The best jazz performers. The best jazz singers in the history of the genre. Jazz singers and singers

Louis Armstrong
For many music connoisseurs, his name is associated with jazz. The musician's dazzling talent captivated him from the first minutes of his performance. Merging together with a musical instrument - a trumpet - he plunged his listeners into euphoria. Louis Armstrong went through a difficult journey from a nimble boy from a poor family to the famous King of Jazz.
Duke Ellington An unstoppable creative personality. A composer whose music played with the modulations of many styles and experiments. The talented pianist, arranger, composer, and orchestra leader never tired of surprising with his innovation and originality. His unique works were tested with great enthusiasm by the most famous orchestras of the time. It was Duke who came up with the idea of ​​using the human voice as an instrument. More than a thousand of his works, called by connoisseurs the “golden fund of jazz,” were recorded on 620 discs!
Ella Fitzgerald “The First Lady of Jazz” had a unique voice with a wide range of three octaves. Honorary awards It's hard to count talented American women. Ella's 90 albums were distributed around the world in incredible numbers. It is hard to imagine! Over 50 years of creativity, about 40 million albums performed by her have been sold. Masterfully mastering the talent of improvisation, she easily worked in duets with other famous jazz performers.
Ray Charles
One of the most famous musicians, called "a true jazz genius." 70 music albums sold around the world in numerous editions. He has 13 Grammy awards to his name. His compositions have been recorded by the Library of Congress. Popular magazine Rolling Stone determined Ray Charles Number 10 out of hundreds of great artists of all time on the “List of Immortals”. Miles Davis American trumpeter who has been compared to the artist Picasso. His music was highly influential in shaping the music of the 20th century. Davis represents the versatility of styles in jazz, the breadth of interests and accessibility for audiences of all ages.
Frank Sinatra The famous jazz player came from a poor family, was short in stature and did not differ in any way in appearance. But he captivated the audience with his velvety baritone. The talented vocalist starred in musicals and dramatic films. Recipient of many awards and special awards. He received an Oscar for the film The House I Live In.
Billie Holiday
A whole era in the development of jazz. Songs performed American singer acquired individuality and radiance, played with tints of freshness and novelty. The life and work of “Lady Day” was short, but bright and unique. Famous jazz musicians enriched musical art sensual and spiritual rhythms, expressiveness and freedom of improvisation.

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 her colleagues, the first lady of jazz forever remained very modest and shy. In 1942, she became the first woman to head a large Music band- Chick Webb's orchestra, which performed for soldiers during the war.

Ella Fitzgerald

Especially for Ella, it was founded by producer Norman Granz, who recorded albums with the participation of Ellington and Burdine, Rodgers and Hart.

One day, having forgotten the words of the song, Fitzgerald came up with her own combination, which, in her words, copied the sound of the saxophone. Subsequently, this technique became the singer’s calling card.

Find out what challenges women in music face and whether

Billie Holiday

(Eleanor Fagen) received her jazz nickname "Lady Day" from a saxophonist. She had a short-term romance and a very successful collaboration with Young. Together they recorded 49 songs that had a literally hypnotic effect on the public.

Holiday's fame peaked in the 1940s, when she began performing in jazz clubs for mixed white and non-white audiences. Once, in order not to anger the organizers, the performer, too pale for a black woman, had to darken her skin with special makeup.

Etta James

(Jaymisetta 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 with her performance Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 1984.

Nina Simone

Gifted and torn by inner demons, she spent her entire life fighting for her rights to perform works that interested her. The singer has always been more concerned about social issues than the rules of show business and mercantile goals.

Her 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

It was easy to masterfully glide between three octaves. She received particular pleasure from the subtle interpretation of songs and the meaning put into their words.

Vaughan took part in a wide variety of projects: she performed works and worked in the orchestras of John Kirby and Teddy Wilson.

Dinah Washington

While still a schoolgirl, Dinah Washington (Ruth Lee Jones) conducted a church gospel choir. Her talent did not tolerate limitations; it needed to constantly overcome new horizons.

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

Astrud Gilberto

Astrud Gilberto's first solo album instantly became a bestseller thanks to her charming, unique performance technique. The singer starred in films, hosted her own TV show and was even the voice of an airline.

IN Lately Astrud prefers to express herself not in solo performances on stage, but in drawing and writing new compositions.

Natalie Cole

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

Viewers still remember with tears in their eyes 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 into a family of musicians, she fell ill with jazz with early childhood. Now her repertoire consists of soulful melancholic ballads that stand out with a slightly nostalgic charm.

