Louis Armstrong | (1901 – 1971)
Why is he a master? | So many reasons: he was a great singer, an ebullient personality, and a wonderful musical ambassador. Armstrong was also the first virtuoso of the trumpet, and his talent was large enough to move it from a supporting role to a front-and-center, improvisational solo instrument. Without his influence, this list might have been A Dozen Clarinet Masters.
Recommended Album | His Hot Fives & Sevens, in any form, represents the birth of modern jazz.
Listen | Gut Bucket Blues
Bix Beiderbecke | (1903 – 1931)
Why is he a master? | Leon “Bix” Beiderbecke lived fast, died young, and played a beautiful trumpet. Along with Armstrong, he helped popularize the instrument, and ably demonstrated what a well-played improvisational solo could sound like. Beiderbecke drank himself to death on Prohibition rotgut at age 28, but existing recordings show him to be every bit as exciting a soloist as Louis Armstrong.
Recommended Album | Whatever you can get your hands on.
Listen | Singin The Blues
Dizzy Gillespie | (1917 – 1993)
Why is he a master? | The name says it all. Dizzy played with not only blinding speed, but breathtaking clarity that brought to life each note of his musical avalanches. The super-charged style of soloing he brought forth with Charlie Parker was so explosive that a new term (”bebop”) was coined to describe it. He was also a jazz statesman and teacher who always seemed to wear a 100-watt smile.
Recommended Album | Dizzy Gillespie & Roy Eldridge, but most of his catologue is solid.
Listen | Night And Day [from the album Groovin' High]
Clifford Brown | (1930 – 1956)
Why is he a master? | Before he died in a car accident at age 25, ‘Brownie’ made a number of fine bop albums with drummer Max Roach. His death is one of the great tragedies in the history of the genre, because – unlike most of his contemporaries – Brown didn’t drink booze or use drugs. He had a bright future ahead, and even though he didn’t fully realize his potential, Clifford Brown was primary inspiration to a generation of trumpet players.
Recommended Album | Clifford Brown & Max Roach, Vol 1 – or just about anything else the pair made together.
Listen | Finders Keepers [from the album Jazz Immortal]
Miles Davis | (1926 – 1991)
Why is he a master? | Why is the sky blue? Some things just are what they are, and Miles is the trumpet master. He made three significant contributions to the evolution of jazz – the ‘cool’ style of the late 40’s/early 50’s, Kind Of Blue in 1959, and the jazz fusion bombs of Bitches Brew and In A Silent Way. Sure, he was was crabby and mean-spirited, but he also had a dark, magnetic energy that remains impossible to turn away from.
Recommended Album | Kind Of Blue, Bitches Brew, Birth Of The Cool, and any other of his albums that regularly garner 5-star reviews.
Listen | So What
Chet Baker | (1929 – 1988)
Why is he a master? | He had an impossibly warm and lyrical tone that gave his ballads a magical quality. Like Art Pepper, he was able to make subtle, beautiful music in spite of the drug-fueled chaos that ran rampant throughout his life. Everything he recorded after 1970 is atrocious, but when Chet Baker had it, he really had it.
Recommended Album | The Route (with Art Pepper) and The Best Of Chet Baker Plays, as well as anything he recorded with Gerry Mulligan.
Listen | Stella By Starlight
Doc Cheatham | (1905 – 1997)
Why is he a master? | Cheatham played the trumpet brilliantly into his 90’s, which is the musical equivalent of playing quarterback in the NFL until age 50 – it just doesn’t happen. His career is bookended by two extraordinary albums, Shorty & Doc with Shorty Baker, and Doc Cheatham & Nicholas Payton, but the stuff in between isn’t too bad either.
Recommended Album | Shorty & Doc
Listen | Good Queen Bess
Art Farmer | (1928 – 1999)
Why is he a master? | Vastly underrated during the 50’s and 60’s, Farmer cut a number of fine albums for a who’s who of jazz labels that includes Atlantic, Prestige, Columbia, United Artists, and CTI. Farmer is also one of the very few jazz artists to make consistently good albums through the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s.
Recommended Album | Modern Art, and everything else he recorded with Benny Golson.
Listen | Darn That Dream
Freddie Hubbard | (1938 – )
Why is he a master? | Hubbard recorded classic sides with jazz legends such as John Coltrane, Eric Dolphy, Art Blakey, Sonny Rollins, Oliver Nelson, and J.J. Johnson. And while he played sideman on some of the finest jazz albums of all-time, his own Blue Note albums Open Sesame, Goin’ Up, Hub-Tones, and Breaking Point deserved to be recognized as well.
Recommended Album | Hub-Tones, by a nose – and possibly because it’s one of the coolest album covers of all-time.
Listen | You’re My Everything
Lee Morgan | (1938 – 1972)
Why is he a master? | He made a string of brilliant albums for Blue Note in the late 50’s and throughout the 60’s, but The Sidewinder (1963), The Rumproller (1965) and Cornbread (1965) deserve special mention, as they’re some of the funkiest non-fusion jazz albums in existence – each a musical treasure. Morgan was murdered by his common-law wife in 1972 at age 33.
