Early New Orleans Music

- New Orleans contained:

- Storyville
- Opportunities for creoles of color
- Port city
- Coinciding popularity of brass bands and ragtime
- First notable musician is Buddy Bolden
- First recorded group in jazz is The ODJB
- Records Dixie Jazz Band One-Step in 1917
- Freddie Keppard also a notable cornetist after Bolden is committed
- Records Stock Yards Strut in 1926

Louis Armstrong (1901-1971)
- Moved to Chicago in 1922 at King Olivers request
- Records Dipper Mouth Blues his first day in 1923
- Moves to New York to be part of Fletcher Hendersons band in 1924
- Records The Meanest Kind of Blues in 1924
- Moves back to Chicago in 1925 to work at Dreamland with the Hot 5s and 7s
- Records Hotter Than That in 1927
- Records West End Blues in 1928
- Recording strike hits him hard
- Comeback in 1947 with Joe Glaser (his manager) and the All Star concert in NYC
- All Stars return to stardom 1961 with Hello, Dolly

Jelly Roll Morton (1885-1941)
- Begins playing in brothels at age 12 and traveling the south in 1904
- During his time traveling he began composing
- His music exemplifies New Orleans as a synthesis of ragtime, blues, gospel, shouts and hollers, and
latin influence.
- Moves to Chicago around 1920 and forms The Red Hot Peppers
- Music very influential on big band arranging - blends improvisation and written out parts seamlessly
- Records Wolverine Blues in 1927
- Records The Chant in 1926
- Left Chicago in 1928 for New York and produced considerably fewer recordings
- Moves to D.C. in 1935 and managed a bar

Sidney Bechet (1897-1959)
- By 1910 was playing with many of the big names of New Orleans
- By 1916 had left New Orleans to travel abandoning his family
- Would continue to visit until the closing of Storyville, then on to Chicago
- Band he was in went to London where he got his first soprano saxophone in 1919, deported in 1922 for
assaulting a woman
- Records Wild Cat Blues in 1923
- Moved to Paris in 1925 and traveled Europe
- 1928 Deported again but detoured through Germany before returning to the USA in 1930
- Starts The New Orleans Feet Warmers during this time who would record off and on until 1941
- Records Ive found a New Baby in 1932
- 1939 Blue Note records starts and Bechet makes their first hit recording with Gershwins Summertime
- 1950 Relocated to Paris permanently
- Records Petite Fleur in 1952

Leon Bix Beiderbeck (1903-1931)
- Showed musical talent very very early
- 1921 Sent away to North Chicago for school after a charge of potential child molestation

- Shortly drops out of school to start playing with bands around Chicago - Joins The Wolverines.
- Records Jazz Me Blues in 1924
- 1927 Begins working with Frank Tram Trumbauer in 1927
- Records Trumbology in 1927
- Records Clarinet Marmalade in 1927
- Also played piano
- Records In a Mist in 1929
- 1929 Worked in Paul Whitemans orchestra
- Records Reachin for Someone in 1929

William James Count Basie (1904-1984)
- Dropped out school and was playing for parties, resorts, etc. at 16
- 1924 Moved to Harlem
- Influenced by James P Johnson and had a few informal lessons with Fats Waller
- Part of territory bands through the 1960s
- Bands made up of generally good musicians who toured somewhat locally but declined in the 1940s
- 1928 joins Walter Big Un Pages Blue Devils based out of Oklahoma City
- Records Blue Devil Blues in 1929
- 1929 Joins Bennie Motens Kansas City Orchestra, Page follows him
- Records Rumba Negro in 1929
- Records Moten Swing in 1932
- After Motens death in 1935, Basie forms The Barons of Rhythm with some members of Motens
band
- Band noted for dueling saxophonists (one of whom was Lester Young) and innovative rhythm
section
- Records One OClock Jump in 1936 while riffing on a blues in a record station.
- 1926 Band moves to Chicago Grand Terrace Ballroom
- The All American Rhythm Section - relaxed feeling, subtle emphasis on 2 and 4
- Basies band relied heavily on improv until around the 1950s when the combo approach diminished in
favor of more tight ensemble playing.

