Jazz: what is it, what directions, who performs. The best jazz singers in the history of the genre Famous Jazzmen

A few days ago, with friends, we tried to remember as many people as possible, who, in our opinion, changed the course of history. Well, if we expand this topic, we can single out 10 key aspects in different areas of human activity that have influenced life, worldview or just the taste of all mankind. Today I would like to highlight10 jazz standardswhich, in my opinion, are the basispopular jazz music. jazz standards- these are jazz melodies or themes that were once written by someone, and which are so catchy that all jazz musicians and almost all people know them. Not bad musicians, as, for example, Wikipedia writes, know them for a couple of hundred pieces, which, by the way, I doubt very much.

Most likely, many know the collected by me jazz compositions, but each standard has its own history, which not everyone knows.

So number one:

1. Autumnleaves

Originally, in 1945, it was a French song " Les Feuilles mortes(literally "Dead Leaves") with music Joseph Kosma and poems of the poet Jacques Prevert). Yves Montand (with Irene Joachim) presented "Les Feuilles mortes" in 1946 in the film Les Portes de la Nuit. 1947 American composer Johnny Mercer wrote the English lyrics for this song, and Joe Stafford was one of the first to perform the new version of the composition. Autumn Leaves has become a jazz and pop standard in both languages, as well as an instrumental version.

The video below features an improvised version of this theme by one of the best jazz improvisers and composers (and one of my favorites) of our time. Keith Jarrett. Notice how he howls and dances in a funny way during his solo. His playing has a special charm and is immediately distinguished and identified by ear thanks to the microphone backing of his peculiar “mooing”.

2. Let it snow!Let it snow!Let it snow!

The song is also known as "Let It Snow". Authorship belongs to the lyrics Sammy Cahn and composer Jule Styne in 1945. Interestingly, it was written in July 1945 in Hollywood during one of the hottest days of the summer.

What is even more interesting is that, I think, almost everyone on our blue ball plowing the Universe knows it, even the one who has lived in the desert all his life. Personally, I always sing this song when it snows or rains ( Let it rain! You can still Let it fog!)

3. I've got you under my skin

Not everyone knows this composition, which was covered by all jazz vocalists, if not on stage, then certainly in the shower for sure. Authorship belongs Cole Porter and it was written in 1936. On the presented video (as well as on the previous one), it is performed by my favorite musician Jamie Callam (JamieCullum). After this song there will be a small bonus - another song performed by Jamie - High and Dry (Radiohead). This is one of my favorite songs.

4. Fly me to the moon

And this topic is one of those that is most convenient to swing to, even for me, a person who is far from swinging. Wrote a masterpiece Bart Howard in 1954.

5. take five

If a musician wants to test his musical flair on a non-standard rhythm, takefive- it's the best jazz composition to experiment with. The time signature of 5 quarters clearly shows that the song deserves attention. By the way, there are a lot of songs that start as a famous standard, but I came up with his "first time" precisely Paul Desmond, and was first presented by the quartet of the great Dave Brubeck (The Dave Brubeck Quartet) in album "Time Out" in 1959

6. The entertainer

Well, everyone knows it. The composition was written by the founder of the ragtime style Scott JoplinScott Joplin over 110 years ago (in 1902). It is a ragtime classic. This jazz composition regained its international fame during « ragtime revival" in the 1970s when it was used as the theme song for the movie " The Sting" who won an Oscar.

7. Singingintherain

"Singing in the rain" - a song on verses Arthur Freed and music Nakio Herb Brown (Nacio Herb Brown), written in 1929, gained fame after the film of the same name. After watching the video, I always start to rejoice!

8. summer time

When people talk about jazz, then they often mean exactly “ summer time". Written work George Gershwin in 1935 for an opera "Porgy and Bess". Text authors: DuBos Hayward and Ira Gershwin(brother of George). Saying what is the basis for writing an aria Gershwin took Ukrainian lullaby "Oh, sleep around vikon", which he heard in New York performed by the Ukrainian National Choir conducted by Alexandra Kosice. We give heat there too!

