Jazz Legends

Saxophonist Lee Konitz (born Oct 13, 1927) is perhaps the best known of the Lennie Tristano disciples. He and Warne Marsh continued to follow Tristano’s musical path, essentially eschewing most of the innovations of bebop to follow a more abstract and more cerebral approach to the music. First gaining recognition recording with Tristano, he played with Claude Thornhill and the Thornhill/Gil Evans-influenced Birth of the Cool band with Miles Davis. He was a true improviser, refusing to fall back on preconceived licks when inspiration flagged.

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John Coltrane (born Sept 23, 1926) is easily one of a handful of the most important and influential musicians that jazz has produced. His harmonic and rhythmic innovations have influenced every generation of jazz musicians since he first rose to prominence with the bands of Miles Davis and Thelonius Monk. His own groups stretched the boundaries of modern jazz into free, extended improvisations. 
 

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Saxophonist / multi-instrumentalist Eric Dolphy (born June 20, 1928) and trumpeter Booker Little (born April 2, 1938) were frequent collaborators near the end of their all too brief careers. After establishing himself with the Chico Hamilton group, he went on to perform with John Coltrane and Charles Mingus, as well as his own groups and recordings with Oliver Nelson and George Russell. While often considered a member of the jazz avant-garde, he was just stretching the conventions of tonality and rhythm established by the beboppers in novel and unexpected ways. Trumpeter Little played with Max Roach, replacing the great Clifford Brown in that band. He passed away at the age of 23 of uremia, and Dolphy at 36 of complications of undiagnosed diabetes.

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Saxophonist Charlie Parker (nicknamed Yardbird or Bird) (born Aug 29, 1920) and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie (nicknamed Diz) (born Oct 21, 1917) are two of the most innovative musical minds of the twentieth century. Dizzy was often quoted that he and Parker were two halves of the same heart. Together they were architects of the bebop style that swept jazz in the 1940s and they influenced literally every jazz musician since.

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Saxophonist/composer Wayne Shorter (born Aug 25, 1933) is one of the most influential and prolific performers and composer in jazz. His time with the bands of Art Blakey and Mikes Davis firmly established him as one of the most original voices on his instrument, and provided a platform for his incredible original compositions. He is also featured on his myriad recordings as a leader in his own right. He was one of the cofounders of the supergroup Weather Report in the 70s.

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