James P. Johnson (1894-1955)
- Learned to play by studying existing music and composing his own
- Considered the father of stride
- Records Carolina Shout in 1921
- Records Youve Got to be Modernistic
- Explored longform composing
- Writes Yamekraw in 1927 although not recorded until 1944

Fats Waller (1904-43)
- Wrote many of the tunes still played today i.e. Aint misbehavin, Honeysuckle Rose
- Playful personality which got him a lot of screen time even if it was a bit demeaning.

Art Tatum (1909-1956)
- Legally blind but prodigious technique and ears
- Began leading bands at age 17 but his best work was while playing solo
- Records Liza in 1934

Duke Ellington (1899-1974)
- Born in D.C. and received a fairly strong education
- Began subbing for local players in high school
- First band The Dukes Serenaders
- Unknown what their music was like

- Contained Otto Hardwick and Arthur Whetsol who would become part of his first big band
- 1923 moved to New York to join Wilbur Sweatmans band
- Abandoned the band after having difficulty finding work, back to D.C., only to return to NYC again
shortly after.
- Relocating to Harlem was perfect for Ellington as his personality meshed very well with the Harlem
Renaissance which was in full swing.
- He formed relationships with Willie The Lion Smith and James P. Johnson
- The Washingtonians were born during this time when they got a 4 year engagement at The
Hollywood Club
- Band was initially led by someone else, but Ellington took over after he left unceremoniously
- Star of the band Bubber Miley who set the precedent of Ellingtons bands being a showcase for
soloists.
- Records Choo-Choo in 1924
- Hollywood Club is renamed after a fire. Ellingtons group is renamed The Kentucky Club
Orchestra.
- It is here that the group gains its reputation for interesting coloration and stomping rhythms
- 1926 Ellington partners with Irving Mills who helps the group secure recording dates
- Later he would help Ellington secure touring engagements
- Also controversially took co-credit on some of Ellingtons compositions for their lyrics
- 1927 Ellingtons band moves to The Cotton Club after King Oliver turns the offer down where he
would rocket to fame
- Tricky Sam Nanton and Bubber Miley caused the Jungle Music sound
- Records East St. Louis Toodle-oo in 1926
- 1930 The group was playing 5-6 nights a week on the radio from The Cotton Club
- Records Mood Indigo in 1930
- 1934 Ellingtons group had their own railroad cars and were touring frequently
- Mid 1930s Also experimented with long form composing with Symphony in Black and Reminiscing in
Tempo
- By 1941 Ellington got his soloists to all lead dates, leading to greater acclaim for the group itself
- 1938 Ellington meets Billy Strayhorn and is impressed with his work.
- Billy Strayhorn wrote Take the A Train and Satin Doll
- 1939 The band added bassist Jimmy Blanton and tenor saxophonist Ben Webster
- Records Sepia Panorama in 1940
- 1942 Ellingtons long talked about Black, Brown, and Beige is performed
- Records Come Sunday in 1958
- 1956 Ellingtons group makes a comeback with a 27 chorus solo at the Newport Jazz Festival by Paul
Gonsalvez
- Records Dimenuendo and Crescendo in Blue in 1956
- The group had success with a flood of engagements and recordings with upstarts and old rivals
- Starts more longform composing with the suites
- Records The Star Crossed Lovers in 1957
- 1967 Strayhorn dies of cancer and Ellington begins work on And His Mother Called Him Bill
- Records Lotus Blossom in 1967
- 1974 Ellington dies of lung cancer

Billie Holiday (1915-1959)
- Billies upbringing was tragic with her being molested and raped in Philly before being arrested with
her mother, Sadie, for prostitution in New York City in 1929
- 1933 Billie was discovered by John Hammond and got to sing on a Benny Goodman recording date
- 1930s Billie sang with many big bands of the day including Artie Shaw, Fletcher Henderson and
Jimmie Lunceford
- After a racially charged incident with Shaws all white band, she began headlining at Caf Society a
club for serious music without humor or flash in NYC
- At Caf Society she recorded Strange Fruit

- Holiday recorded frequently with Columbia and Commodore with the exception of during the
recording ban
- 1947 arrested for narcotics and lost her Cabaret Card
- 1959 Lester Youngs death hit her very hard and she rapidly declined.
- 1959 She died that same year under armed guard after being found with heroin in her hospital bed.

Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996)
- Ella had a rough childhood as well with her mother dying in a car accident in 1932
- 1934 Enters audition night at The Apollo where Benny Carter saw her and introduced her to Chick
Webb.
- Records A Tisket, A Tasket in 1938 with Chick Webb
- Norman Granz became her manager and she became huge
- Records From This Moment On in 1956
- Died in 1959 after complications from double bypass surgery

Coleman Hawkins (1904-1969)
- Early recordings show him to be influenced by Sidney Bechet
- Early gigs were with Mamie Smiths Jazz Hounds
- Records Im Gonna Get You in 1922
- 1923 Joined Fletcher Hendersons band where he stayed until 1934
- Heavily influenced by Louis Armstrong during Armstrongs time there
- 1934 Hawkins was in Europe until 1939
- Recorded Body and Soul upon his return in 1939
- Was not a modernist, but was highly influential and supportive of the up and coming bebop generation
including Thelonious Monk who gained acceptance in Hawkins band.

Lester Young (1909-1959_
- Family had a band, which Young left in 1929 for good.
- 1933 settled in Kansas City
- 1934 Joined up with Count Basies band just after Benny Motens death
- Shortly after left to play with Fletcher Henderson but left because the crowds wanted him to sound
like Hawkins, returning to Basies band back in Kansas City
- 1936-1940 Young was with Count Basie
- Records Honeysuckle Rose in 1937
- 1944 he was drafted and dishonorably discharged for marijuana use before joining up with Norman
Granz and achieving significant financial success.
- His star began to fade due to copy cats and more modern musicians during which time he drank
heavily.
- He died in 1959 of cirrhosis

Roy Eldridge (1911-1989)
- Notoriously competitive trumpet player
- Mostly a hired gun for various territory bands
- Raised technical level for trumpeters
- Records After Youve Gone in 1937
- Records Stardust in 1943

Benny Carter (1907-2003)
- Played trumpet and saxophone
- Heavily responsible for breaking the color barrier in the Hollywood recording system
- Records Im Coming Virginia in 1938

Django Reinhardt (1910-1953)
- Born in a gypsy camp in Belgium, raised near Paris

- Horrible accident left his hand burned and mutilated
- Developed a horn like guitar style rather than the traditional rhythm playing of the day
- Worked with Stephane Grappelli to form The Quintet of the Hot Club of France
- Records Limehouse-Blues in 1937

Benny Goodman
- Developed an integrated band in which he hired many black arrangers including Benny Carter
- Established himself as the King of Swing

Artie Shaw (1910-2004)
- Artistically and technically superior to Benny Goodman
- Skill was at odds with his temperament which made him retire from music in 1954
- Records Stardust in 1940

Fletcher Henderson (1897-1952)
- Majored in Chemistry but started a dance band after college which employed musicians like Louis
Armstrong and Coleman Hawkins
- Don Redman was the bands primary arranger who pioneered or refined many techniques we use today
- Records Copenhagen in 1924 with Louis Armstrong

Jimmy Lunceford (1902-1947)
- Ran his band very strictly
- 1934 was a powerhouse operating from The Cotton Club
- Records Aint What You Do in 1939

Charlie Christian (1916-1942)
- 1928 Put an electric pickup on his acoustic guitar and was soon hire by Benny Goodman
- Played at Mintons
- Records Seven Come Eleven in 1939
- Records Stompin at the Savoy in 1941

Mintons Playhouse
- 1940 After hours club that hosted jam sessions.
- Owned by Henry Minton

Charlie Parker (1920-1955)
- Born in Kansas City
- Began heroin use at around age 15
- 1938-1939 Parker traveled around Chicago and New York playing
- 1940 Parker joins up with Jay McShanns band
- Records Lady Be Good in 1940
- Music was divisive
- More difficult to dance to, stronger accents, longer solos, phasing out of popular melodies and
vocalists
- 1942 McShann let Parker go. This was in New York City
- Connected with Earl Hines big band where he first played with Dizzy Gillespie
- 1945 Gillespie and Parker start their first small group together at The Three Deuces
- Records Shaw Nuff in 1945
- 1946 Bird stayed out west at the end of an engagement where he had a breakdown and was committed
in California for six months
- Records Bebop in 1946
- 1947 Returns to New York and forms a quintet with a young Miles Davis
- Records Cheryl in 1947
- 1949 Bird with Strings