9. feelinggood

"feeling good" (also known as " Feelin' good") is a song written by English singer-songwriters Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse in 1965. Since then, the composition has been recorded by many artists, including the outstanding Nina Simone.

10. helloDolly

Well, where are we without Armstrong! But what is interesting - the author of the music and words of the famous song, not Armstrong the person who set foot on Mars first Jerry German (Herman) (Jerry Herman). The song was very popular in 1964 when it was played on the radio as often as it is played today. Lady Gaga. But we all love Louis Armstrong made it what we know it today.

Soon I will prepare 25 best jazz compositions, including jazz standards in the original and their modern arrangements.

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 today are included in the list of modern jazz stars.

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 (Bob James) is a well-known 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 who makes his music like that – 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 United States 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 "Usadba 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.

A few days ago, with friends, we tried to remember as many people as possible, who, in our opinion, changed the course of history. Well, if we expand this topic, we can single out 10 key aspects in different areas of human activity that have influenced life, worldview or just the taste of all mankind. Today I would like to highlight10 jazz standardswhich, in my opinion, are the basispopular jazz music. jazz standards- these are jazz melodies or themes that were once written by someone, and which are so catchy that all jazz musicians and almost all people know them. Not bad musicians, as, for example, Wikipedia writes, know them for a couple of hundred pieces, which, by the way, I doubt very much.

Most likely, many know the collected by me jazz compositions, but each standard has its own history, which not everyone knows.

So number one:

1. Autumnleaves

Originally, in 1945, it was a French song " Les Feuilles mortes(literally "Dead Leaves") with music Joseph Kosma and poems of the poet Jacques Prevert). Yves Montand (with Irene Joachim) presented "Les Feuilles mortes" in 1946 in the film Les Portes de la Nuit. 1947 American composer Johnny Mercer wrote the English lyrics for this song, and Joe Stafford was one of the first to perform the new version of the composition. Autumn Leaves has become a jazz and pop standard in both languages, as well as an instrumental version.

The video below features an improvised version of this theme by one of the best jazz improvisers and composers (and one of my favorites) of our time. Keith Jarrett. Notice how he howls and dances in a funny way during his solo. His playing has a special charm and is immediately distinguished and identified by ear thanks to the microphone backing of his peculiar “mooing”.

2. Let it snow!Let it snow!Let it snow!

The song is also known as "Let It Snow". Authorship belongs to the lyrics Sammy Cahn and composer Jule Styne in 1945. Interestingly, it was written in July 1945 in Hollywood during one of the hottest days of the summer.

What is even more interesting is that, I think, almost everyone on our blue ball plowing the Universe knows it, even the one who has lived in the desert all his life. Personally, I always sing this song when it snows or rains ( Let it rain! You can still Let it fog!)

3. I've got you under my skin

Not everyone knows this composition, which was covered by all jazz vocalists, if not on stage, then certainly in the shower for sure. Authorship belongs Cole Porter and it was written in 1936. On the presented video (as well as on the previous one), it is performed by my favorite musician Jamie Callam (JamieCullum). After this song there will be a small bonus - another song performed by Jamie - High and Dry (Radiohead). This is one of my favorite songs.

4. Fly me to the moon

And this topic is one of those that is most convenient to swing to, even for me, a person who is far from swinging. Wrote a masterpiece Bart Howard in 1954.

5. take five

If a musician wants to test his musical flair on a non-standard rhythm, takefive- it's the best jazz composition to experiment with. The time signature of 5 quarters clearly shows that the song deserves attention. By the way, there are a lot of songs that start as a famous standard, but I came up with his "first time" precisely Paul Desmond, and was first presented by the quartet of the great Dave Brubeck (The Dave Brubeck Quartet) in album "Time Out" in 1959

6. The entertainer

Well, everyone knows it. The composition was written by the founder of the ragtime style Scott JoplinScott Joplin over 110 years ago (in 1902). It is a ragtime classic. This jazz composition regained its international fame during « ragtime revival" in the 1970s when it was used as the theme song for the movie " The Sting" who won an Oscar.

