Jazz final

Who did Lonely Woman?

Ornette Coleman *

Who did The Organ Grinder’s Swing?

Jimmy Smith *

Who did Baby Won’t You Please Come Home?

Sarah Vaughan *

Who did The Birth of the Blues?

Frank Sinatra *

Who did Girl from Ipanema?

Jobim *

Who did Teen Town?

Weather Report *

Who did Watermelon Man?

Mongo Santamaria *

Who did Processional?

Wynton Marsalis *

Who did Long as You Know You’re Living Yours?

Keith Jarrett *

Who did Chank?

John Scofield *

Gunther Schuller

Composer

• Coined the term “Third Stream”: fusion of jazz and classical music

• Played the French horn with Miles Davis (e.g., Birth of the Cool)

• Wrote key jazz books: Early Jazz (1968), The Swing Era (1989)

• Helped legitimate jazz in academic and classical circles

• Promoted jazz education in conservatories

Sun Ra

Composer/Bandleader

• Pioneer of Afrofuturism in music: combined Egyptian mythology, space themes, and Black identity

• Leader of the Sun Ra Arkestra, known for avant-garde, free jazz, and elaborate performances

• Early user of electronic instruments (like synthesizers) in jazz

• Blended swing, bebop, free jazz, and cosmic philosophy

• Claimed he was from Saturn, used this mythos to challenge societal norms and racial injustice

Ornette Coleman

Sax

• Pioneer of Free Jazz – challenged traditional harmony, form, and chord changes

• Key album: “The Shape of Jazz to Come” (1959) – broke away from fixed chord progressions

• Coined the term “harmolodics” – a theory where harmony, melody, and rhythm are equal

• Iconic album: “Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation” (1961) – featured double quartets playing simultaneously

• Played alto sax with an unconventional, expressive style

Cecil Taylor

Piano

• Pioneer of Free Jazz and avant-garde piano

• Known for intense, percussive, atonal playing style – like a storm of sound

• Classically trained but rejected traditional jazz forms (no swing feel or steady meter)

• Treated the piano like a drum – aggressive and physical performance style

• Helped redefine what jazz improvisation and expression could be

Jimmy Smith

Organ

• Revolutionized the use of the Hammond B-3 organ in jazz

• Blended bebop, blues, and soul into a style later called soul jazz

• Known for his groovy, church-influenced sound and fast right-hand runs

• Key albums: The Sermon!, Back at the Chicken Shack

• Influenced both jazz and later funk/R&B artists

Nat “King” Cole

Piano/Vocalist

• Started as a jazz pianist and leader of the Nat King Cole Trio

• Known for his smooth baritone voice and elegant style

• One of the first Black artists to break racial barriers on radio and television in the 1940s–50s

• Famous songs: “Unforgettable”, “Mona Lisa”, “Nature Boy”

• Helped bring jazz and popular music to a broad, mainstream audience

• Pioneered the jazz piano trio format combining piano, bass, and guitar

🎹 A trailblazer who made jazz accessible and broke new ground in entertainment and civil rights.

George Benson

Vocalist/Guitarist

• Renowned jazz guitarist and vocalist known for his smooth style blending jazz, R&B, and pop

• Started as a jazz guitar prodigy influenced by Wes Montgomery

• Famous for both instrumental virtuosity and crossover vocal hits

• Key albums: Breezin’ (1976), which includes the hit “This Masquerade”

• Helped bring smooth jazz to mainstream audiences in the 1970s and ‘80s

• Known for his ability to sing and play guitar simultaneously with great skill

🎸 A crossover star who bridged jazz and popular music with warmth and virtuosity.

Sarah Vaughan

Vocalist

• One of the greatest jazz vocalists of all time, known as “The Divine One”

• Famous for her rich tone, wide vocal range, and impeccable control

• Combined jazz phrasing with classical-level technique

• Started with Earl Hines and later Billy Eckstine’s big band (alongside Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker)

• Key songs: “Misty”, “Lullaby of Birdland”, “Broken-Hearted Melody”

• Known for her ability to improvise like an instrumentalist

Frank Sinatra

Vocalist

• Not strictly a jazz singer, but hugely influential in jazz vocal style and phrasing

• Master of vocal phrasing – made lyrics sound conversational and emotionally real

• Worked with top jazz arrangers like Nelson Riddle and Count Basie

• Albums like “Songs for Swingin’ Lovers!” and “Come Fly with Me” show strong jazz influence

• Helped popularize jazz standards and bring them to a mainstream audience

🎙 While rooted in pop, his timing, swing feel, and emotional delivery make him a key figure in jazz vocal tradition.