- Records Just Friends in 1949
- 1951 Cabaret card revoked
- 1955 died of cirrhosis and pneumonia

John Dizzy Gillespie (1917-1993)
- Dizzy earned his nickname in PA
- 1937 Moved to NYC
- 1938-1939 Dizzy began experimenting with Afro-cuban rhythms and met drummer Kenny Clarke
- 1939 joined Cab Calloways big band.
- Records Pickin the Cabbage in 1940
- 1941 Cab was sick of Dizzys antics on and off stage and fired him
- Soon after he joined Benny Carters Sextet
- 1943 Joined Earl Hines big band
- 1944 took part in the first bebop recording session
- Records Woody n You in 1944 with Coleman Hawkins Orchestra
- 1946 Dizzy returns from California and starts his first big band although it was huge commercial
failure.
- Records Things to Come in 1946
- Begins to work with Chano Pozo
- Records Cubano Be Cubano Bop in 1947
- Eventually got into world music with his United Nations Orchestra

Bud Powell (1924-1966)
- Tutored by Thelonious Monk
- 1943-1944 made his first recordings with Cootie Williams
- Records Ill Remember April in 1947
- Records Tempus Fugit in 1949
- The early 1950s saw him recording successfully
- Records Autumn in New York in 1953
- 1956 the car accident that killed Clifford Brown killed his younger brother
- 1959 Relocates to Paris

Billy Eckstine (1914-1993)
- Led the first truly bebop big band which would later become the core of Dizzy Gillespies repertoire
- Records Blowin the Blues Away in 1944

Fats Navarro (1923-1950)
- Toured with many bands including Billy Eckstines
- Was Dizzys technical equal but his life was cut short by heroin abuse and illness
- Records Dance of the Indidels in 1949

J.J. Johnson (1924-2001
- Early influence on Lester Young
- First trombone player to successfully adopt the bebop language to the trombone
- Records Indiana in 1954

Wardell Gray (1921-1955)
- One of the first truly bebop tenor saxophone players
- Had a legendary tenor battle with Dexter Gordon
- Records Twisted in 1949

Kenny Clarke (1914-1985)
- Helped to define the drummers role in the bebop era
- Founding member of the Modern Jazz Quartet


Oscar Pettiford (1922-1960)
- Combined Jimmy Blantons technique with the modern language of the bebop era
- Records Caravan in 1955

Thelonious Monk (1917-1982)
- Moved to New York at an early age where he was influenced by the West Indian musicians of his
neighborhood
- First interested in playing trumpet like his neighbor Bubber Miley
- 1934 entered Audition Night at The Apollo with his trio winning so many times they were told not to
come back
- 1940 becomes part of the house band at Mintons Playhouse
- 1941 copyrights his first two tunes, one of which was Epistrophy
- Monk claimed that he stopped playing like Art Tatum deliberately in the early 1940s
- Monk, Bud Powell, and Elmo Hope were the early faces of bebop piano
- Monks promotion of Powell was so successful that Bud got work when Monk couldnt
- 1943 writes Round Midnight for his childhood friends sister whom he was in love with.
- Records Round Midnight in 1944
- Began to play with Coleman Hawkins around this time
- Records On the Bean in 1944
- 1947 began to record for Blue Note although the whole thing had very little commercial success
although they were solid recordings
- Records Misterioso in 1948
- 1948 had his cabaret card revoked although he got it reinstated
- 1951 After a rough streak with drugs and Nellies diagnosis with an advanced ulcer, Alfred Lion of
Blue Note set up another recording date
- Records Criss Cross in 1951
- Monk spent some time in jail shortly after this and got his cabaret card revoked again
- 1950s Monk was able to finally break down the wall of critics
- Records Brilliant Corners in 1956
- 1957 Monk got a gig at Five Spot Caf and hired John Coltrane for the six month engagement.
- Records Evidence in 1957
- 1958 He loses his cabaret card again
- 1960s were best Monks best recordings partially because of the steady band he had
- Records Body and Soul in 1962
- 1975 Carnegie Hall Concert ends his career
- 1976-1982 Lived with The Baroness prior to his death

Cool Jazz
- Cool is more similar to Bebop than it is different
- Harmonically indistinguishable
- Players tend to be influenced by the horizontal nature of Lester Young
- Less angular approach to rhythm
- More interesting arranging - more unusual instrumentation and more through composed
- More white people

