Write the names of jazz musicians you know. Jazz: what is it, what directions, who performs

Today is a special day for those whose playlists always have songs from Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald or John Coltrane. Every year on April 30, the world celebrates International Jazz Day. On this occasion, we decided to remind you of the people (and to introduce someone at all) who are on the list today. modern stars jazz.

George Benson

Smiling master of voice and guitar, George Benson, whose work harmoniously merges R "n" B, soft rock and jazz, began his jazz career at the age of 21. Today he is already 70 years old, and he still performs! At one time, Benson blew up the music charts, he was compared with Stevie Wonder, he was awarded the Grammy several times.

In the near future it can be heard in France (Paris) - July 3, Germany (Munich) - July 15 or Italy (Rome) - July 22.

Bob James

Pianist Bob James— famous representative and one of the founders of such a musical direction as smooth jazz (smooth-jazz - translated into Russian as “soft jazz”). What this person plays is exceptionally professional, melodious and harmonious. It’s not only Bob James himself who makes his music like this – the master is helped by his band called the Bob James Trio, consisting of Billy Kilson (drums), David McMurray (saxophone) and Samuel Burgess (bass).

To listen to Bob James live, you will have to strain a little more than in the case of George Benson - the first one will travel exclusively around the USA until the end of the year and briefly look into Canada.

Chick Corea

The piano genius Chick Corea is known even to those who are not fans of jazz. American by birth and Italian by origin, this musician has many Grammys in his piggy bank and a huge number of world-famous compositions. And, despite the fact that Chick Corea is already 71 years old, he still continues to perform in different countries with concerts.

Until June of this year, the composer will delight Americans with his music, and after that he will go to Japan, France, Portugal, Spain and Italy. Chik will perform in Holland on July 13, in Germany - the next day, on July 18 and 19 his concerts in France will be held, on July 20 he plays in Spain, and then goes to the States.

Norah Jones

The list of modern jazz stars is not full of men alone - it also includes the fair sex, who have perfectly realized themselves in this musical direction. For example, 34-year-old jazz pianist and singer Norah Jones, who performs her own songs. Her stardom was lit in 2002 with Come Away With Me, which won five Grammys and sold 20 million copies.

In the near future, the singer does not plan to give concerts, so we invite you to remember Nora's favorite compositions by listening to her latest album or watching recordings of her live concerts.

Nino Katamadze

We decided to finish the article with the Georgian jazz singer and composer Nino Katamadze. The owner of a very special voice, she writes surprisingly deep, serious songs that penetrate to the very depths of the soul.

To hear her live, you won't have to travel far - on May 25 she performs in the capital of Kazakhstan, and on June 15 she sings at the tenth anniversary festival " Homestead Jazz" in Moscow.

Congratulations to jazz lovers on their "professional holiday". And for those who are not yet fans of this musical direction, we advise: listen to jazz, perhaps it will inspire you to new discoveries.

Jazz is capable of anything. He will support you in moments of sadness, he will make you dance, he will plunge you into the abyss of enjoying rhythm and virtuoso music. Jazz is not a musical style, but a mood. Jazz is a whole era, it does not leave anyone indifferent.

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

1. Louis Armstrong

Jazzman, who had a huge impact on the development of jazz, was born in the poorest black area of ​​New Orleans. Louis received his first musical education in a reform camp for teenagers of color, where he ended up for firing a pistol at New Year. By the way, he stole the gun from a policeman who was a client of his mother (I think you can guess what profession she belonged to). In the camp, Louis became a member of the local brass band where he learned to play the tambourine, alto horn and clarinet. His love of music and perseverance helped him achieve success, and now each of us knows and loves his husky 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 at the time, and her musician father, Clarence Holiday, was 16. Around 1928, Eleanor moved to New York, where she was arrested with her mother for prostitution. Since the 1930s, she began performing in nightclubs, and later in theaters, and after 1950 she quickly began to gain popularity. After thirty years, the singer began to have serious health problems due to the large amount of alcohol and drugs. Under the harmful influence of drinking, Holiday's voice lost its former flexibility, but a short creative life the singer did not stop her 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 almost exemplary family. But after the death of her mother, the 14-year-old girl abandoned 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 as a caretaker in a brothel. There she encountered the mafiosi and their lives. The underage girl was soon taken over by the police, and she was sent to a boarding school in the Hudson, from which Ella escaped and was homeless for some time. In 1934, she made her first stage appearance, singing two songs at the Amateur Nights competition. And this was the first push 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 stairs, looking up at the others. Nothing below us is only the earth.” When he was five years old, his brother drowned in a tub outside. Presumably because of this shock, Ray became completely blind by the age of seven. Before the talent of the great Ray Charles, many stars of the world stage and cinema bow and bow. The musician received 17 Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll, Jazz, Country and Blues Hall 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 when she was called a jazz singer, as she considered her range to be wider. Over the years, Sarah's skill has become more refined, and her voice has gained more and more depth. The singer's favorite technique was a quick, but smooth voice sliding between octaves - glissando.