Antonio Carlos Jobim

Composer

• Brazilian composer who helped create and popularize bossa nova (a fusion of samba and cool jazz)

• Major figure in the 1960s jazz scene, bringing Latin rhythms into jazz

• Co-wrote the global hit “The Girl from Ipanema” with João Gilberto and Stan Getz

• Other classics: “Corcovado (Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars)”, “Desafinado”

• His music features gentle melodies, sophisticated harmonies, and laid-back rhythm

🌎 Key figure in the globalization of jazz—made Brazilian music a permanent part of the jazz vocabulary.

Chick Corea

Piano

• Innovative pianist and composer known for blending jazz, rock, Latin, and classical

• Key figure in jazz fusion, especially in the 1970s

• Played with Miles Davis on landmark fusion albums (In a Silent Way, Bitches Brew)

• Founded the band Return to Forever – a major force in electric jazz fusion

• Known for compositions like “Spain”, “500 Miles High”, “La Fiesta”

• Expanded the role of the electric keyboard in jazz

🎹 Versatile musician who shaped both acoustic and electric jazz for over five decades.

Herbie Hancock

Piano

• Brilliant pianist, composer, and innovator across many jazz styles: hard bop, modal, fusion, funk, and hip-hop

• Joined Miles Davis’s Second Great Quintet – helped define post-bop in the 1960s

• Famous compositions: “Cantaloupe Island”, “Watermelon Man”, “Maiden Voyage”

• Pioneered jazz fusion with albums like Head Hunters (1973), blending jazz with funk and synthesizers

• Later explored electronic and hip-hop jazz with Future Shock (1983) and hit single “Rockit”

• Known for pushing jazz into new, contemporary directions

🎹 A boundary-pushing artist who made jazz cool, experimental, and accessible to new generations.

Keith Jarrett

Piano

• Renowned pianist known for long, improvised solo concerts blending jazz, classical, gospel, and folk

• Famous for The Köln Concert (1975) – best-selling solo piano album in jazz history

• Played with Miles Davis in the late 1960s, then led his own innovative groups

• Known for deep emotional expression and playing entire concerts with no set plan

• His Standards Trio (with Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette) redefined how jazz standards could be interpreted

🎹 A master of spontaneous improvisation who brought jazz to concert hall audiences.

Weather Report

Group

• Landmark jazz fusion band formed in 1970 by Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter (both Miles Davis alumni)

• Blended jazz, rock, funk, and world music with electric instruments and synthesizers

• Known for atmospheric textures and collective improvisation

• Signature album: Heavy Weather (1977), featuring hit “Birdland”

• Featured legendary bassist Jaco Pastorius, who transformed the role of bass in jazz

🌩 Helped define electric jazz fusion in the 1970s and expanded the sonic possibilities of jazz.

Pat Metheny

Guitar

• Influential jazz guitarist and composer known for his warm tone and genre-blending style

• Founded the Pat Metheny Group, mixing jazz, rock, Latin, folk, and world music

• Used synth guitar and advanced technology to create new jazz sounds

• Key albums: Bright Size Life, Still Life (Talking), Letter from Home

• Won 20+ Grammy Awards across multiple categories—more than any other jazz guitarist

• Brought melodic, accessible jazz to wider audiences without sacrificing musical depth

🎸 A modern jazz icon who blurred lines between jazz and popular music with innovation and beauty.

Anthony Braxton

Sax

• Visionary multi-instrumentalist and composer known for avant-garde and free jazz

• Plays saxophones, clarinets, flutes, and more—often in unusual combinations

• Famous for complex, abstract compositions with graphic titles (sometimes just diagrams or numbers)

• Member of the AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians) – promoted experimental Black music

• Blurred boundaries between jazz, classical, and experimental music

• Emphasized creative freedom, pushing jazz beyond traditional forms

🎷 A fearless innovator who redefined what jazz composition and improvisation could be.