Lennie Tristano (1919-1978)
- Blind pianist known for his contributions to the teaching of jazz.
- Played frequent single note lines but would also use dense locked hands playing
- Records No Figs in 1950
- Records Crosscurrent in 1949
- Records Intuition in 1949

The Modern Jazz Quartet

- Made up of John Lewis (piano), Milt Jackson (vibes), Percy Heath (bass), and Connie Kay (drums)
- Original drummer was Kenny Clarke
- Group stayed together until 1993 and began out of the rhythm section of Dizzy Gillespies big band
- Records Concorde in 1955
- Records Pulcinella in 1962

Chet Baker (1929-1988)
- Co-led one of the most important groups along with Gerry Mulligan
- Group had no piano which opened a lot of room for Baker and Mulligan to interact
- Fell apart when Mulligan was incarcerated on drug charges and Baker achieved success through
singing.
- Records Freeway in 1952

Claude Thornhill (1909-1965)
- Big band was an incubator for the 1950s cool jazz musicians including
- Gil Evans (arranging), Gerry Mulligan, Lee Konitz

Dave Brubeck (1920-2012)
- Went to college for veterinary medicine
- Almost didnt graduate because of his lack of ability to read music
- 1946 after being discharged from the army, began studying composition
- His compositions thereafter reflect bitonality, tone rows, and poly rhythms.
- 1951 Dave formed the original quartet with Paul Desmond
- This group toured the country
- 1954 Made the cover of time
- Records The Duke in 1955
- 1959 Released the album Time Out, which was the first album to sell over a million copies
- Records Mr. Broadway in 1974

Horace Silver (b. 1928)
- Discovered and hired by Stan Getz
- Records Out of Nowhere in 1950
- Founded the Jazz Messengers with Art Blakey in the early 1950s
- 1956 Leaves the Jazz Messengers to start his own band.
- Records Senor Blues in 1956
- Records Blowin the Blues Away in 1959
- Prolific composer

Other Blue Note Recordings of the 50s
- Jackie McLean
- Records Swing, Swang, Swingin in 1959
- Jimmy Smith
- Records Back at the Chicken Shack in 1960

Clifford Brown (1930-1956)
- Known as one of the cleanest jazz musicians of the era
- Characterized by the style of Fats Navarro and the virtuosity of Dizzy Gillespie
- 1950 met Dizzy and was encouraged to continue music
- Co-led a quintet with Max Roach which was one of the foremost bands of the decade
- Sonny Rollins would join the group later
- Dies in a car accident with Bud Powells younger brother as well as Powells wife

Sonny Rollins (b. 1930)
- Main influence was his neighbor Coleman Hawkins

- Quickly found work in bands of his heroes upon leaving high school and recorded prolifically as a
sideman.
- Established himself as the pre-eminent voice on tenor sax of the 50s
- Records Kiss and Run in 1956
- 1956 After Clifford Browns death the group breaks up prompting Sonny becoming an active leader
and recording a bunch of albums for Prestige, Riverside, and Blue Note
- Records Tenor Madness in 1956
- Made trio recordings without comping instruments such as his album The Freedom Now Suite
- Records Freedom Suite in 1958
- 1958 Rollins takes time off and spends his days practicing on the Williamsburg Bridge
- He came back with a harsher tone and a less literal approach to harmony
- 1960s He recorded through the 60s with his albums all having distinctive sounds

Max Roach (1924-2007)
- One of the defining drummers of bebop
- His career started when he was called to sub for Sonny Greer in Duke Ellingtons band fresh out of
high school.
- Similarly to Sonny Rollins, he became a leader after the death of Clifford Brown
- Becomes highly political in the 1960s recording the landmark work We Insist, Freedom Now Suite.
- Records Tears for Johannesburg in 1960