6. Dizzy Gillespie

Dizzy is a brilliant jazz virtuoso trumpeter, composer and vocalist, one of the founders of the bebop style. His nickname "Dizzy" (translated from English - "dizzy", "stunning") the musician received in childhood, thanks to his antics and tricks, which shocked others. Dizzy studied trombone, theory and harmony classes at the Laurinburg Institute. In addition to basic training, the musician independently masters the trumpet, which became his favorite, as well as piano and percussion.

7. Charlie Parker

Charlie started 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 for 15 hours a day for 3-4 years. Such work bore fruit, and very significant - Charlie became one of the founders of bebop (together with Dizzy Gillespie) and greatly influenced jazz in general. The heroin addiction of the musician practically derailed his career. Despite the treatment in the clinic and his complete recovery, as Charlie himself believed, he could not continue to work as actively on his works.

This trumpeter also had a significant impact on jazz and was at the forefront of such styles as modal jazz, cool jazz and fusion. For some time Miles played in the Charlie Parker Quintet, where he developed his individual sound. By listening to Davis' discography, you can 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

Making a not-quite-smooth transition to contemporary artists, we include everyone's favorite Joe on our list. In the 70s, Joe Cocker experienced significant difficulties with the repertoire due to alcohol abuse, so in his repertoire we can hear a lot of rehashings of songs by other artists. Unfortunately, the alcohol turned the singer's powerful voice into the husky baritone we can hear today. But, despite his age and declining health, old Joe still performs. And I can say from my own experience that he is very energetic and even pleases the audience, fervently bouncing between verses.

10. Hugh Laurie

Everyone's favorite Dr. House showed his musical skills even in the series. But lately Hugh has been making us happy with his fast-paced jazz career. Despite the fact that his repertoire is full of rehashings of famous performers, Hugh Laurie adds his own romanticism and special sound to the works we already know. Let's hope that this incredibly talented person will continue to delight us, breathing life into the slipping into the past, but still such a wonderful jazz.

Jazz artists have invented a special musical language, which was built on improvisation, complex rhythmic figures (swing) and unique harmonic patterns.

Jazz originated in late XIX- early XX in the United States of America and represented a unique social phenomenon, namely, the fusion of African and American cultures. Further development and the stratification of jazz into various styles and sub-styles is due to the fact that jazz performers and composers continuously continued to complicate their music, look for new sounds and master new harmonies and rhythms.

Thus, a huge jazz heritage has accumulated, in which the following main schools and styles can be distinguished: New Orleans (traditional) jazz, bebop, hard bop, swing, cool jazz, progressive jazz, free jazz, modal jazz, fusion, etc. e. In this article, ten outstanding jazz performers are collected, having read them, you will get the most complete picture era of free people and energetic music.

Miles Davis (Miles Davis)

Miles Davis was born on May 26, 1926 in Alton (USA). Known as an iconic American trumpeter whose music had a huge impact on the jazz and music scene of the 20th century as a whole. He experimented a lot and boldly with styles, and perhaps that is why the figure of Davis stands at the origins of such styles as cool jazz, fusion and modal jazz. Miles started his musical career as a member of the Charlie Parker Quintet, but later managed to find and develop his own musical sound. Miles Davis' most important and seminal albums are Birth of the Cool (1949), Kind of Blue (1959), Bitches Brew (1969) and In a Silent Way (1969). Main Feature Miles Davis was that he was constantly in a creative search and showed the world new ideas, and that is why the history of modern jazz music owes so much to his exceptional talent.