A few days ago, my friends and I tried to remember as many people as possible who, in our opinion, changed the course of history. Well, if we expand on this topic, we can identify 10 key aspects in different areas of human activity that have influenced the life, worldview, or simply the taste of all humanity. Today I would like to highlight10 jazz standards, which, in my opinion, are the basispopular jazz music. Jazz standards- These are jazz melodies or themes that were once written by someone and are so memorable that all jazz musicians and almost all people know them. Quite good musicians, as Wikipedia writes, for example, knows a couple of hundred of them, which, by the way, I very much doubt.

Most likely, many people know the collections I have collected. 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 the poet's poems Jacques Prevert). Yves Montand (with Irene Joachim) introduced "Les Feuilles mortes" in 1946 in the film Les Portes-de-la-Nuit. In 1947 American composerJohnny Mercer wrote English text this song and Joe Stafford was one of the first to perform new version compositions. Autumn leaves became a jazz and pop standard in both languages, as well as in an instrumental version.

The video below features an improvisational 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 funny howls and dances during his solo. His playing has a special charm and is immediately distinguishable and identifiable by ear thanks to the microphone support of his peculiar “moo”.

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

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

What’s even more interesting is that, I think, almost everyone on our blue ball plowing the Universe knows it, even those who have lived in the desert all their lives. Personally, I always sing this song when snowing or rain ( Let it rain! You can still Let it fog!)

3. I've got you under my skin

Not everyone knows this composition, which has been covered by all jazz vocalists, if not on stage, then certainly in the shower. Copyright belongs to Cole Porter and it was written in 1936. In the presented video (as well as in the previous one) it is performed by my favorite musician Jamie CullamCulllum). 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 theme is one of those to which it is most convenient to swing, even for me, a person 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 - this is the best jazz composition to experiment with. The 5-quarter time signature clearly shows that the song deserves attention. By the way, there are a lot of songs that begin as a famous standard, but I came up with it “the first time” Paul Desmond, and was first presented by the quartet of the great Dave Brubeck Quartet in album "Time Out" in 1959

6. The entertainer

Well, everyone knows that. The composition was written by the founder of the ragtime style. Scott Joplin more than 110 years ago (in 1902). Is a ragtime classic. This jazz composition regained its international fame during « Ragtime Revival" in the 1970s, when it was used as theme song for the movie" "The Sting", which won an Oscar.

7. Singingintherain

"Singing in the Rain" - song with verses Arthur Freed and music 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. Summertime

When people talk about jazz, then they often mean exactly “ Summertime" Work written George Gershwin in 1935 for the opera "Porgy and Bess". Authors of the text: DuBose Heyward and Ira Gershwin(brother of George). Saying what is the basis for writing an aria Gershwin took a Ukrainian lullaby "Oh go sleep around the corner", which he heard in New York performed by Ukrainian National Choir governed by Alexandra Koshitsa. We're bringing the 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 would we be without Armstrong! But what’s interesting is the author of the music and lyrics famous song, Not Armstrong- the man who set foot on Mars first, - and Jerry 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 it is our beloved one Louis Armstrong made it what we know it today.

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

Jazz performers invented a special musical language, which was based on improvisation, complex rhythmic figures (swing) and unique harmonic patterns.

Jazz originated in late XIX- the beginning of the 20th century in the United States of America and represented a unique social phenomenon, namely the fusion of African and American cultures. Further development and the stratification of jazz into various styles and sub-styles is due to the fact that jazz performers and composers continuously continued to complicate their music, search for new sounds and master new harmonies and rhythms.

Thus, a huge jazz heritage has accumulated, in which the following main schools and styles can be distinguished: New Orleans (traditional) jazz, bebop, hard bop, swing, cool jazz, progressive jazz, free jazz, modal jazz, fusion, etc. d. This article contains ten outstanding jazz performers, after reading which you will get the most full picture era free people and energetic music.

Miles Davis

Miles Davis was born on May 26, 1926 in Alton (USA). Known as an iconic American trumpeter whose music had a profound influence on the 20th century jazz and music scene as a whole. He experimented a lot and boldly with styles, and perhaps that is why Davis is at the origins of such styles as cool jazz, fusion and modal jazz. Miles started his musical career as a member of the Charlie Parker Quintet, but later managed to find and develop his own musical sound. Miles Davis's most important and seminal albums include Birth of the Cool (1949), Kind of Blue (1959), Bitches Brew (1969), and In a Silent Way (1969). Main feature Miles Davis was that he was constantly in creative search and showed the world new ideas, and that is why the history of modern jazz music owes so much to his exceptional talent.