Miles Davis (1926-1991)
- During his childhood, several bandleaders tried to hire Miles and take him on the road, but his mother
wanted him to finish high school.
- After finishing high school early, he was accepted to study trumpet at Juilliard
- Before college, he was able to play with Billy Eckstines band as a sub where he met Charlie Parker
and Dizzy Gillespie
- 1945 appeared on his first recordings. One with Charlie Parker
- Records Billies Bounce in 1945
- 1946 Miles began to experiment with drugs while on the road with Billy Eckstines band.
- He was not immediately hooked, but over the next several years his life would be consumed by
drugs.
- The Birth of the Cool nonet was inspired partly by Claude Thornhills band.
- The nonet had to break up due to the financial strain that such a large group caused
- Records Jeru in 1949
- Shortly after the breakup of the nonet, Miles returned to his fathers farm in Illinois to kick heroin.
- 1955 Miles returned to New York and formed The First Great Quintet
- This consisted of John Coltrane, Red Garland, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones
- 1957 Miles was forced to fire Jones and Coltrane which led to Miles next big project with Gil
Evans.
- Miles Ahead featured Miles playing over a large jazz wind ensemble
- Records New Rhumba in 1957
- 1958-1959 Miles rehired Philly Joe Jones and Coltrane also adding in Cannonball Adderley who
contrasted Coltrane brilliantly
- The resulting album by this new sextet was Milestones
- Recorded Two Bass Hit in 1958
- 1959 Red Garland was replaced by Bill Evans and Philly Joe Jones was replaced by Jimmy Cobb
- The resulting album was Kind of Blue in 1959
- Records Flamenco Sketches in 1959
- Records So What in 1959
- Shortly after Kind of Blue, Miles recorded Sketches of Spain, another collaboration with Gil Evans
- Album was based of the Third Stream genre
- 1959-1960 Evans, Addereley, and Coltrane all left to form their own groups
- Hank Mobley replaced Cannonball

- Wynton Kelly replaced Bill Evans
- Records Someday my Prince Will Come in 1961
- 1964-1968 Miles Second Quintet was formed after his previous rhythm section left
- The new players were Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter (b) , and Tony Williams (d)
- 1964 Miles was able to lure Wayne Shorter away from Art Blakeys Jazz Messengers
- This new quintet was more exploratory and influenced by the music of Ornette Coleman and John
Coltrane
- Their studio output was almost entirely originals while their concert repertoire was mostly music
from 1956-1963 that Miles had been playing.
- Records Walkin in 1964
- Records E.S.P. in 1965
- Records Masquarelo in 1967
- Miles last all acoustic studio album was Nefertiti in 1967
- Records Fall in 1967
- Miles begins experimenting with fusion with the album Filles de Kilimanjaro
- Records Tout de suite in 1968
- During this time Miles also began experimenting with substituting or supplementing Herbie
Hancock with Chick Corea and replacing Ron Carter with Dave Holland
- The bands compositional identity changed with more tunes leaning toward rock, funk, and vamps.
- The first album in this style was In a Silent Way
- This album saw the addition of Joe Zawinul and John McLaughlin.
- The album Bitches Brew confirmed Miles commitment to his new style
- The album was groundbreaking in its music, cover art, and post-production editing
- Also came to define the genre of jazz/rock fusion
- Records Pharaohs Dance in 1969
- The music of Bitches Brew and In a Silent Way came to make up the majority of Miles concert
repertoire after 1970
- 1976 Miles retired with no intention of returning

Hard Bop and the Early 50s
- Hard bop very similar to bebop although with slightly more emphasis on blues and increased
interactivity of the rhythm section.

Art Blakey (1919-1990)
- He played early with Mary Lou Williams, Fletcher Henderson, and Billy Eckstines bebop big band.
- In the late 1940s he assembled the messengers which was a 17 piece big band
- 1954 The first small band edition of The Jazz Messengers was recorded on Blue Note
- Records Quicksilver in 1954
- Blakeys groups had a focus on employing young up and coming musicians
- Although Horace Silvers band had a similar focus in this way, Blakeys had a heavy emphasis on
featuring the compositions of the bands young members
- Records Moanin in 1958
- The next generation of jazz messengers contained 4 musicians who would become big time band
leaders in their own right.
- Cedar Walton, Freddie Hubbard, and Wayne Shorter were all a part of this next generation
- Records Mosaic in 1961

Lee Morgan (1938-1972)
- Came to prominence as a 17 year old member of Dizzy Gillespie
- His fame peaked with his unexpected pop chart tune The Side Winder
- Records The Sidewinder in 1963
- His career was a roller coaster driven by heroin.
- He was shot dead at a jazz club by his girlfriend


Freddie Hubbard (1938-2008)
- Most technically proficient trumpeter of his generation
- 1960s played with Blakey and successfully recorded for Blue Note on his own sides
- Records Philly Mignon in 1962
- 1970s achieved more mainstream success with studio albums that predated smooth jazz.

