Andy , I have said it before and I’ll say it again… you are such a gift to the world of music education. Anyone who has the good fortune of being a student of yours is truly blessed. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and passion of music and art with the general public
Thanks for this very educating lecture of the main figures of jazz ,i just find it not complete Without mentioning a great jazz figure like bill evans that for many years is the biggest influence on all jazz pianists and not only pianists
You have an infectiously enthousiastic way of talking that i find really engaging. I enjoy listening to stories about these artists, their music, their lives and how they all influenced eachother almost as much as i enjoy listening to their music
Stellar list big Brother. The suspense of each reveal was divine. I must admit, when you revealed Bird at #3 I was ready to question numbers 1 & 2 already, but you nailed each new reveal... all I could say was " Awwwww, yeah". Bravo Sir.
Thank you, Andy, for this jazz overview.Your appreciation of the roots and branches of music in its many dimensions is enlightening and significant. Well Done!
Thank you for your excellent insight and thoughts on Jazz. As I jazz lover for 45 years, it's really good to hear someone who knows what they are talking about. Who talks about Ornette Coleman today, accept you. Loving your channel and content, as I like all styles of music, especially Frank Zappa.
I know what poeple find in ornet colman ,just me personaly ,i cant realy find interest in free jazz ,i feel like if there is no meening to structure and harmony it is going nowere , i,m a jazz pianist ,i spend endless time practicing and learning music in general and jazz in perticular if free jazz would be the only way of playing i woudnt bother to learn music
I came here with hackles raised, then your “whispered” disclaimer said what I would have. It’s not that you can’t rank jazz artists, but that each position on the list would hold anywhere from about 100 to thousands. I like the comparison of Coltrane to Monk, but a more interesting one might be Bird to Monk, since Bird not only had the chops to rival Trane, but he also worked closely with Monk, and once famously remarked that Monk was the only piano player who really “got” bebop. Thanks for your excellent discussion, and kudos for roping me in with the incendiary title. ;)
Indeed, Andy! Great list you have here. Great comments and insightful stories. I strongly recommend newbees to go out and seek the other videos related to Jazz history, Jazz culture and Jazz musicians so you could get an even wider perspective on the topic. I've been a heavy Charlie Parker fan since I was a kid, and those 1947-1955 recordings with Dizzy, Roach, Powell and the classic quintets have been with me forever. The great thing people don't talk much about is Parker's writing. Not just his brilliant flying phrasing, but his actual compositions and tunes. He was huge. Thanks for this video. Always a pleasure.
TY for the stunning analysis of ORNETTE. Never understood perfectly why he was misunderstood until this video. The comparison of ARMSTRONG to ELLINGTON was worthy of capping off the video.
Another fantastic installment Andy. Thanks for including Ornette (even if only at number 6) I was pleased to hear Sun Ra at least mentioned twice. I have read shitloads of stuff about Miles, but still found your appraisal of his significance informative. I don't totally agree with your top 3 (Satch, Duke & Bird) but it's hard to argue against them after hearing your reasoning. Many thanks!
Yes Monk had a swing to his style that was beyond genius! For me Bird was on another level Monk one hair behind! I hung out with Dizzy one night and he agreed!! Love your channel!! Roland Kirk was a force of nature he was so much more than perpetual breath
Some of these guys are complete no brainers and some arguable but absolutely worthy. It's amazing how many all-time greats could be considered among the ten greatest. The field is so stacked it's kind of a tough list to make and satisfy everyone. Anyway, I enjoyed it. Thanks.
It seems to me that Paul Chambers, the double bassist on Kind of Blue never got the recognition that he deserved. He died very young I know, but his rhythm for me drives that album.