Louis Armstrong (Louis Armstrong)

Louis Armstrong, the man whose name comes to most people's minds when they hear the word "jazz", was born on August 4, 1901, in New Orleans (USA). Armstrong had a dazzling talent for playing the trumpet and did much to develop and popularize jazz music throughout the world. In addition, he also captivated the audience with his husky bass vocals. The path that Armstrong had to go from tramp to the title of King of Jazz was thorny. And it began in a colony for black teenagers, where Louis ended up for an innocent prank - firing a pistol at new year's eve. By the way, he stole a gun from a policeman, a client of his mother, who was a representative of the oldest profession in the world. Thanks to this not too favorable set of circumstances, Louis Armstrong got his first musical experience in the camp brass band. There he mastered the cornet, tambourine and alto horn. In a word, Armstrong went from marches in the colony and then episodic performances in clubs to a world-class musician, whose talent and contribution to the jazz treasury can hardly be overestimated. The influence of his landmark albums Ella and Louis (1956), Porgy and Bess (1957), and American Freedom (1961) can still be heard in the game. contemporary performers various styles.

Duke Ellington (Duke Ellington)

Duke Ellinton was born April 29, 1899 in Washington DC. Pianist, orchestra leader, arranger and composer whose music has become a real innovation in the world of jazz. His works were played on all radio stations, and his recordings are rightfully included in the “gold fund of jazz”. Ellinton has been recognized throughout the world, has received many awards, has written a huge number of brilliant works, which include the standard "Caravan", which went around the globe. His most notable releases include Ellington At Newport (1956), Ellington Uptown (1953), Far East Suite (1967) and Masterpieces By Ellington (1951).

Herbie Hancock (Herbie Hancock)

Herbie Hancock was born on April 12, 1940, in Chicago (USA). Hancock is known as a pianist and composer, as well as the owner of 14 grammy awards, which he received for his work in the jazz field. His music is interesting because it combines elements of rock, funk and soul, along with free jazz. Also in his compositions you can find elements of modern classical music and blues tunes. In general, almost every sophisticated listener will be able to find something for themselves in Hancock's music. If we talk about innovative creative solutions, then Herbie Hancock is considered one of the first jazz performers who combined the synthesizer and funk in the same way, the musician is at the forefront of the newest jazz style - post-bop. Despite the specificity of the music of some stages of Herbie's work, most of his songs are melodic compositions that have fallen in love with the general public.

Among his albums, the following can be distinguished: "Head Hunters" (1971), "Future Shock" (1983), "Maiden Voyage" (1966) and "Takin' Off" (1962).

John Coltrane (John Coltrane)

John Coltrane, an outstanding jazz innovator and virtuoso, was born on September 23, 1926. Coltrane was a talented saxophonist and composer, bandleader and one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. Coltrane is rightfully considered a significant figure in the history of the development of jazz, who inspired and influenced modern performers, as well as the school of improvisation in general. Until 1955, John Coltrane remained relatively unknown until he joined the Miles Davis band. A few years later, Coltrane leaves the quintet and begins to closely engage in his own work. During these years, he recorded albums that amounted to essential part jazz heritage.

These are "Giant Steps" (1959), "Coltrane Jazz" (1960) and "A Love Supreme" (1965), which became icons of jazz improvisation.

Charlie Parker (Charlie Parker)

Charlie Parker was born on August 29, 1920 in Kansas City (USA). Love for music woke up in him quite early: he began to master the saxophone at the age of 11. In the 30s, Parker began to master the principles of improvisation and developed in his technique some of the techniques that preceded bebop. Later he became one of the founders of this style (along with Dizzy Gillespie) and, in general, had a very strong influence on jazz music. However, as a teenager, the musician became addicted to morphine, and in the future, the problem of heroin addiction arose between Parker and music. Unfortunately, even after treatment in the clinic and recovery, Charlie Parker could not work and write as actively. new music. Ultimately, heroin derailed his life and career and caused his death.

Charlie Parker's most significant jazz albums are Bird and Diz (1952), Birth of the Bebop: Bird on Tenor (1943), and Charlie Parker with strings (1950).