Louis Armstrong (Louis Armstrong)

Louis Armstrong, the man whose name comes to mind for most people when they hear the word “jazz,” was born on August 4, 1901, in New Orleans (USA). Armstrong had a dazzling talent on the trumpet and did much to develop and popularize jazz music throughout the world. In addition, he also captivated the audience with his hoarse bass vocals. The path that Armstrong had to go from a tramp to the title of King of Jazz was thorny. And it began in a colony for black teenagers, where Louis ended up for an innocent prank - shooting a pistol on New Year's Eve. By the way, he stole a pistol from a policeman, a client of his mother, who was a representative of the oldest profession in the world. Thanks to this not very favorable set of circumstances, Louis Armstrong received his first musical experience in a camp brass band. There he mastered the cornet, tambourine and alto horn. In a word, Armstrong went from marching in the colonies and then occasional performances in clubs to a musician of world significance, whose talent and contribution to jazz is difficult to overestimate. The influence of his landmark albums Ella and Louis (1956), Porgy and Bess (1957), and American Freedom (1961) can still be heard in the game today. contemporary performers various styles.

Duke Ellington

Duke Ellinton was born on April 29, 1899 in Washington. Pianist, orchestra leader, arranger and composer, whose music became a real innovation in the world of jazz. His works were played on all radio stations, and his recordings are rightfully included in the “gold fund of jazz.” Ellinton was recognized throughout the world, received many awards, wrote a huge number of brilliant works, including the standard "Caravan", which went around the whole Earth. His most famous releases include Ellington At Newport (1956), Ellington Uptown (1953), Far East Suite (1967) and Masterpieces By Ellington (1951).

Herbie Hancock (Herbie Hancock)

Herbie Hancock was born on April 12, 1940, in Chicago (USA). Hancock is known as a pianist and composer, as well as the winner of 14 Grammy awards, which he received for his work in the jazz field. His music is interesting because it combines elements of rock, funk and soul, along with free jazz. You can also find elements of modern classical music and blues motifs in his compositions. In general, almost every sophisticated listener will be able to find something for themselves in Hancock’s music. If we talk about innovative creative solutions, Herbie Hancock is considered one of the first jazz performers to combine synthesizer and funk in the same way, the musician is at the origins of the newest jazz style- post-bebop. Despite the specificity of the music of some stages of Herbie's work, most of his songs are melodic compositions that are loved by the general public.

Among his albums, the following can be highlighted: “Head Hunters” (1971), “Future Shock” (1983), “Maiden Voyage” (1966) and “Takin' Off” (1962).

John Coltrane (John Coltrane)

John Coltrane, an outstanding jazz innovator and virtuoso, was born on September 23, 1926. Coltrane was a talented saxophonist and composer, band leader and one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. Coltrane is rightfully considered a significant figure in the history of jazz, who inspired and influenced modern performers, as well as the school of improvisation as a whole. Until 1955, John Coltrane remained relatively unknown until he joined Miles Davis' band. A few years later, Coltrane left the quintet and began to work closely on his own creativity. During these years, he recorded albums that formed the most important part of the jazz heritage.

These are Giant Steps (1959), Coltrane Jazz (1960) and A Love Supreme (1965), records that have become icons of jazz improvisation.

Charlie Parker(Charlie Parker)

Charlie Parker was born on August 29, 1920 in Kansas City (USA). His love for music awoke in him quite early: he began to master the saxophone at the age of 11. In the 1930s, Parker began to master the principles of improvisation and developed some techniques in his technique that preceded bebop. Later he became one of the founders of this style (along with Dizzy Gillespie) and, in general, had a very strong influence to jazz music. However, while still a teenager, the musician became addicted to morphine, and later the problem of heroin addiction arose between Parker and music. Unfortunately, even after treatment in the clinic and recovery, Charlie Parker could not work and write as actively new music. Ultimately, heroin derailed his life and career and caused his death.

The most significant albums for jazz by Charlie Parker are “Bird and Diz” (1952), “Birth of the Bebop: Bird on Tenor” (1943), and “Charlie Parker with strings” (1950).

Thelonious Monk Quartet

Thelonious Monk was born on October 10, 1917, in Rocky Mount (USA). He is best known as a jazz composer and pianist, as well as one of the founders of bebop. His original “ragged” style of playing incorporated various styles - from avant-garde to primitivism. Such experiments made the sound of his music not entirely characteristic of jazz, which, however, did not prevent many of his works from becoming classics of this style of music. Being quite an unusual person, who since childhood did everything possible just not to be “normal” and like everyone else, Monk became famous not only for his musical decisions, but also for his extremely complex character. His name is associated with many anecdotal stories about how he was late for his own concerts, and once completely refused to play in a Detroit club because his wife did not show up for the performance. And so Monk sat on a chair with his hands folded until his wife was finally brought into the hall - in slippers and a robe. In front of her husband's eyes, the poor woman was urgently transported by plane, just so that the concert would take place.