I have always believed that the most important ingredient in jazz is the joy that a person is able to derive from hearing any one particular musician, and because we are all individuals, this is where everyone will differ in their choice of who is best. We can all point to the innovators and rightfully acknowledge their contribution, but sometimes it is possible to derive more pleasure from listening to someone else lesser in stature, and as jazz history will throw up, there are many musicians who did not get their dues! To comment about some of the choices made in this video, Thelonious Monk is a good example of the point I am trying to make. Innovator, he certainly was, and all credit to him, but as a mere listener, he does not reach the parts for me! I get far more pleasure from hearing pianists like Oscar Peterson, Earl Hines, Teddy Wilson, Art Tatum and many more! So in the final analysis. it's down to whether or not a musician really grabs you that really matters, so whether or not they were innovators is not important. Coleman Hawkins and Louis Armstrong were mentioned in the film and there is no question that they were pioneers that influenced a whole generation on their respective instruments, but so did Lester Young! So interesting it may be, to acknowledge the pioneers of jazz, who cares if there are others we prefer, that were not pioneers or originators! I preferred Sonny Criss, and Sonny Stitt to Charlie Parker and Bix Beiderbecke to Louis Armstrong, so it's those who move you the most, and inspires you to buy their records, that really matters. So, lets hear it for the disciples too!
My Era , Baby Boomer growing up on Rock and Roll transition to Jazz Fusion . It was so cool with new technology in electronic . It was fun and exciting times . This is 'my favorite' list . Jean luc Ponty , Chick Corea , Herbie Hancock , John McCauflin , Freddy Hubbard , Billy Cobham , Stanley Clarke , and many more with Honorable Mentions . Horace Silver and Mal Waldron is also old time great . Keep on Groovin .
Fantastic list and commentary. Hard to argue, although I’d probably arm wrestle you for a higher position for Miles. Not sure who I’d bump , but Miles has to be in the top 3 of any list for me. If Martians came to America and granted us 1 hour to justify our existence, Kind of Blue would take up 25 of those minutes.
I am 82 years old and I am from Sweden. I have on older brother who is now 91. He started to buy 78 cm vinyl records when he was 17, I think and at which time he also started to play alto sax. I was about 9 or so when he let me listen to his records. They were all in a paper cover where you could read the label on both sides. The two very first records I remember where firstly one with Louis Armstrong in "Ain´t misbehavin" on one side and "West end blues" on the other (or maybe in reverse order. Parlophone I think it was. Black. the other one was Duke Ellinton with "Take the A train" on the main side and maybe "Caravan" on the flip, but that was a different label maybe Decca. Funny that you ranked these two as one and two. I understand why but for me Parker is still number one with Armstrong on second and Duke third or so. However, all these three guys were hugely influential on the Swedish jazz community. They all arrived in Sweden many times and I think they loved it. The wonderful thing is that now you have access to the total treasure-trove on Internet and I can never stop enjoying the old jazz. Thank you for your very insightful comments.
I'm the same age as you and got goose bumps when you mentioned Duke Ellington and Take the A train. A long story that I won't bore you with, but this was my introduction to jazz. Errol Garner and Concert by the sea was another one for me. I was kind of a closet jazz enthusiast as most all my friends were into the latest music from the late 40s and early 50s. I too, have never got over it. Thank you
Andy, interesting list, and very comprehensive IMHO. I would have included Bill Evans. I mean to put Coleman Hawkins on the list and not include Bill, who was artuably the greatest jazz pianist and one of the best composers, was curious to me...
I think you should have included Lester Young instead of Coleman Hawkins. Just my opinion, but Young was tremendously influential. And thanks for including Georgia’s own Fletcher Henderson.
That was the best description I've ever heard of what Ornette Coleman was up to. The storyteller analogy was brilliant: Going OUT the door and the UFO encounter (including Sun Ra too) and the importance of leaving the framework. A music of FREEDOM: Freeing the human SOUL. Freeing the human soul from the binds of the physical world. Cracking the cosmic egg. THANK YOU!
The very problem with jazz is that people rank it. It was supposed to be a personal expression and improvization. By ranking, you are admitting that this is all the same just to varying degree.