7. Singingintherain

"Singing in the rain" - a song on verses Arthur Freed and music Nakio Herb Brown (Nacio Herb Brown), written in 1929, gained fame after the film of the same name. After watching the video, I always start to rejoice!

8. summer time

When people talk about jazz, then they often mean exactly “ summer time". Written work George Gershwin in 1935 for an opera "Porgy and Bess". Text authors: DuBos Hayward and Ira Gershwin(brother of George). Saying what is the basis for writing an aria Gershwin took Ukrainian lullaby "Oh, sleep around vikon", which he heard in New York performed by the Ukrainian National Choir conducted by Alexandra Kosice. We give heat there too!

9. feelinggood

"feeling good" (also known as " Feelin' good") is a song written by English singer-songwriters Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse in 1965. Since then, the composition has been recorded by many artists, including the outstanding Nina Simone.

10. helloDolly

Well, where are we without Armstrong! But what is interesting - the author of the music and words of the famous song, not Armstrong the person who set foot on Mars first Jerry German (Herman) (Jerry Herman). The song was very popular in 1964 when it was played on the radio as often as it is played today. Lady Gaga. But we all love Louis Armstrong made it what we know it today.

Soon I will prepare 25 best jazz compositions, including jazz standards in the original and their modern arrangements.

Jazz vocals are traditionally associated with female performance. Famous jazz singers, using only their voice, are able to create an aura of mystery or an atmosphere of playfulness on stage.

famous jazz singers

Ella Fitzgerald

Having won the love of the public and the respect of colleagues, the first lady of jazz forever remained very modest and shy. In 1942, she became the first woman to lead a large musical group - the Chick Webb Orchestra, which performed for soldiers during the war.

Ella Fitzgerald

Especially for Ella, it was founded by producer Norman Grantz, on which albums were recorded with the participation of Ellington and Berdin, Rogers and Hart.

Once, having forgotten the words of the song, Fitzgerald came up with her own combination, which, according to her, copied the sound of the saxophone. Subsequently, this technique became the hallmark of the singer.

Find out what challenges women face in music and if there are

Billie Holiday

(Eleanor Fagen) got her jazz nickname "Lady Day" from a saxophonist. With Yang, she was associated with a short-term romance and a very successful collaboration. Together they recorded 49 songs that had a literally hypnotic effect on the audience.

The peak of Holiday's fame came in the 1940s, when she began performing in jazz clubs for mixed white and colored audiences. Once, in order not to anger the organizers, the performer, who was too pale for a black woman, had to darken her skin with a special make-up.

Etta James

(Jamisette Hawkins) has diligently maintained her "bad girl" image throughout her career. At the same time, her album Tell Mama, released back in 1967, is still considered the best soul collection of all time.

The singer graced the opening of the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 1984 with her performance.

Nina Simon

Gifted and torn apart by internal demons, all her life she fought for her rights to perform works of interest to her. The singer has always been more concerned about social topics than the rules of show business and mercantile goals.

The touching lyrics and one of the most feminine works of our time, the song I put a spell on you, brought her worldwide fame.

Sarah Vaughan

Without difficulty it was possible to masterfully slide between three octaves. She received particular pleasure from the subtle interpretation of songs and the meaning put into their words.

Vaughan took part in the most diverse projects: she performed compositions and worked in the orchestras of John Kirby and Teddy Wilson.

Dina Washington

While still a schoolgirl, Dinah Washington (Ruth Lee Jones) conducted the church's gospel choir. Her talent did not tolerate restrictions, he needed to constantly overcome new horizons.

Possessing crystal clear articulation, Dina masterfully reproduced any music - from jazz standards to pop hits. Critics characterized her repertoire as subtle and thoughtful.

