One of the most original and influential pianists in jazz, Bill Evans possessed an intensely personal and lyrical approach. The release of his first records under his own name, as well as his appearance on Miles Davis's KIND OF BLUE, pushed Evans rap…

Charlie Parker's combination of sheer genius and pure emotion on the soprano sax has few rivals, and after him, nothing would be the same. As one of the creators of bebop in the 1940s and 1950s (alongside Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, and others), Par…

As the poster boy for cool jazz in the '50s, trumpeter and vocalist Chet Baker symbolized, at least briefly, that decade's soulful underside. But rather than ascend the throne of celebrity, he remained the outsider, the quintessential beautiful loser…

b. 26 August 1902, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA, d. 8 June 1972. Rushing began singing while still studying music at school in his home-town. By 1923 he was a full-time professional singer, working in California with, among others, Jelly Roll Morton …

b. Joseph Anthony Jacobi Passalaqua, 13 January 1929, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA, d. 23 May 1994, Los Angeles, California, USA. In his mid- and late teens guitarist Pass worked with a number of name bands, including those led by Tony Pastor and C…

b. Barry Doyle Harris, 15 December 1929, Detroit, Michigan, USA. Harris started to play piano at a very early age and by his teens was well established in his home-town, where he performed with Miles Davis, Sonny Stitt, Max Roach and other leading ja…

Blind from the age of 11, pianist Lennie Tristano became incredibly focused on the purity of sound. He sought, taught, and achieved perfection of tonal expression both in himself and his accompanists (most importantly Lee Konitz and Warne Marsh). He …

b. 14 March 1932, Syracuse, New York, USA. Murphy began singing as a child and in his mid-teens was performing with a band led by his brother. He worked in many parts of the USA, and had built a small reputation for himself in New York when the appea…

Trumpeter/vocalist Louis Armstrong is perhaps the single most influential artist in the history of jazz. He started out in the "hot" bands of 1920s New Orleans, and was one of the first to introduce solo improvisation into the jazz idiom. Over the ne…

This vocal quartet originally started life as an extension of jazz band the Hi-Lo's. From that prominent 50s band came Don Shelton, who decided to form Singers Unlimited after the Hi-Lo's broke up in 1964. After retreating to Chicago, Illinois, USA, …

Duke Ellington's gift for combining blues simplicity, gospel emotion, and sophisticated musical themes reflected a unique style that drew fans from around the world. From the 1920s to the 1970s, he created a huge body of work that ranks among the gre…

b. Muriel Ellen Deason, 30 August 1919, Nashville, Tennessee, USA. The family relocated to Humphries County but returned to Nashville in 1928, where Deason's father, who played guitar and sang for local dances, worked as a brakeman for the Tennessee …

Chicago singer Kurt Elling started out singing classical repertoire as a young man, but soon developed an interest in jazz. As a contemporary jazz vocalist, Elling incoporated the "vocalese" style of Jon Hendricks and James Moody, the hipster/beatnik…

Dave Brubeck is one of the great post-bop jazz innovators of the 1950s, whose use of irregular time signatures, a restrained, classical-influenced approach to the piano, and exceptional composing skills have allowed him to make bold musical statement…

Though he never learned to read music, Erroll Garner had a natural pianistic gift that gave rise to a remarkable breadth of expression, inspiring countless musicians. By turns mightily swinging, orchestral, swooningly romantic, and mercilessly outr‚,…

Blind jazz musician Rahsaan Roland Kirk is often remembered for his incredible ability to play three horns simultaneously--which made him a virtual one-man brass section. A master of circular breathing, he was also able to hold a note almost indefini…