The Jazz Music Icons You Need to Know
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From Miles Davis to Louis Armstrong, these are the jazz icons you need to know.
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana. He is considered one of the most influential figures in jazz music. His career spanned five decades, from the 1920s to the 1960s, and his influence was felt in many different genres of music.
His life
Louis Armstrong, byname Satchmo or Pops, (born August 4, 1901, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.—died July 6, 1971, New York, New York), the most important American musician of his generation. In considering the entire sweep of 20th-century music, one might say that Armstrong was to jazz what Babe Ruth was to baseball or Fred Astaire was to dance—a machine-like perfectionist who extensively codified an art form and who became wildly popular in doing so. His reinventions of jazz phrases—which were just as crucial as his sustaining long notes and strong sense of rhythm—popularized jazz solos and allowed other players to pick up where he left off much more easily. foreseeable future.
Armstrong was born into a poverty-ridden but musical household in New Orleans’s notorious “Back o’ Town” ghetto. He began playing cornett (a brass instrument) as a boy and later switched to trumpet; both instruments he played with great virtuosity and passion. His mastery of the cornet was such that at the age of 12 he took part in funerals for well-known New Orleans musicians; this “second line” tradition allowed young players like Armstrong to gain invaluable experience performing before large crowds. Professionally Armstrong made his debut in September 1918 at Henry Ponce’s Honky Tonk on Rampart Street—one of a handful of clubs where the hot new style of jazz was being played by such local legends as clarinetist Sidney Bechet and guitarist Bud Scott. It did not take Armstrong long to assimilate the sounds he heard around him; within months he had joined Kid Ory’s band for a year-long tour upriver to St Louis.
His musical style
Armstrong was a master of his craft and had a style that was all his own. He was known for his gravelly voice, his ability to improvise solos, and his distinctive way of phrasing. His style was unique and it influenced generations of jazz musicians who came after him.
His influence
Louis Armstrong’s influence on jazz is incalculable. As a trumpet virtuoso, he had few peers and as an improviser he was without equal. His tone was rich and unique, steeped in the jazz tradition but tempered by the blues and infused with an infectious optimism that mirrored his own personality. As a performer, he was unsurpassed, whether playing with his own hot five or seven ensembles or collaborating with other greats like Ella Fitzgerald and Bing Crosby. But it was as a singer that Armstrong made his greatest mark, bringing the jazz idiom to popular attention and opening the door for other singers to follow in his wake. His gravelly voice and impeccable timing were perfect for the new style of singing he helped create, and his repertoire ranged from pop standards to gospel hymns to original compositions like “What a Wonderful World.” No matter what he sang, Armstrong brought joy to audiences around the world and left an indelible stamp on American culture.
Charlie Parker
One of the most famous and revered jazz musicians of all time, Charlie Parker was a true icon. He changed the course of jazz music forever with his revolutionary bebop style and was a true pioneer of the genre. Let’s take a closer look at the life and work of this legendary figure.
His life
Born in Kansas City, Missouri, on August 29, 1920, Charlie Parker was a self-taught musician who developed his own style of playing that revolutionized jazz. He started out playing the alto saxophone but later switched to the tenor saxophone. He gained notoriety in the 1930s and ’40s as a member of Jay McShann’s big band and as a leader of his own small groups. His recordings with these groups helped define the bebop style of jazz.
Parker’s fast, virtuosic solos were based on the chord progressions of the tunes he was playing, but he also improvised freely, using ideas from other tunes and from classical music. His approach was very different from that of other jazz musicians at the time, who tended to play “straight” soloing without much embellishment. Parker’s approach influenced not only other jazz saxophonists but also trumpeters like Dizzy Gillespie and Clifford Brown and pianists like Thelonious Monk and McCoy Tyner.
In 1947, Parker recorded “Now’s the Time” and “Koko,” two bebop classics that feature his trademark poised yet frenetic style. He also recorded “Moose the Mooch,” which contains one of his most famous solos. These recordings helped make him one of the most influential musicians of his generation. Sadly, Parker’s life was cut short by drug abuse; he died in New York City on March 12, 1955, at the age of 34.
His musical style
Charlie Parker was an American jazz saxophonist and composer who was a highly influential figure in the development of bebop, a style of jazz characterized by fast tempos, virtuosic technique and advanced harmonic structures. Parker’s innovative approach to melody, rhythm and harmony influenced many of the greatest jazz musicians of the late 20th century.
Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Parker began playing the saxophone at the age of 11. He quickly developed a distinctive style that combined elements ofAfrican-American blues with the sophisticated harmonies of European classical music. Parker became a professional musician in his teens and gained notoriety for his skill and originality. In the mid-1940s, he co-founded the bebop movement with trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie.
Parker composed some of the most famous jazz standards, including “Now’s the Time,” “Confirmation” and “Scrapple from the Apple.” He also recorded several groundbreaking albums that remain essential listening for Jazz fans, such as “Now’s The Time,” “Yardbird Suite” and “Ko-Ko.” Charlie Parker died of complications from drug abuse at the age of 34, but his legacy continues to influence generations of musicians.
His influence
While it isarguable who was the greatest jazz musician, there is no doubt that Charlie Parker was one of the most influential. His ideas and innovations transformed jazz, setting the stage for bebop and all the music that would follow.
Born in Kansas City in 1920, Parker began playing saxophone at the age of 11. He was largely self-taught, learning by ear and transcribing solos from his favorite records. In his teens, he played in local bands and quickly developed a reputation as a precocious talent.
In 1942, Parker moved to New York City, where he quickly became a fixture on the emerging bebop scene. He made his first recordings with pianist Jay McShann’s band and began working with trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, with whom he would develop a lasting musical partnership. The two men were instrumental in popularizing bebop, a new style of jazz that emphasized complex harmonies and fast tempos.
In the years that followed, Parker emerged as a leading voice of the bebop movement. He recorded dozens of now-classic albums and pioneered an approach to improvisation that would redefine jazz soloing. He also had a profound impact on generations of younger musicians, who would go on to carry his legacy forward into the 21st century.
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.
His life
Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926 – September 28, 1991) was an American jazz 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 encompassed the post-bop, modal jazz, and hard bop genres.
Early in his career, Davis recorded songs that sold millions of copies and were later inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Some of these songs include “Round Midnight”, “In a Silent Way”, and “So What”. His studio albums Miles Ahead, Kind of Blue, and Sketches of Spain are considered essential in jazz literature. Davis was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. In 2018, he was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
His musical style
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 encompassed his earlier work in bebop and cool jazz, as well as experimental blendings of hard bop, modal jazz, post-bop, fusion, and Afro-Cuban jazz.
In 1955, he recorded one of his most famous albums: “Round About Midnight”. The album’s title track became one of his signature tunes and was performed by him countless times in concert. “Round About Midnight” is a perfect example of Davis’ approach to melody and harmony in his improvisations. The main melody is stated at the beginning by the trumpet over a background of simple piano chords. Davis then proceeds to improvise on the melody with great creativity, using techniques such as octave displacements and chromaticism. While the overall feel of the piece is mellow, there are moments of tension created by Davis’ use of dissonance.
His influence
Miles Davis was one of the most important and influential musicians of the 20th century. He was a trumpet player, bandleader, composer, and producer who played a leading role in the development of jazz. His career spanned more than 50 years, during which time he collaborated with some of the greatest musicians in jazz history.
Davis’s style of playing was characterized by its cool elegance and restraint, as well as its use of space and dynamics. He was also known for his innovative use of tone color and his ability to convey a wide range of emotions through his playing. He influenced generations of trumpet players and other musicians, and his music continues to be popular today.