Astrud Gilberto

Astrud Gilberto's first solo record became an instant best-seller thanks to his charming and original technique. The singer acted in films, hosted her own TV show and was even the voice of one airline.

Recently, Astrud prefers to express himself not in solo performances on stage, but in drawing and writing new compositions.

Natalie Cole

It was the famous father who noticed talent in his daughter and brought her to the stage when she was only 6 years old. Songs, colored with shades of gospel and rhythm and blues, have repeatedly been awarded the most prestigious music awards.

The audience still with tears in their eyes remembers the Grammy ceremony, when Natalie sang a piercing duet with her father - a recording of his performance was broadcast on the big screen.

Diana Krall

Born in 1964 in the Canadian province in a family of musicians, she fell ill with jazz from early childhood. Now her repertoire consists of soulful melancholic ballads, distinguished by a slightly nostalgic charm.

As one of the most revered musical art forms in America, jazz laid the foundation for an entire industry, introducing numerous names of brilliant composers, instrumentalists and vocalists to the world and spawning a wide range of genres. The 15 most influential jazz musicians are responsible for a global phenomenon that has occurred over the last century in the history of the genre.

Jazz developed in the later years of the 19th century and early 20th century as a combination of classical European and American sounds with African folk motives. The songs were performed with a syncopated rhythm, giving impetus to the development, and later the formation of large orchestras to perform it. Music has taken a big step forward from ragtime to modern jazz.

The influence of West African musical culture is evident in the way music is written and how it is performed. Polyrhythm, improvisation and syncopation are what characterize jazz. Over the past century, this style has changed under the influence of contemporaries of the genre, who brought their own idea to the essence of improvisation. New directions began to appear - bebop, fusion, Latin American jazz, free jazz, funk, acid jazz, hard bop, smooth jazz, and so on.

15 Art Tatum

Art Tatum is a jazz pianist and virtuoso who was practically blind. He is known as one of the greatest pianists of all time who changed the role of the piano in the jazz ensemble. Tatum turned to the stride style to create his own unique style of playing, adding swing rhythms and fantastic improvisations to the rhythm. His attitude to jazz music fundamentally changed the importance of the piano in jazz as a musical instrument from its previous characteristics.

Tatum experimented with the harmonies of the melody, influencing the structure of the chord and expanding it. All this characterized the style of bebop, which, as you know, would become popular ten years later, when the first records in this genre appeared. Critics also noted his impeccable playing technique - Art Tatum was able to play the most difficult passages with such ease and speed that it seemed that his fingers barely touched the black and white keys.

14 Thelonious Monk

Some of the most complex and varied sounds can be found in the repertoire of the pianist and composer, one of the most important representatives of the era of bebop and its subsequent development. His very personality as an eccentric musician contributed to the popularization of jazz. Monk, always dressed in a suit, hat and sunglasses, openly expressed his free attitude to improvisational music. He did not accept strict rules and formed his own approach to creating compositions. Some of his most brilliant and famous works are Epistrophy, Blue Monk, Straight, No Chaser, I Mean You and Well, You Needn't.

Monk's playing style was based on an innovative approach to improvisation. His works are distinguished by percussive passages and sharp pauses. Quite often, right during his performances, he jumped up from the piano and danced while the other members of the band continued to play the melody. Thelonious Monk remains one of the most influential jazz musicians in the history of the genre.

13 Charles Mingus

A recognized double bass virtuoso, composer and band leader, he was one of the most extraordinary musicians on the jazz scene. He developed a new musical style, combining gospel, hard bop, free jazz and classical music. Contemporaries called Mingus "the heir to Duke Ellington" for his fantastic ability to write works for small jazz ensembles. In his compositions, all the members of the band demonstrated their playing skills, each of which was also not only talented, but was characterized by a unique playing style.

Mingus carefully selected the musicians who made up his band. The legendary double bass player was known for his temper, and once he even punched trombonist Jimmy Knepper in the face, knocking out his tooth. Mingus suffered from a depressive disorder, but was not ready to put up with the fact that this somehow affected his creative activity. Despite this affliction, Charles Mingus is one of the most influential figures in jazz history.