10. Sonny Stitt, 9. Count Basie, 8. Duke Ellington, 7. Wayne Shorter, 6. Miles Davis, 5. Oscar Peterson, 4. Art Blakey, 3. John Coltrane, 2. Scott Joplin, 1. Charlie Parker…. Also Dizzy Gillespie, Ahmad Jamal, Quincy Jones, Joe Zawinul, Canonball Adderly, Chick Corea, John Mcglaulin, and Lee Morgan
I learnt a lot here Andy, thanks for this - helped fill in a lot of holes in my Jazz understanding. P.s. Love Monk's ' The Unique Thelonious Monk ' - what he does with Honeysuckle Rose on that is so brilliant and wry.) Armstrong/Ellington's song 'Azalea' from 'The Great Summit - the master tapes' was a recent find for me. So poetic, dripping with stoic nostalgia. Oh, and Ellington's delicate Fleurette Africaine from 'The Money Jungle.'
a nice effort, as always. but, if i may, i find the title a bit misleading, since "Ten Greatest Jazz Musicians" makes it sound like it's a list of the best musicians, even though you do try to clarify that in your intro. for me, any "greatest jazz musicians" list would surely have to include Art Tatum (even oscar idolized him). a list of the Top 10 "most influential jazz musicians" -- based on those who had the greatest influence on subsequent musicians, especially on his instrument -- would have to include jaco. before he came along, nobody played like that. after jaco, virtually everybody did -- and still does. like coltrane, his influence is still massive today, decades after his death. on that note, a list of those with the most influence on contemporary jazz music would have to be topped by miles. though rarely considered one of the "greatest" trumpet players, his influence on today's music (especially his electric period) is enormous, much to the dismay of wynton marsalis. all that said, i humbly suggest an alternative title for your list: "Top 10 Most Important Figures in Jazz History."
This is a good competent list, not mine, but a good one. I would have put Armstrong on number one too, Ornette would not be on my list, Fletcher Henderson too. I would have put Dizzy and maybe Herbie Hancock on it. But when you only have 10 it is hard.
Wonderful Video Andy. One of the best I’ve listened to. I don’t think I could argue with any of your top picks. A favorite of mine is Sonny Rollins, but I can’t see justifying bumping anyone from your list to include him. Your top ten carry’s the weight of the most influential and inventive Musicians of the 20th Century. Well done Andy. Racism in the USA is a bit more difficult to understand. I am not going to write a dissertation on it tonight. But please know we have many idiots,, that say blacks are not smart enough to create Jazz. They needed whites. This makes me crazy !, I wish all the best for you Andy. I have a new tune…. Greatest slide guitar players of all time, And On Red Gardenien Street Peace Brother !!!
Hi Andy , thanks for this erudite summation of jazz. Hard to argue with your picks, and to have Duke and Louis at the top feels about right to me. Nice one mate.
Another really great video Andy. I love that you mentioned the playfulness in Ornette Coleman's music. I've been recently diving into his catalog for the first time and I was struck by how many times he would play something that made me laugh. Truly a different but equally as rewarding experience as listening to Miles and 'Trane. Btw do you like Mingus? I'm not sure I've a video of you discussing him
Seeing Ornette Coleman live was one of the greatest moments in my life. I hadn't heard him before I saw him in 1971, but I was just stunned! And he is funny! A bit disappointed that, like Mingus, there wasn't room for Cecil Taylor, Sun Ra (although Fletcher Henderson was sort of Sun Ra by proxy), Eric Dolphy, Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins, Rahsaan Roland Kirk or Sam Rivers or a dozen others I could name without breaking a sweat (Paul Bley was present at nearly every major stylistic and technological innovation in jazz, for example...as important as Miles, in my book), but you can't fit in everyone. I would have loved to have seen Sharrock, Derek Bailey, Albert Ayler and so many others. But this was great! More drummers, bass players and keyboard players should be present. NOTE: Seeing Ornette live was the only true "enlightenment experience" I ever had in music. He opened up for me what was possible in music-things I had only dreamed of before. He was a great soul, truly.
Andy, that's a good list. Could you see yourself making a video on the history of jazz from the viewpoint of the bass players (Blanton, Pettiford, Brown, Mingus, Chambers, Crosby, LaFaro, Garrison, Carter, etc.)?
Thanks for making it clear that this is an opinion. I can’t imagine these musicians thinking of themselves as a rank and file. These, among many others, developed their individual space and contribution as a part of this music which is a living organism. Wouldn’t it be interesting to hear these selected musicians comment on this opinion?