Max Roach

Drums

• Legendary drummer who helped revolutionize jazz drumming in the bebop era

• Played with Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, and Miles Davis

• Treated drums as a melodic and expressive instrument, not just for timekeeping

• Co-led the Clifford Brown–Max Roach Quintet—a key hard bop group

• Created powerful civil rights–themed music, like We Insist! Freedom Now Suite (1960)

• Pushed rhythmic boundaries and inspired generations of jazz drummers

🥁 A master technician and activist, Roach made the drum kit a central voice in modern jazz.

Wynton Marsalis

Trumpet

• Trumpeter and composer known for reviving traditional jazz styles and promoting jazz education

• Leader of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra

• Advocate for preserving and celebrating classic jazz forms like swing and bebop

• First jazz musician to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music (1997) for his oratorio Blood on the Fields

• Known for blending classical and jazz training and elevating jazz as America’s classical music

• Sometimes controversial for his traditionalist views in the jazz community

🎺 A prominent figure who helped bring jazz to wider audiences through performance and education.

John McLaughlin

Guitar

• British guitarist and composer, pioneer of jazz fusion

• Founded the influential band Mahavishnu Orchestra, blending jazz, rock, and Indian classical music

• Known for fast, virtuosic playing and complex time signatures

• Played with Miles Davis on fusion albums like Bitches Brew and In a Silent Way

• Helped push jazz into new electric, experimental territory in the late 1960s and 70s

• Influenced generations of jazz, rock, and world musicians

🎸 A groundbreaking fusion artist blending diverse musical traditions with fiery energy.

Jaco Pastorius

Bass

• Revolutionary electric bassist known for his virtuosic technique and melodic playing

• Popularized the fretless bass in jazz, creating a singing, expressive tone

• Key member of Weather Report (notably on Heavy Weather)

• Influenced how bass was used as a lead and solo instrument in jazz fusion

• Famous for compositions like “Portrait of Tracy” showcasing harmonics and advanced techniques

• Changed bass playing forever with his combination of rhythm, melody, and harmony

🎸 A legendary innovator who elevated the electric bass to a solo voice in jazz.

John Scofield

Guitar

• Influential jazz guitarist known for blending jazz, funk, blues, and rock

• Played with legends like Miles Davis (fusion era) and Charles Mingus

• Known for a distinctive tone combining grit and smoothness

• Key albums: Still Warm, A Go Go (with Medeski Martin & Wood), Uberjam

• A major figure in modern jazz guitar and jazz-funk fusion scenes

• Combines complex improvisation with accessible grooves

🎸 A versatile player pushing jazz guitar into new funky and experimental directions.

Michael Brecker

Sax

• Highly influential tenor saxophonist known for his technical mastery and expressive playing

• Key figure in jazz fusion and post-bop from the 1970s onward

• Co-led the Brecker Brothers band, blending jazz with funk and rock

• Renowned for using the EWI (Electronic Wind Instrument), expanding the saxophone’s sound palette

• Played with many jazz greats including Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, and Pat Metheny

• Won multiple Grammy Awards and recognized as one of the best saxophonists of his generation

🎷 A powerhouse of modern jazz saxophone blending innovation, technique, and emotion.

Randy Brecker

Trumpet

• Accomplished trumpeter and flugelhorn player known for his work in jazz fusion and funk

• Co-founded the Brecker Brothers band with his brother Michael Brecker

• Blended jazz, rock, funk, and R&B, helping popularize jazz fusion in the 1970s and beyond

• Played with artists like Blood, Sweat & Tears, Frank Zappa, and Steely Dan

• Noted for his powerful tone and versatile style

• Received multiple Grammy Awards for his work as a solo artist and collaborator

🎺 A major force in the jazz fusion movement with broad stylistic reach.

Diana Krall

Vocalist/Piano

• Contemporary jazz pianist and vocalist known for her smooth, sultry voice and classic jazz style

• Revitalized interest in traditional jazz standards for modern audiences

• Famous albums: When I Look in Your Eyes, The Look of Love

• Blends bossa nova, swing, and ballads with a warm, intimate delivery

• Has won multiple Grammy and Juno Awards

• Helped bring jazz vocals and piano to a broad, global audience in the 2000s

🎹 A leading figure in modern vocal jazz with crossover appeal.