Thelonious Monk Quartet (Thelonious Monk)

Thelonious Monk was born October 10, 1917, in Rocky Mount (USA). He is best known as a jazz composer and pianist, as well as one of the founders of bebop. His original "torn" style of playing absorbed various styles - from avant-garde to primitivism. Such experiments made the sound of his music not quite characteristic of jazz, which, however, did not prevent many of his works from becoming classics of this style of music. Being very an unusual person, who from childhood did everything possible just not to be "normal" and like everyone else, Monk became famous not only for his musical solutions, but also to its rare complex nature. Many anecdotal stories are associated with his name about how he was late for his own concerts, and once refused to play in a Detroit club at all, because his wife did not show up for a performance. And so Monk sat in a chair, hands folded, until his wife was finally brought into the hall - in slippers and a dressing gown. Before the eyes of her husband, the poor woman was urgently delivered by plane, if only the concert would take place.

Monk's most notable albums include Monk's Dream (1963), Monk (1954), Straight No Chaser (1967), and Misterioso (1959).

Billie Holiday (Billy Holiday)

Billie Holiday, famous American jazz vocalist, was born on April 7, 1917 in Philadelphia. Like many jazz musicians, Holiday began her musical career in nightclubs. Over time, she was lucky enough to meet producer Benny Goodman, who organized her first recordings in the studio. Fame came to the singer after participating in the big bands of such jazz masters as Count Basie and Artie Shaw (1937-1938). Lady Day (as her fans called her) had a unique style of performance, thanks to which she seemed to reinvent a fresh and unique sound for the most simple compositions. She was especially good at romantic, slow songs (such as "Don't Explain" and "Lover Man"). Billie Holiday's career was bright and brilliant, but not long, because after thirty years she became addicted to drinking and drugs, which negatively affected her health. The angelic voice lost its former strength and flexibility, and Holiday was rapidly losing the favor of the public.

Billie Holiday enriched jazz art with such outstanding albums as "Lady Sings the Blues" (1956), "Body and soul" (1957), and "Lady in Satin" (1958).

Bill Evans (Bill Evans)

Bill Evans, the legendary American jazz pianist and composer, was born August 16, 1929 in New Jersey, USA. Evans is one of the most influential jazz artists of the 20th century. His musical works so sophisticated and unusual that few pianists are able to inherit and borrow his ideas. He could masterfully swing and improvise like no other, at the same time, melody and simplicity were far from alien to him - his interpretations of famous ballads gained popularity even among non-jazz audiences. Evans was educated as an academic pianist, and after serving in the army began to appear in public with various little famous musicians as a jazz performer. Success came to him in 1958 when Evans joined the Miles Davis sextet, along with Cannonball Oderley and John Coltrane. Evans is considered the creator of the chamber jazz trio genre, which is characterized by a lead improvising piano, as well as solo drums and double bass along with it. His musical style brought a variety of colors to jazz music - from inventive graceful improvisations to lyrically-colored tones.

To nai best albums Evans can be attributed to his solo recording of "Alone" (1968), made in man-orchestra mode, "Waltz for Debby" (1961), "New Jazz Conceptions" (1956) and "Explorations" (1961).

Dizzy Gillespie (Dizzy Gillespie)

Dizzy Gillespie was born on October 21, 1917 in Chirow, USA. Dizzy has a lot of merit in the history of the development of jazz music: he is known as a trumpeter, vocalist, arranger, composer and leader of orchestras. Gillespie also co-founded improvisational jazz with Charlie Parker. Like many jazzmen, Gillespie started out playing in clubs. Then he moved to live in New York and successfully entered the local orchestra. He was known for his original, if not to say buffoonish, behavior, which successfully turned the people who worked with him against him. From the first orchestra, in which a very talented, but peculiar trumpeter Dizz went on tour in England and France, he was almost kicked out. The musicians of his second orchestra also did not react quite cordially to Gillespie's mockery of their playing. In addition, few people understood his musical experiments - some called his music "Chinese". Collaboration with the second orchestra ended in a fight between Cab Calloway (his leader) and Dizzy during one of the concerts, after which Gillespie was expelled from the band with a bang. After Gillespie creates his own group, in which he and other musicians work to diversify the traditional jazz language. Thus, the style known as bebop was born, on the style of which Dizzy actively worked.

The best albums of the brilliant trumpeter include "Sonny Side Up" (1957), "Afro" (1954), "Birk's Works" (1957), "World Statesman" (1956) and "Dizzy and Strings" (1954).