Wayne Shorter (b. 1933)
- Very personal compositional style and probably the most important composer after Ellington and Monk
- Records Speak No Evil in 1964

Herbie Hancock (b. 1940)
- 1960s anchored several bands through his technique, harmonic ideas, and thoughtful composing.
- Also was an anchoring force in Miles Davis Second Quintet
- Records Dolphin Dance in 1965

Joe Henderson (1937-2001)
- 1950s Frequently paired with underrated trumpeter Kenny Dorham
- 1990s was rediscovered by Verve and received consistent praise
- Records Serenity in 1964

Larry Young (1940-78) and Grant Green (1935-1979)
- Green (guitar) and Young (organ) were two of Blue Notes most prolific sideman/bandleaders of the
1960s
- Greens sparse comping and simple soloing style made him a good foil for Blue Notes more
exploratory musicians
- Youngs modern approach to jazz organ playing was a stark contrast to the other organists of the era.
- Records Talkin about J.C. in 1964

John Coltrane (1926-1967)
- 1940 Begins alto saxophone
- After graduation he began to take theory and analysis courses while gigging before enlisting in the
army
- 1954 played with Johnny Hodges showing influence of Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Gene
Ammons, and Wardell Gray
- Records Dont Blame Me in 1954
- 1955 played with Miles Davis before being fired in 1957
- Records Ah-Leu-Cha in 1955
- 1958 Miles rehired him after he kicked his heroin habit during his developmental period with
Thelonious Monk.
- His technique had become proficient almost to a fault at this point
- Records Fran-Dance in 1958
- 1959-1961 were very transformative for him, recording for Atlantic with his style changing from
traditional, to harmonically daunting originals, and eventually winding up with modal based
compositions.
- Records Giant Steps in 1959 ironically recorded during Miles Davis modal period
- Records My Favorite Things in 1960
- Track showed McCoy Tyner and Elvin Jones direction for the band.
- The Classic Quartet (1961-1965) made up of Mccoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, and bassist Jimmy Garrison
- The group sound was very appropriate soundtrack for the civil rights movement and Vietnam.
- The group sound was very modal with long improvisations and programmatic songs commonly of a
spiritual nature
- Polyrhythmic interplay with Elvin Jones
- Quartal voicings from McCoy Tyner
- Incessant quarter note pulse from Jimmy Garrison

- Developing the Impulse! Sound
- Records Afro-Blue in 1960
- Records Wise One in 1964
- Coltrane was mostly unspoken on issues, instead allowing his music to speak for him. i.e. Alabama
- A Love Supreme made up of 4 movements - Acknowledgement, Resolution, Pursuance, and Psalm
- Movements connected by drum and bass solos
- Records Psalm in 1964
- 1965-1967 Coltrane dabbles in the avant-garde, during which time new musicians played on his tracks.
- Alienated listeners and critics
- Records Expression in 1967
- Records My Favorite Things in 1967 at the Olatunji Center for African Culture and was his last
recording.

Bill Evans (1929-1980)
- Went to school for music education
- 1951-1954 was in the army
- First big break was playing opposite The MJQ at the Village Vanguard
- Miles Davis recruited him at this gig.
- Career was supported by Helen Keane
- 1958 Bill was invited to play with Miles Davis
- Kind of Blue was written with Bill Evans sound in mind
- Scott LaFaro pioneered a physical set up of the bass in order to play quicker
- Paul Motian served as a melody maker in the trio as well.
- 1963-1965 The second trio was with Chuck Israels and Paul Motian
- This trio went all over the world
- 1966-1977 Paul Motian and Eddie Gomez
- 1978 Last trio formed with Marc Johnson and Joe LaBarbera

Keith Jarrett (b. 1945)
- First big gig was with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers
- Next group was with The Charles Lloyd Quartet where he met the powerful drummer Jack
DeJohnette who would be by his musical side for the rest of his life.
- 1967 first recordings as a leader with Paul Motian and Charlie Haden on the album Life Between
the Exit Signs.
- After the breakup of the Charles Lloyd group, Miles asked Keith Jarrett to join him.
- Miles band had two keyboard players until 1970
- 1971-1977 The American Quartet made up of Dewey Redman, Haden, Motian. Jarrett played
saxophone frequently with Dewey on these tracks.
- 1975-1979 The European Quartet
- The Kln Concert divided into four parts.