Bossa Nova

A smooth, relaxed style of Brazilian music that blends samba rythyms with jazz harmonies

Example: The song “The Girl from Ipanema” is a famous bossa nova tune

Salsa

A lively, energetic Latin dance music style that blends Cuban son, mambo, and jazz elements

Example: The song “Oye Como Va” by Tito Puente is a classic salsa tune

Latin Jazz

A fusion of jazz improvisation and rhythms from Latin American music like Afro-Cuban and Brazilian styles

Example: Dizzy Gillespie’s band playing with Cuban percussionists in songs like “Manteca.”

Avant-Garde Jazz

A style of jazz that breaks traditional rules, using unusual sounds, structures, and lots of free improvisation

Example: Ornette Coleman’s “Free Jazz” album is a classic example of avant-garde jazz

Fusion

A style that mixes jazz with rock, funk, and electric instruments

Example: Miles Davis’s “Bitches Brew” is a famous fusion album

Free Jazz

A style of jazz with no set chords or structure, where musicians freely improvise

Example: Ornette Coleman’s album “Free Jazz” features two groups improvising at the same time

Smooth Jazz

A mellow, easy-listening style of jazz that blends soft melodies with pop and R&B influences

Example: Kenny G’s saxophone songs are popular examples of smooth jazz

Acid Jazz

A groovy mix of jazz, funk, soul, and hip-hop, often with danceable beats and DJ-style production

Example: The band Jamiroquai is known for acid jazz–influenced music

New York Loft Scene

A 1970s jazz movement where musicians performed experimental, avant-garde music in converted loft spaces instead of clubs

Example: Artists like Sam Rivers and David Murray played in lofts like Studio Rivbea, pushing creative boundaries

First and Second waves of Avant-Garde

🌀 First Wave of Avant-Garde (Late 1950s–1960s):
Challenged jazz traditions with free improvisation, no set chord changes, and experimental sounds.
Example: Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor, Albert Ayler

🌊 Second Wave of Avant-Garde (1970s–1980s):
Built on the first wave but added influences from world music, funk, and social activism—often connected to the AACM and loft scene.
Example: Anthony Braxton, Henry Threadgill, Muhal Richard Abrams

Bebop

A fast, complex style of jazz from the 1940s with lots of improvisation and tricky chords.

Example: Charlie Parker’s “Ornithology” is a classic bebop tune.

Arpeggio

chord played one note at a time, instead of all at once.

Example: Playing the notes C–E–G separately instead of together is a C major arpeggio

Modal Music

Music based on a scale (mode) rather than traditional chord progressions.

Example: Miles Davis’s “So What” uses the Dorian mode instead of many changing chords.

Hard Bop

A style of jazz that added blues, gospel, and R&B influences to bebop’s complexity.

Example: Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers’ “Moanin’” is a classic hard bop tune.

Cadenza

A solo section in a piece (usually near the end) where the performer improvises or shows off their skills without the band.

Example: A trumpet player in a jazz ballad might play a cadenza before the final chorus.

Half, Whole Steps

Half Step:
The smallest distance between two notes in Western music—like from E to F or B to C (right next to each other on a piano).

Whole Step:
Equals two half steps—like from C to D or F to G (with one key in between on the piano).

Cool Jazz

A relaxed, smooth style of jazz from the late 1940s–50s with softer tones and less intense improvisation than bebop.

Example: Miles Davis’s “Birth of the Cool” album is a classic example of cool jazz

Legato

A smooth, connected way of playing notes with no gaps or breaks between them.

Example: A saxophonist playing a melody in one flowing breath is using legato style

Sequence

A musical pattern that’s repeated at a higher or lower pitch.

Example: If a melody goes C–D–E, then shifts to D–E–F♯, that’s a sequence

West Coast Jazz

A smooth, cool, and laid-back style of jazz from 1950s California, often using arranged parts and a lighter sound.

Example: Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker’s recordings are classic West Coast jazz.