The Best Jazz Music Players of All Time

A list of the best jazz music players of all time. Featuring Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Billie Holiday, and more.

Miles Davis

Miles Davis was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music. Davis adopted a variety of musical styles throughout his career that defied categorization. His work is marked by canonical albums such as Birth of the Cool (1957), Kind of Blue (1959), Miles Ahead (1957), and Bitches Brew (1970).

Charlie Parker

Charlie Parker was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Parker was a highly influential jazz soloist and a leading figure in the development of bebop, a form of jazz characterized by fast tempos, virtuosic technique and advanced harmonic progressions. Parker was a blazingly fast virtuoso, and he introduced revolutionary harmonic ideas including rapid passing chords, new variants of altered chords, and chord substitutions. His tonal style incorporated influences from blues, Hispanic music and his own imagination.

John Coltrane

One of the most influential saxophonists of all time, John Coltrane was at the forefront of the jazz movement of the 1960s. His avant-garde style challenged the norms of jazz and helped to redefine the genre. A gifted musician, Coltrane was able to take complex harmonic ideas and turn them into beautiful melodies. His approach to improvisation was revolutionary, and his ability to play with intensity and passion inspired generations of jazz musicians.

Dizzy Gillespie

Dizzy Gillespie was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a leading figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz. Gillespie is remembered for his unique style and his ability to play both trailblazing solos as well as complex ensemble pieces. He is also known for his improvisational skills and his use of mutes.

Thelonious Monk

Thelonious Monk was an American jazz pianist and composer. He is considered one of the giants of American music. His distinctive style combined elements of stride, bebop, and modern classical music. Monk is one of the most celebrated figures in jazz history, and his Influence can be seen in the work of countless musicians.

Cannonball Adderley

By the early 1950s, Adderley had begun to make his name with a series of hard bop recordings for Prestige Records. He made his breakthrough as a leader in 1958 with the album Somethin’ Else, which featured his brilliant alto saxophone playing alongside Miles Davis on trumpet. The two men had an easy rapport, and they would go on to record several more times together over the next few years.

Bill Evans

Bill Evans was one of the most influential jazz music players of all time. A classically trained pianist, Evans was known for his innovative and lyrical approach to playing the piano. He was a member of the Miles Davis Quintet and also recorded a series of highly acclaimed solo albums. Evans’ work had a profound impact on the development of jazz piano and helped to shape the sound of modern jazz.

Wes Montgomery

Wes Montgomery was an American jazz guitarist. He is widely considered one of the greatest guitarists in the history of jazz and one of the most influential guitarists of the 20th century. He was known for his distinctive thumb-picked style and for his ability to play bebop, hard bop, and jazz-fusion styles with equal facility. Montgomery was born in Indiana and began his career in Indianapolis before moving to New York City in 1957. In 1958, he recorded his debut album, The Wes Montgomery Trio, with brothers Monk Montgomery (bass) and Buddy Montgomery (piano). The album includes the original version of “West Coast Blues”, which became one of Montgomery’s signature tunes.

Montgomery made several more albums for Riverside before signing with Verve Records in 1963. His first album for Verve, The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery, features an all-star lineup including Milt Jackson, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb. The album reached #1 on Billboard’s Jazz Album chart and helped to establish Montgomery as one of the leading guitarists in jazz. He would go on to record a number of other highly acclaimed albums for Verve, including Go!, Full House (featuring a live performance with The Wynton Kelly Trio), Portrait of Wes Montgomery, Smokin’ at the Half Note (with Clark Terry and Johnny Griffin), Tequila (with Slam Stewart), Road Song (with the Jimmy Smith Trio), Together Again! (with Oscar Peterson), Willow Weep for Me (with Paul Desmond), Groove Yard (with Tommy Flanagan), Bumpin’ (his final album), and Ease On Down The Road (a posthumous release).

Montgomery played on a number of influential jazz recordings during his career, including Miles Davis’ 1959 album Kind of Blue, John Coltrane’s 1961 album My Favorite Things, Oliver Nelson’s 1961 album The African Waltz, Milt Jackson’s 1964 album Willow Weep for Me ,and Stanley Turrentine’s 1966album Sugar.

Montgomery won a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album in 1966 for Smokin’ at the Half Note. He was inducted into the Indiana Music Hall of Fame in 2014 and the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2018.

Chet Baker

Chesney Henry “Chet” Baker, Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist and singer. Baker earned much attention and critical praise through the 1950s, particularly for albums featuring his vocals (Chet Baker Sings), though by the 1960s his recorded output focused on jazz standards.

Dexter Gordon

Dexter Gordon (February 27, 1923 – April 25, 1990) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. He was among the earliest tenor players to adapt the bebop musical language of people such as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Bud Powell. Gordon’s height was 6 feet 6 inches (198 cm), so he was also known as “Long Tall Dexter” and “Sophisticated Giant”. His studio albums included Dexter Calling, Our Man in Paris, A Swingin’ Affair!, and Go!.