Charles Mingus (1922-1979)
- Early playing with Louis Armstrong and Lionel Hampton eventually joining the bebop players in NY
- Compositions reflected his diverse life: gospel, classical, New Orleans, swing era, bebop, and Duke
- Records Moanin in 1959
- Records Better Get Hit In Yo Soul in 1959
- Records Fables of Faubus in 1959
- Like Ellington, experimented with long form composition
- Records The shoes of the Fishermans Wife Are Some Jive Ass Slippers in 1971

Eric Dolphy (1928-1964)
- Played alto sax, bass clarinet, and flute
- Early musical experience with Gerald Wilsons big band and mainstream success with Chico
Hamiltons

- Played with Coltrane and Charles Mingus
- Enjoyed arguably the most mainstream success for a far-out player.

Cecil Taylor (c. 1929)
- Prodigious technical facility
- Early recordings are straight ahead, but became more experimental through the 1960s
- Records Conquistador in 1966

Alber Ayler (1936-1970)
- Student of R&B music and studied Birds music
- Sounds a lot like late Sonny Rollins with his large powerful sound
- Preferred simple melodies that he could launch fearlessly away from
- 1960s his work was very simplistic fusion
- Records Ghosts: First Variation in 1964

Archie Shepp (b. 1937)
- Playwright, musician, and commentator on race relations
- Early musical association with Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane
- Records Cousin Mary in 1964

Sun Ra (1915-1993)
- Conscientious objector to WWII
- 1946 Spent one year with Fletcher Henderson playing piano
- 1950s forms the first Arkestra

Art Ensemble of Chicago - AACM
- Known for traditional African garb, instruments
- Anything goes rep
- End most concerts with some kind of swinging standard or blues

Ornette Coleman (b. 1930)
- Learned about music from the big band recordings of the early 40s
- At 14 he received his first saxophone
- At 15 he first heard bebop in Dizzy Gillespies big band
- At 19, in Baton Rouge, he was beaten after a gig
- 1953 relocates to LA
- formed a group with Don Cherry
- Other musicians were cold towards him
- 1957 His first studio album, Something Else!!!! was released but did not do well
- Records Jayne in 1958
- Contemporary recorded him again with Don Cherry but added Shelly Manne on drums and MJQ
bassist Percy Heath on bass which got the attention of John Lewis who became his first real
champion
- It was through Lewis that Ornette got signed by Atlantic
- Records Tomorrow is the Question in 1959
- Atlantic came to record the regular band which included Charlie Haden in place of Percy Heath
- Album was called The Shape of Jazz to Come, and contrasted sharply with John Lewis liner
notes.
- Records Lonely Woman in 1959
- Records Congeniality in 1959
- Band relocates to NYC and plays the Five Spot Caf for what ended up being 2 months instead of 2
weeks.
- Album Change of the Century, is a perfect example of simple Texas blues and bebop
- Records Ramblin in 1959

- Records Bird Food in 1959
- Album Free Jazz was 37 minutes of improv. Listeners were confused and upset.
- More polarizing records followed when he signed with Blue Note
- Records Snowflakes and Sunshine in 1965
- Records Good Old Days in 1966
- Records Garden of Souls in 1968

The Headhunters (Herbie Hancock)
- Group leaned towards funk heavy side of fusion
- Records Chameleon in 1973

Weather Report (Zawinul, Shorter)
- Cofounded by Bitches Brew alums in 1970-1986
- 1971 self title debut owed a lot to BB
- Records Orange Lady in 1971
- 1976 Heavy Weather album thanks to the inspiring writing and playing of Jaco Pastorius marking a
return to more improvisational and free music.
- Records Havona in 1977

Return to Forever (Chick Corea)
- 1972 Formed and showed Coreas taste for Latin music
- Records Crystal Silence in 1972)
- Group broke up supposedly over Stanley Clarkes leaving Scientology
- Records Spain in 1973