For decades, the music of freedom, performed by dizzying jazz virtuosos, has been a huge part of the music scene and just human life. The names of the musicians that you can see above are immortalized in the memory of many generations and, most likely, the same number of generations will inspire and amaze with their skill. Perhaps the secret is that the inventors of trumpets, saxophones, double basses, pianos, and drums knew that some things could not be done on these instruments, but forgot to tell jazz musicians about it.

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How Musical direction Jazz was formed in the United States in the late 19th - early 20th century, representing a synthesis of cultures: African and European. Since then, it has evolved a lot and has become the impetus for the development of many other musical styles. At the beginning of the last century, jazz bands were gaining popularity, musical ensembles, which included wind and percussion instruments, as well as piano and double bass. The brightest jazz performers were forever inscribed in the history of music.

Iconic Jazzmen

Perhaps the most famous jazz musician 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 the traditional, New Orleans jazz, thanks to him this style was developed and became popular in the world, and its influence on the music of the last century can hardly be overestimated. He is also called the "Maestro of Jazz" or the "King of Jazz". Louis Armstrong's main instrument was the trumpet, but he was also an excellent vocalist and leader of a jazz band.

And Frank Sinatra was a legendary jazz vocalist with an incredible voice. In addition, he was also an excellent actor and showman, a standard of musical taste and style. During his musical career, he received 9 top music awards - Grammy, and also won an Oscar for his acting skills.

The most famous jazz artists

Ray Charles - real genius jazz, marked by the main music award of America as much as 17 times! He is ranked 10th out of 100 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the greatest artists. In addition to jazz, Charles also performed soul and blues compositions. This great artist 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, the most talented jazz trumpeter, gave rise to new varieties of this musical style, such as fusion, cool jazz and modal jazz. He never limited himself to one direction - traditional jazz, this made his music multifaceted and unusual. He was the one who, one might say, founded contemporary jazz. Performers of this style today are often his followers.

great women

The best jazz performers are not necessarily men. Ella Fitzgerald is the greatest singer with a unique voice spanning three octaves. This magnificent vocalist was a master of vocal improvisation, having 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 has released more than 90 albums.

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

Other artists

There are, of course, other well-known jazz performers of the past. Sarah Vaughan is "the greatest voice of the 20th century", her voice was indeed unique, mannered and refined, becoming deeper and deeper over the years. Throughout her career, the singer has honed her skills. And Dizzy Gillespie was a virtuoso trumpeter, vocalist, composer and arranger. Dizzy founded modern improvisational jazz (bebop) with Charlie Parker, an amazing saxophonist who became such 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 go beyond one direction, combining jazz with soul, blues, rock or pop music. To date, the most famous are: George Benson, a virtuoso of voice and guitar for about 50 years, a Grammy winner; Bob James is a smooth jazz pianist, one of the founders of the style and the founder of a 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 the composer is Chick Corea. Multiple Grammy winner and very talented musician, in addition to keyboards, he also plays 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 whom she records and performs. The ensemble consists of a 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 which girls stand out in particular. 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 Spaulding, the first performer in this direction to receive a Grammy in the Best New Artist of the Year nomination in 2011, and also won in other nominations in this music award. He plays many instruments and speaks several languages.

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

Starting as small bands playing a mixture of European music and African rhythms in New Orleans entertainment venues, jazz has grown into one of the most interesting directions in music. A complex rhythm and an abundance of improvisations make it difficult, but extremely exciting music.

But in order to talk about the greatest jazz performers, it would be necessary to talk about jazz itself. And how to talk about it? Well, from the start.

Story

From the very beginning there were Negroes brought as slaves in New World(mostly we are talking about the territory of the States). They had a unique African musical culture. First of all, there was a very, very big emphasis on rhythms - they were varied, non-linear and very complex. Secondly, music in Africa is inextricably linked with everyday life: this is a mandatory accompaniment of various everyday moments, holidays, and often a way of communication. So it was music that became one of the unifying factors for many black slaves.

Jazz was formed from several relatively parallel developing genres of African American music. The most important, of course, is ragtime - dance, syncopated (strong beat is shifted), with a free melody. Then more blues - with a classic 12-bar blues square and ample opportunities for improvisation. Jazz, which took shape already at the beginning of the 20th century, reflected the features of both, and of many other musical genres.