Andy, on a RU-vid channel called NPR Musiic "Tiny Desk" they recently had John McLaughlin and Shakti do a performance. It is excellent. I think you will love it.
Yeahyeah.. this great that greatest... I love to listen to Kenny Dorham.. and Arthur Blythe, Butch Morris, Ronald Shannon Jackson, Henry Threadgill, Julius Hemphill.. :D
Wow. had the opportunity to see Monk, Hawkins, Basie, Ornette, Miles. All great. In giving emphasis to the creators/piano players, I have global citizen Ellington at number one as declared by Basie. Morton New Orleans the inventor, poet and great great composer at 2. Basie universally recognizable style genius at 3. Armstrong as ambassador/entertainer singer and comedian at 4. Monk as the third great composer is 5. Fats Waller as archetype, piano and organ genius, composer,most popular performer in radio, records, Hollywood at 6. Cab Calloway as shaman/ world historical figure at 7. Tatum as the deity worshipped by all at 8. Fletcher Henderson at 9. About 100 others share 10.
My teacher, Phil Rizzo, head of the theory section of the Stan Kenton clinics, said Monk was the real force behind bebop. He also said Monk had his lesson either before or after his own lesson. I didn't followup by asking which teacher. My guess is Lennie Tristano, but Phil studied with a number of others so I'm not sure. Also, biographers say Bill Evans didn't study with Tristano, but Phil said he saw Evans at Lennie's studio. It is not uncommon for people to deny having had teachers in order to promote themselves as not having any teachers so people will think they emerged full blown on their own wings. On the other hand many studied on their own from some book like Coltrane using Slonimsky's Thesaurus of Chords and Scales.
Before I watched, I used the criteria of most influential and I came up with the order very quickly so not much thought. 10Scott Joplin, 9Jelly Roll Morton, 8W.C. Handy, 7Count Basie, 6Dizzy Gillespie, 5Miles Davis, 4John Coltrane, 3Duke Ellington, 2Louis Armstrong, 1Charlie Parker
I watch your video in it's entirety and found it to be very interesting and in particular the way you articulated your prospectives. I can agree or disagree but I do not know how I could leave a negative comment considering that you made it crystal clear that it's your opinion. 🤔
I really enjoyed this list. I’ve learned a lot about jazz from you. I’d love to see a list of jazz singers. I understand to some extent why they don’t make it onto your list but Ella and Billie definitely need to be included in some of your lists about jazz.
Nice list. As a long time jazz musician and listener myself. My favorites by instrument are sax: Charlie and Trane trumpet Miles and Dizzy. Piano: Monk and Oscar. Bass: Mingus and Carter. Electric bass: Jaco. Guitar: Pass and Django. Percussion: Buddy and Art. Miscellaneous instruments. Trombone- J.J., Harmonica- Toots, Flute- Herbie, Violin- Jean-Luc, Vibraphone- Gary and so on. Don’t know how I forgot clarinet since that is one of my instruments- Benny and Charlie. Bass Clarinet- Eric. Baritone sax- Gerry
good list I may put Pepper Adams on bari, and I would have 3 on sax and put Pres,and I thinkl I would put Stitt for varied woodwinds don't think anyone was better on both horns with apologies,to jimmy Heath,George Coleman,James Moody etc..
@@thomasespositio3139 Stitt is also one of my favorites. Since I am a tenor sax player I could go on and on, Dexter, Getz, Rollins, Brecker, Ammons, etc, so many great ones.
so many great ones,long tall Dex and jug were great,how about that Eckstein band with all those cats in the sax section...liked Zoot better than Getz he swung like a screnn door in a tropoincal storm,and I love Booker Ervin as well,and poor Hank Mobley in the shadow of som many greats@@garybrinkman1343
Great video, Andy. And it's pretty hard to disagree with most if not all of those choices. Personally, I'd try and find a spot for Mingus, but that's just me.