12 Art Blakey

Art Blakey was a famous American drummer and bandleader who made a splash in the style and technique of playing the drum kit. He combined swing, blues, funk and hard bop - a style that is heard today in every modern jazz composition. Together with Max Roach and Kenny Clarke, he invented a new way to play bebop on drums. For over 30 years, his band, The Jazz Messengers, has given jazz to many jazz artists: Benny Golson, Wayne Shorter, Clifford Brown, Curtis Fuller, Horace Silver, Freddie Hubbard, Keith Jarrett, and more.

The Jazz Messengers didn't just create phenomenal music - they were a kind of "musical testing ground" for young talented musicians, like the Miles Davis band. Art Blakey's style changed the very sound of jazz, becoming a new musical milestone.

11 Dizzy Gillespie (Dizzy Gillespie)

Jazz trumpeter, singer, songwriter and bandleader became a prominent figure in the days of bebop and modern jazz. His trumpet style influenced Miles Davis, Clifford Brown and Fats Navarro. After his time in Cuba, upon his return to the US, Gillespie was one of those musicians who actively promoted Afro-Cuban jazz. In addition to his inimitable performance on the characteristically curved trumpet, Gillespie was recognizable by his horn-rimmed glasses and impossibly large cheeks as he played.

The great jazz improviser Dizzy Gillespie, as well as Art Tatum, innovated in harmony. The compositions of Salt Peanuts and Goovin' High were rhythmically completely different from previous works. Faithful to bebop throughout his career, Gillespie is remembered as one of the most influential jazz trumpeters.

10 Max Roach

The top 15 most influential jazz musicians in the history of the genre include Max Roach, a drummer known as one of the pioneers of bebop. He, like few others, has influenced the modern style of playing the drum set. Roach was a civil rights activist and collaborated with Oscar Brown Jr. and Coleman Hawkins on the album We Insist! - Freedom Now ("We insist! - Freedom now"), dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Max Roach is a representative of an impeccable playing style, able to perform a long solo throughout the concert. Absolutely any audience was delighted with his unsurpassed skill.

9 Billie Holiday

Lady Day is the favorite of millions. Billie Holiday wrote only a few songs, but when she sang, she turned her voice from the first notes. Her performance is deep, personal and even intimate. Her style and intonation are inspired by the sound of musical instruments she has heard. Like almost all the musicians described above, she became the creator of a new, but already vocal style, based on long musical phrases and the tempo of singing them.

The famous Strange Fruit is the best not only in the career of Billie Holiday, but in the entire history of jazz because of the soulful performance of the singer. She was posthumously awarded prestigious awards and inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

8 John Coltrane

The name of John Coltrane is associated with virtuoso playing technique, excellent talent for composing music and a passion for learning new facets of the genre. On the threshold of the origins of hard bop, the saxophonist achieved tremendous success and became one of the most influential musicians in the history of the genre. Coltrane's music had a sharp sound, and he played with high intensity and dedication. He was able to both play alone and improvise in an ensemble, creating solo parts of unthinkable duration. Playing the tenor and soprano saxophone, Coltrane was also able to create melodic smooth jazz compositions.

John Coltrane is the author of a kind of "bebop reboot", incorporating modal harmonies into it. Remaining the main active figure in the avant-garde, he was a very prolific composer and did not stop releasing CDs, recording about 50 albums as a band leader throughout his career.

7 Count Basie

The revolutionary pianist, organist, composer and bandleader Count Basie led one of the most successful bands in jazz history. Over the course of 50 years, the Count Basie Orchestra, including incredibly popular musicians such as Sweets Edison, Buck Clayton and Joe Williams, has earned a reputation as one of America's most in-demand big bands. Nine-time Grammy Award winner Count Basie has instilled a love of orchestral sound into generations of listeners.