Recommended Album | The Sidewinder
Listen | The Sidewinder
Wynton Marsalis | (1961 – )
Why is he a master? | He almost single-handedly kept jazz alive during the 1980’s, and he’s been an enthusiastic spokesperson for the genre ever since. Marsalis broke in with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers in the late-70’s, and his immense talent was apparent right from the start of his career. His role as one of the principles in Ken Burns’ Jazz documentary was just the latest example of his star power, and – oh yeah – he makes some pretty good albums too.
Recommended Album | Marsalis Standard Time, Vol 1
Listen | Caravan
Erik Truffaz | (1960 – )
Why is he a master? | Deeply influenced by Miles Davis’ Kind Of Blue, Truffaz isn’t afraid to take his trumpet into new and dangerous territory, playing in a wide variety of styles that bring jazz into the 21st century. That said, his lyrical, introspective, Miles-inspired albums remain his best efforts.
Recommended Album | Out Of A Dream, which is Kind Of Blue’s genetic offspring.
Listen | Down Town
*****
And a half-dozen more…
Fats Navarro
Roy Eldridge
Blue Mitchell
Maynard Ferguson
Harry “Sweets” Edison
Clark Terry
Sidney Bechet (thanks to David Foran for pointing out that Bechet actually played clarinet – d’oh!)
*****
[Unless otherwise noted, the MP3 selections here were taken from the artists' recommended album]
Tags: Art Farmer, Bix Beiderbecke, Chet Baker, Clifford Brown, Dizzy Gillespie, Doc Cheatham, Erik Truffaz, Freddie Hubbard, Jazz, Lee Morgan, Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Trumpet Masters, Wynton Marsalis
10 August 2008 at 9:01 am |
Truffaz rhymes with ’schnozz’
10 August 2008 at 9:27 am |
I had to write a report on a live jazz show for class (Appreciation of Jazz) once, so I went down to the Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz to hear Roy Hargrove. Pure magic. I caught him outside between sets and asked him a few questions about his performance. His eyes were redder than my month-end bank balance and he said stuff like, “I just blow, and the notes just flow.”
10 August 2008 at 10:59 am |
Maybe this article should have been titled “A Dozen JAZZ Trumpet Masters”.
10 August 2008 at 12:33 pm |
That still seems pretty vague to me. How about “A Dozen MALE JAZZ Trumpet Masters Who Performed At SOME POINT In The 20th Century”?
10 August 2008 at 5:45 pm |
How about A Dozen Butt Trumpeters?
10 August 2008 at 6:21 pm |
Don’t you mean A Dozen JAZZ Butt Trumpeters??
11 August 2008 at 1:42 am |
Thanks, DK!
As someone who doesn’t read a whole lot about music—I don’t even get Rolling Stone—I really appreciate it when you break it down for us. Especially in a historically rich genre such as jazz and blues. I find it fascinating.
–Master of the Five (OK, Four)
11 August 2008 at 1:45 am |
Um, I failed to see the reason to qualify the gender. There are no women who play the trumpet. I think I read that somewhere. Seriously, they do, but name that female jazz trumpeter.
I’m waiting…
–Master of the F(…our/…ive)
11 August 2008 at 9:37 am |
There actually are some female trumpeters out there. Wynton Marsalis’ site has a thread that mentions some names:
http://www.wyntonmarsalis.org/forum/read.php?2,1843,4892
11 August 2008 at 12:55 pm |
I think Don Cherry was left off the list. Plus his last name is sorta feminine.
4 December 2008 at 12:15 am |
I think Cris Botti is one the most brilliant jazz trumpeter in 20th century. He just give me chills when I here him playing especially in The Legends of Jazz, where he played My Funny Valentine.. Wew!! He’s really is amazing!
4 December 2008 at 12:30 am |
well.. This 12 jazz trumpeters is all my favorite! especially clifford brown.. I think it’s kinda sad for him to leave the jazz music industries. I really admire his talent. Especially how big and whole his tone quality is. He’s really my inspiration why I like to hear jazz musics. Although I’m just a beginner, I’ll do what I can to be like my idol! Jazz music Rulez!
4 December 2008 at 7:35 am |
Thanks for the comments Mark. Chris Botti played the Newport Jazz Festival this year, and I agree – he’s got a great sound. Kinda reminiscent of Miles Davis, and very sharp…
4 December 2008 at 9:33 am |
Nathan Lane Rupright. Best butt trumpeter ever.
2 January 2009 at 8:59 am |
RIP Freddie Hubbard…
3 July 2009 at 1:09 pm |
NO MAYNARD????????????????????
You need to get over Rocky and listen to Ole, Frame for the Blues, the Blues Roar LP and the Brass Attitude CD; to say nothing of his work with Kenton.