birthdate: December 3, 1968
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Los Angeles
Height: 6'8" (203 cm)
 39 
Stanley Getz
(Jazz Saxophonist)
Stanley Getz
3
Birthdate: February 2, 1927
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: June 6, 1991
 40 
Hugh Masekela
(South African Trumpeter Known for His Jazz Compositions and for Writing Well-Known Anti-apartheid Songs)
Hugh Masekela
3
Birthdate: April 4, 1939
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Emalahleni Local Municipality, South Africa
Died: January 23, 2018

A pioneer of South African jazz, instrumentalist Hugh Masekela excelled in the trumpet and introduced South African music to countries such as the U.S. He was also a vocal anti-apartheid activist, played for the Jazz Epistles, and was known for his iconic albums such as Hope and Johannesburg.

 41 
Bobby Troup
(Singer-songwriter, Pianist, Actor, Songwriter, Jazz musician, Officer)
Bobby Troup
3
Birthdate: October 18, 1918
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Harrisburg
Died: February 7, 1999
 42 
Tommy Bolin
(Guitarist who worked with Zephyr, Deep Purple, and The James Gang, as well as working as a solo artist)
Tommy Bolin
3
Birthdate: August 1, 1951
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Sioux City, Iowa, United States
Died: December 4, 1976
 43 
Leon Redbone
(Former singer-songwriter and musician best recognized for his songs "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone" and "Ain't Misbehaving".)
Leon Redbone
3
Birthdate: August 26, 1949
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Cyprus
Died: May 30, 2019
 44 
Martin Kemp
(English Musician and Actor)
Martin Kemp
4
Birthdate: October 10, 1961
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Highbury, London, United Kingdom
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 45 
Tevin Campbell
(Singer)
Tevin Campbell
4
Birthdate: November 12, 1976
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Waxahachie
 46 
Jeff Porcaro
(Former Drummer best known for his work with the rock band Toto, but is one of the most recorded session musicians, working on hundreds of albums and thousands of sessions)
Jeff Porcaro
5
Birthdate: April 1, 1954
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Hartford, Connecticut, United States
Died: August 5, 1992
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 47 
Vince Guaraldi
(Jazz musician, Pianist)
Vince Guaraldi
3
Birthdate: July 17, 1928
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: San Francisco, California, United States
Died: February 6, 1976
 48 
Yehudi Menuhin
(American Violinist and Conductor Who is Considered One of the Great Violinists of the 20th Century)
Yehudi Menuhin
3
Birthdate: April 22, 1916
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Died: March 12, 1999

Grammy Award-winning legendary 20th-century violinist Yehudi Menuhin was born to Lithuanian Jews in the US. Starting his training in the violin at age 4, he later studied music in Paris. He also experimented with fusion, collaborating with jazz and Indian classical musicians. He later launched the Yehudi Menuhin School.

 49 
Madlib
(American Disc Jockey, Record Producer and Rapper)
Madlib
4
Birthdate: October 24, 1973
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Oxnard, California, United States
 50 
Jelly Roll Morton
(Pianist, Bandleader, Composer, Conductor, Jazz musician)
Jelly Roll Morton
3
Birthdate: October 20, 1890
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Gulfport
Died: July 10, 1941