Basie wrote many songs that have become jazz standards, such as April in Paris and One O'Clock Jump. Colleagues spoke of him as a tactful, modest and enthusiastic person. Had it not been for the Count Basie Orchestra in jazz history, the big band era would have sounded different and certainly not as influential as it became with this outstanding bandleader.

6 Coleman Hawkins

The tenor saxophone is the symbol of bebop and all jazz music in general. And for that we can be grateful to be Coleman Hawkins. The innovations that Hawkins brought were vital to the development of bebop in the mid-forties. His contribution to the popularity of this instrument may have determined the future careers of John Coltrane, and Dexter Gordon.

The composition Body and Soul (1939) became the benchmark for playing the tenor saxophone for many saxophonists. Other instrumentalists were also influenced by Hawkins - pianist Thelonious Monk, trumpeter Miles Davis, drummer Max Roach. His ability for extraordinary improvisations led to the discovery of new jazz sides of the genre that were not touched by his contemporaries. This partly explains why the tenor saxophone has become an integral part of the modern jazz ensemble.

5 Benny Goodman

The top five 15 most influential jazz musicians in the history of the genre opens. The famous King of Swing led almost the most popular orchestra of the early 20th century. His concert at Carnegie Hall in 1938 is recognized as one of the most important live concerts in the history of American music. This show demonstrates the advent of the jazz era, the recognition of this genre as an independent art form.

Despite the fact that Benny Goodman was the lead singer of a major swing orchestra, he also participated in the development of bebop. His orchestra became one of the first, which united musicians of different races in its composition. Goodman was a vocal opponent of the Jim Crow Act. He even turned down a tour of the southern states in support of racial equality. Benny Goodman was an active figure and reformer not only in jazz, but also in popular music.

4 Miles Davis

One of the central jazz figures of the 20th century, Miles Davis, stood at the origins of many musical events and watched them develop. He is credited with pioneering the genres of bebop, hard bop, cool jazz, free jazz, fusion, funk and techno music. In his constant search for a new musical style he was always successful and was surrounded by brilliant musicians including John Coltrane, Cannoball Adderley, Keith Jarrett, JJ Johnson, Wayne Shorter and Chick Corea. During his lifetime, Davis was awarded 8 Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Miles Davis was one of the most active and influential jazz musicians of the last century.

3 Charlie Parker

When you think about jazz, you remember the name. Also known as Bird Parker, he was a jazz alto saxophone pioneer, bebop musician and composer. His fast playing, clear sound and talent as an improviser had a significant impact on the musicians of that time and our contemporaries. As a composer, he changed the standards of jazz music writing. Charlie Parker was the musician who cultivated the idea that jazzmen are artists and intellectuals, not just showmen. Many artists have tried to copy Parker's style. His famous playing techniques can also be traced in the manner of many current novice musicians, who take as a basis the composition Bird, consonant with the nickname of the alto-sakosophist.

2 Duke Ellington

He was a grandiose pianist, composer and one of the most outstanding orchestra leaders. Although he is known as a jazz pioneer, he excelled in other genres as well, including gospel, blues, classical and popular music. It is Ellington who is credited with establishing jazz as a distinct art form. With countless awards and prizes, the first great jazz composer never stopped improving. He was the inspiration for the next generation of musicians including Sonny Stitt, Oscar Peterson, Earl Hines, Joe Pass. Duke Ellington remains a recognized jazz piano genius - instrumentalist and composer.

1 Louis ArmstrongLouis Armstrong

Arguably the most influential jazz musician in the history of the genre, aka Satchmo is a trumpeter and singer from New Orleans. He is known as the creator of jazz, who played a key role in its development. The amazing abilities of this performer made it possible to build a trumpet into a solo jazz instrument. He is the first musician to sing and popularize the scat style. It was impossible not to recognize his low "thundering" timbre of voice.

Armstrong's commitment to his own ideals influenced the work of Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby, Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie. Louis Armstrong influenced not only jazz, but the entire musical culture, giving the world a new genre, a unique manner of singing and playing the trumpet.