Some of Monk's most notable albums include Monk's Dream (1963), Monk (1954), Straight No Chaser (1967), and Misterioso (1959).

Billie Holiday

Billie Holiday, a famous American jazz vocalist, was born on April 7, 1917 in Philadelphia. Like many jazz musicians, Holiday began her musical career in nightclubs. Over time, she was lucky enough to meet producer Benny Goodman, who organized her first recordings in the studio. Fame came to the singer after participating in the big bands of such jazz masters as Count Basie and Artie Shaw (1937-1938). Lady Day (as her fans called her) had a unique performance style, thanks to which she seemed to reinvent a fresh and unique sound for the simplest compositions. She was especially good at romantic, slow songs (such as “Don’t Explain” and “Lover Man”). Billie Holiday's career was bright and brilliant, but it did not last long, because after thirty years she became addicted to drink and drugs, which negatively affected her health. The angelic voice lost its former strength and flexibility, and Holiday was rapidly losing the favor of the public.

Billie Holiday enriched the art of jazz with such outstanding albums as Lady Sings the Blues (1956), Body and Soul (1957), and Lady in Satin (1958).

Bill Evans

Bill Evans, legendary American jazz pianist and composer, was born on August 16, 1929 in New Jersey, USA. Evans is one of the most influential jazz performers of the 20th century. His musical works so sophisticated and unusual that few pianists are able to inherit and borrow his ideas. He could masterfully swing and improvise like no one else, at the same time, melody and simplicity were far from alien to him - his interpretations of famous ballads gained popularity even among non-jazz audiences. Evans was trained as an academic pianist, and after serving in the army began to appear in public with various little-known musicians as jazz performer. Success came to him in 1958, when Evans began playing in the Miles Davis sextet, along with Cannonball Auderly and John Coltrane. Evans is considered the creator of the chamber genre of the jazz trio, which is characterized by a leading improvising piano, as well as solo drums and double bass. His musical style brought a variety of colors to jazz music - from inventive graceful improvisations to lyrically colored tones.

Evans' best albums include his solo recording "Alone" (1968), made in man-orchestra mode, "Waltz for Debby" (1961), "New Jazz Conceptions" (1956) and "Explorations" (1961).

Dizzy Gillespie (Dizzy Gillespie)

Dizzy Gillespie was born on October 21, 1917 in Cheraw, USA. Dizzy has many merits in the history of the development of jazz music: he is known as a trumpeter, vocalist, arranger, composer and orchestra leader. Gillespie also founded improvisational jazz with Charlie Parker. Like many jazz musicians, Gillespie started out performing in clubs. Then he moved to live in New York and successfully joined the local orchestra. He was known for his original, if not buffoonish, behavior, which successfully turned the people who worked with him against him. From the first orchestra, in which the very talented but peculiar trumpeter Dizz went on tour in England and France, he was almost kicked out. The musicians of his second orchestra also did not react entirely cordially to Gillespie’s ridicule of their playing. In addition, few people understood his musical experiments - some called his music “Chinese”. Collaboration with the second orchestra ended in a fight between Cab Calloway (his leader) and Dizzy during one of the concerts, after which Gillespie was miserably kicked out of the band. After Gillespie creates his own band, in which he and other musicians work to diversify the traditional jazz language. Thus, the style known as bebop was born, the style of which Dizzy actively worked on.

The best albums of the brilliant trumpeter include “Sonny Side Up” (1957), “Afro” (1954), “Birk’s Works” (1957), “World Statesman” (1956) and “Dizzy and Strings” (1954).

For decades, the music of freedom performed by breathtaking jazz virtuosos has been a huge part of the music scene and simply human life. The names of the musicians that you can see above are immortalized in the memory of many generations and, most likely, the same number of generations will inspire and amaze with their skill. Perhaps the secret is that the inventors of trumpets, saxophones, double basses, pianos and drums knew that some things could not be done on these instruments, but forgot to tell jazz musicians about it.

Jazz bands are the most popular performers at events from the site. This is because jazz bands are great for almost any event, whether they are the highlight of the program or simply provide musical arrangement. Jazz originated in New Orleans at the beginning of the twentieth century.

Traditional New Orleans jazz is still alive on the site, having separated from other styles in the 1940s, as does the performance of large jazz groups. Jazz music unique in that it continued to evolve and, over the years, split into several genres, many of which are still thriving today. Looking for a large band or a jazz ensemble with just a few players? The site has big choice jazz bands that can please the audience of almost any event. Do you want your guests to dance? A jazz band is a great way to get everyone excited.

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