Was just into rock until a mate played me Charlie mingus blues and roots and dexter Gordon round midnight went out and bought cds next day beginning of a long strange and ultimately rewarding musical journey
The best of Charlie Parker struck me, while discovering it years ago, as the arrival of some dazzling, otherworldly, mystical genius. So original, inventive and piercingly powerful in sound despite the period recording equipment. Bursting and bubbling up with revolutionary energy and intensity. Much of his best is in his earlier recordings when the spell was fresh and new. His best performances were extraordinary. With reference to Trane I find some of his ballads to be a really important part of his legacy.
When you got to 3, the rest were obvious, and looking back on the list in ascending order, it more than made sense, it just feels right because it is right. It is more than an opinion when you weigh all things and really consider all the aspects. Especially when you bring in others who are not on the list but have obvious, tremendous stature and influence. Yes, you could have included others, but you have covered all the ground and explained why you made the choices you did and it simply makes far more than logical sense. There is always an element of aesthetic, which I would say has more sway than the order and contents of the list. If you sense with your soul how it should be and it turns out like that, that is right, no matter how many rights there may be. When all of your faculties are used and you gave your all in allowing it to settle in its natural place, it us an art. You are the Louis Armstrong of all the top 10 jazz lists I have ever seen.
liked the multiple mrntions of Sun Ra. Actually given your interest in art, art theory and philosophy ...Sun Ra is an ideally complex character study re the Apollonian and Dionysian, Discipline and Freedom.
One (possibly) constructive remark from me: one thing you did not mention about Monk in my opinion is his unique understanding of space in music. This was mentioned by Miles Davis as well. and prince once said that in music the most important thing is space, and that he learned space from Davis. So I present to you my awkward Monk-Davis-Prince connection :) nice channel mate!
The comments appear to be asking for the all time greatest jazz musicians from 11-20. My introduction to jazz was via Saturday afternoon matinees on BBC 2 Louis Armstrong just drew me in. Jazz for the people.
Wonderful that Andy. One of your best. I wonder who else just missed the cut ? I'd put Mingus in the top twenty. Britain has produced some fine jazz too and I wonder if you might perhaps look at that for a subject one day. Very many thanks.
Art Tatum, Benny Goodman, and Lester Young were three of the greatest jazz instrumentalists of all time and influenced many other musicians. They should be included on any list of the ten greatest jazz musicians of all time.
Can't really argue with your list, Andy. Ornette I've never appreciated, though I have half a dozen of his albums which I rarely listen to. I would like to have seen the great George Russell in there as the probable inventor of modal jazz and one of the key post-war jazz theorists and third stream explorers. Also, Don Cherry pioneer of world ethnic jazz fusions.
On a Victor Wooten recording, there's a line that says about Monk is that "he played the wrong notes right." Of course its an oversimplification but it's a characteristic that I think he's most well known for. I've never heard such an ebullient expose of Ornette Coleman in my life! You really illuminated some concepts that we're generally not encouraged to explore. At least not by the industry or academia however, like Ornette, if you honor your soul above these institutions.... it will lead you there, IMO.
I'm right with you in 1,2 and 3. I also have Miles and Monk and Ornette. Even when your guys aren't on my list I still love them and wish it were a 20 list. I would have Art Tatum and Sun Ra. Fletcher Henderson is a brilliant selection I had overlooked. And I have a huge soft spot for Bix. You could well put Billie in there though singers might be their own category. A top 30 might leave us with fewer regrets.
good Lord I do like the Arkestra,Gilmore,Pat Patrick but to say Herman Sonny Blount in the same breath as Art Tatum is a stretch,I know Sun Ra has a different skill set but really...
Duke Ellington has such a vast discography that it takes years to explore, but 1937 to 1942, combination of compositional genius and the inspirational voicings of his unique talents assembled in a once-in-a-lifetime orchestra... The influence echoed on forever. Check out Harlem Air Shaft, RCA, 1940, that's all you need to know.
I have recently been listening to late twenties Ellington. The recording quality is only fair but the writing and playing is wonderful. Check out Black Beauty and Jungle Nights in Harlem. The music features muted trumpets drenched in blues within elegant arrangements .I think Duke's greatness lay in how he draw so much out of his talented musicians.