New Orleans Jazz, Chicago Jazz, Dixieland

The earliest, New Orleans jazz is the ensembles that inherited the traditions of marching brass bands, consisting of an impressive rhythm section (2-3 drummers, percussion, double bass), a variety of wind instruments (trombone, trumpet, clarinet, cornet), well, and guitar-violin-banjo , if we get lucky. Later, almost all famous jazz performers left for Chicago, where, having honed their skills, they became the founders of Chicago jazz - the earliest jazz. Dixieland is an imitation of white bands of their black comrades - the founders of the genre. Speaking about the outstanding jazz performers of that time, one cannot but mention the whole jazz orchestras.

Charles "Buddy" Bolden and his Ragtime Band. They are considered almost the first jazz orchestra of the New Orleans style. Records with their game have not been preserved, however, experts are sure that the repertoire consisted of various classical compositions of ragtime, blues, as well as many marches, waltzes and pieces with a jazz character of performance.

Freddie Keppard is on the list of the most influential jazz musicians of the time after Buddy Bolden. He played in the Olympia Band, in Los Angeles he created the Original Creole Orchestra, in Chicago (at the decline of Dixieland's popularity) he also did not get bored and performed with the most famous musicians of his time.

Joseph "King" Oliver is also a cornetist and a great fellow. In New Orleans, he managed to play with five orchestras, and then, after the United States entered the First World War in 1917 and all the entertainment establishments in New Orleans were closed, he, along with many other musicians, went north to Chicago.

Sydney Bechet is a clarinetist and saxophonist. He started playing in ensembles very early and even managed to get into Ragtime with Buddy Bolden. He was noted both in Chicago jazz orchestras and in later swing orchestras, and even rode around Europe a lot, performing in the USSR as well (1926).

Original Dixieland Jass Band - and this is already Dixieland, these are already white guys following in the footsteps of black Orleans bands. Known for releasing the world's first gramophone record jazz composition. In general, they did a lot to popularize the genre. They say that it was with these guys that the very “Jazz Age” began. Many of their things in the future became famous

Stride

Stride originated in New York, in the Manhattan boroughs during World War I, completely separate from New Orleans jazz. This is a piano style that developed from ragtime by complicating the rhythm, as well as increasing the virtuosity of the performers.

James Johnson is the "father of the stride". He is considered an important figure in the transition from ragtime to jazz stride. He learned to play the piano mostly by himself, worked in various New York clubs. He himself composed a bunch of popular melodies in the 20s.

Fats Waller is another stride pianist who has become more famous as a composer than as a performer. Many of his compositions were then reworked and performed by other famous musicians. By the way, he also played the organ.

Art Tatum is one of the most famous figures in the stride. A wonderful virtuoso, who was distinguished by an unusual playing technique for the genre (he loved scales and arpeggios, he was one of the first to start flirting with musical harmonies and keys). Even in the days of swing and big bands, he drew attention to himself (a solo artist). He influenced many other jazz musicians, who often noted his extraordinary skill.

Swing

The most extensive and fertile area when it comes to the great jazz performers of the 20th century. Swing appeared in the 1920s and remained extremely popular right up to the Second World War. It was played mainly by swing bands - hefty orchestras of ten or more people.

Benny Goodman - without exaggeration, the king of swing and the founder of one of the most famous big bands, which had a resounding success not only in America but also abroad. The concert of his orchestra on August 21, 1935 in Los Angeles, which brought him stardom, is considered the beginning of the swing era.

Duke Ellington - also the leader of his own big band, as well as famous composer, the creator of numerous hits and jazz standards, including the composition Caravan, familiar to almost everyone. Collaborated with many of the best jazz performers of the time, allowing everyone to bring their own to the sound of the orchestra. unique style than created an interesting and unusual "sound".

Chick Webb. It was in his orchestra that one of the most famous jazz singers, Ella Fitzgerald, began her career. Webb himself was a drummer, and his playing style influenced many other jazz percussion legends (such as Buddy Rich and Louis Bellson). He died of tuberculosis in 1939, before he was forty years old.

Glenn Miller is the creator of the big band of the same name, which in the period 1939-1943 was practically unparalleled in popularity. Prior to that, Miller played, recorded with other orchestras, and also composed music with other great jazz performers of his time - Benny Goodman, Pee Wee Russell, Gene Krupa and others.

It so happened that the interests of this greatest jazz performer turned out to be so diverse, and the “experience” is so great that it is not possible to attribute it unambiguously to any style. During his career, Armstrong has played in well-known orchestras, and solo, and as the leader of his own jazz band. His style of playing has always been distinguished by a bright personality and unconventional, original improvisations.

Jazz singers and singers

These guys deserve a separate chapter, maybe they did not write jazz standards with their own hands, but they did a lot for the development of this direction of music. The unique timbres, the sensuality of the voice, the emotionality of the performance - much of this came from African-American "folk" spirituals and gospels.

Ella Fitzgerald is the "First Lady of Jazz", one of the greatest jazz performers of the entire era of this music. The owner of a unique soft and "light" mezzo-soprano timbre, she could take three octaves without visible effort. In addition to an ideal sense of rhythm and intonation, she owned such a "trick" as scat - an imitation of the musical instruments of a jazz band with her voice.

Billie Holiday - had an unusual hoarse voice, giving a special sensuality to the manner of performance. The so-called instrumental timbre of her voice and the ability for rhythmic interpretation were successfully combined on stage with the sound of a jazz band.

Bop

By the forties, the danceable and slightly frivolous swing began to become obsolete, and young guys, eager for experiments, began to develop a playing style later called be-bop. It is distinguished by higher demands on the skill of musicians, a fast pace of play, complex improvisations and, in general, an “intellectual” style compared to swing.

Dizzy Gillespie is one of the founders of be-bop. At first he played trumpet in many popular swing bands, but then he budded, formed his own combo - a small ensemble - and began to promote be-bop, which he did just fine, thanks in part to his eccentric demeanor. Masterfully played classical jazz themes with extraordinary virtuosity.

Charlie Parker is also the founder of be-bop. As part of the young supporters of this direction, he literally turned all traditional jazz upside down. B-boopers laid the foundation for modern jazz. Parker also played a large role in the development of Afro-Cuban jazz. Despite all the successes, the musician suffered from a severe heroin addiction, from which he later died at the age of 35.

Fusion

Appeared in the sixties and really is a fusion (translation of fusion from English) of a wide variety of musical genres: rock, pop, soul and funk. Compared to other styles of jazz, it may seem rather "crazy" - fusion has lost its characteristic swing beat, but has retained improvisation and an emphasis on beating a certain melody (standard).

The Tony Williams Lifetime is a group that released in 1969 an album that is now considered a fusion classic. In the wake of the popularity of rock music in their recordings, they used electric guitar, bass guitar ( classical instruments specifically rock bands), as well as an electric piano, creating a characteristic heavy sound combined with a typical jazz character.

Miles Davis is a versatile musician, deservedly one of the greatest jazz performers. In addition to jazz-rock, he was fond of a bunch of styles, but even here he managed to create many classical compositions that determined his sound for several years.

Neoswing

This is an attempt to revive the good old swing bands of the early XX century. Maintaining the general mood and character of the performance classical jazz, neoswing bands moved away from improvisation. They are not shy about modern set musical instruments and in terms of structure, their compositions are much more reminiscent of contemporary music. In the bottom line, we have the original stylization of the old, much more accessible to the ears of a listener unfamiliar with jazz.

More among interesting performers you can name Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Royal Crown Revue (sounds in the movie "The Mask"), Squirrel Nut Zippers and Diablo Swing Orchestra, who mixed swing with metal in an original way.

bossa nova

An unusual mixture of jazz and Latin American samba rhythms. It originated, obviously, in Brazil and gained great popularity all over the world. Juan and Astrud Gilberto, António Carlos Jobim, and saxophonist Stan Getz are considered to be the founders of the style.

Lists of the best

The article talked about the iconic musicians who played a significant role in the development of jazz. However famous jazzmen incomparably more, and it is not possible to tell about all at once. Nevertheless, the list of the best jazz performers must include:

• Charles Mingus;
• John Coltrane;
• Mary Lou Williams;
• Herbie Hancock;
• Nat King Cole;
• Miles Davis;
• Keith Jarrett;
• Kurt Elling;
• Thelonious Monk;
• Wynton Marsalis.

Moreover, these are musicians, and singers, and even those who are better known as a composer. Each of them has a bright personality and a long creative career. Although, as you can see, mainly people of the "sixties" were chosen, who spoke for a significant part of the entire 20th century, and some of them even the 21st.