Mount Rushmore of Jazz music

[masonanddixon]

I got

Bill Evans
Miles Davis
Lester The President Young
Charlie Bird Parker

Who do you have?

[LJJ]

Coltrane
Mingus
Coleman
Monk

[L.Kizzle]

Armstrong
Ellinton
Coletrane
Davis

Hard to leave of T. Monk and Parker and countless others.

[kurple]

recently started listening to a lot of Jazz

Paul Desmond, Quincy Jones, John Coltrane, Duke Ellington and Art Blakey have been my favorites so far

also really enjoyed the Little Stevie album

Dunno about Mount Rushmore doe

[DeuceWallaces]

My personal Rushmore is:

Art Blakey
Kenny Burrell
Lee Morgan
Miles (Quintet Era)

[Jailblazers7]

Don't know about history to make it about influence (or care that much) but I'd probably go:

Mingus
Miles
Coltrane
Monk

[Akrazotile]

Elvis Presley
John Popper
Bill Clinton
Pat Boone

[32jazz]

2 default musicians that should always begin that list are :

1)Louis Armstrong is Jazz - pure ,fat rich tone & virtuosity on the trumpet turned the once group improvisation of jazz into a soloist's art form. As a singer Armstrong basically changed the way American pop music was sung. Basically brought "swing" to stiff pop music.


2)Duke Ellington


Thelonius Monk

Charlie Parker

[masonanddixon]

2 default musicians that should always begin that list are :

1)Louis Armstrong is Jazz - pure ,fat rich tone & virtuosity on the trumpet turned the once group improvisation of jazz into a soloist's art form. As a singer Armstrong basically changed the way American pop music was sung. Basically brought "swing" to stiff pop music.


2)Duke Ellington


Thelonius Monk

Charlie Parker

I find Monk incredibly overrated. The elephant on the piano was nowhere near as prolific as the greats.

Ellington is historic and legendary and 'Fleurette Africaine' is one of the most beautiful compositions in the entire canon of jazz, but he's not in the same universe as Bill Evans, and I'd even put guys like Art Tatum, Brubeck, Oscar Peterson, above Duke as well.

[masonanddixon]

My personal Rushmore is:

Art Blakey
Kenny Burrell
Lee Morgan
Miles (Quintet Era)

The Sidewinger is incredible. I love Midnight Blue.

[DeuceWallaces]

The Sidewinger is incredible. I love Midnight Blue.

The Sidewinder!

Midnight Blue used to be my favorite, but his albums with Coltrane are tops.

[LJJ]

I find Monk incredibly overrated. The elephant on the piano was nowhere near as prolific as the greats.

Ellington is historic and legendary and 'Fleurette Africaine' is one of the most beautiful compositions in the entire canon of jazz, but he's not in the same universe as Bill Evans, and I'd even put guys like Art Tatum, Brubeck, Oscar Peterson, above Duke as well.

I think Monk really pushed to envelope of jazz music compared to the much safer Bill Evans. Evans is a prolific giant surely. Beautiful inoffensive music that you can put on while you have a conversation over dinner. But it's not anywhere near provocative enough for me to put on a Mt. Rushmore. Monk took his music into uncharted territory. All depends on what you look for in jazz music I suppose.

[32jazz]

I find Monk incredibly overrated. The elephant on the piano was nowhere near as prolific as the greats.

Ellington is historic and legendary and 'Fleurette Africaine' is one of the most beautiful compositions in the entire canon of jazz, but he's not in the same universe as Bill Evans, and I'd even put guys like Art Tatum, Brubeck, Oscar Peterson, above Duke as well.:facepalm

Your list is not a list without Ellington . Tatum, Brubeck & Peterson would all scoff/laugh at the notion that they are higher in the pantheon of Jazz greats than Ellington.

Ellington is unparalled as a Jazz band leader/ composer of over 1000 tunes. Dozens which are Jazz standards

Duke Ellington would admit Tatum(great improviser) had more piano chops(virtuosity)but being in the pantheon of Jazz greats requires more than 'chops'. I think you are misunderstanding the concept/question.

Armstrong (who I explained above ) & Ellington aren't up for serious debate .


If anything Monk is underrated in the creation of modern Jazz(post WWII or post swing Jazz).


A lot of the credit goes to Charlie Parker for being a bop pioneer & Monk was overlooked.


Monk (although not the sheer volume of compositions) is one the greatest / influential .

[DeuceWallaces]

:facepalm

Your list is not a list without Ellington . Tatum, Brubeck & Peterson would all scoff/laugh at the notion that they are higher in the pantheon of Jazz greats than Ellington.

Ellington is unparalled as a Jazz band leader/ composer of over 1000 tunes. Dozens which are Jazz standards

Duke Ellington would admit Tatum(great improviser) had more piano chops(virtuosity)but being in the pantheon of Jazz greats requires more than 'chops'. I think you are misunderstanding the concept/question.

Armstrong (who I explained above ) & Ellington aren't up for serious debate .


If anything Monk is underrated in the creation of modern Jazz(post WWII or post swing Jazz).


A lot of the credit goes to Charlie Parker for being a bop pioneer & Monk was overlooked.


Monk (although not the sheer volume of compositions) is one the greatest / influential .

Just your list man; 4 people and 45 of extraordinary musicians. No problem leaving off Duke or Armstrong. Even if it's not a personal.

[Jasi]

Charlie Parker
Charles Mingus
John Coltrane
Cecil Taylor

[pauk]

Duke Ellington
Louis Armstrong
Miles Davis
Buddy Rich (GOAT drummer)

[masonanddixon]

I think Monk really pushed to envelope of jazz music compared to the much safer Bill Evans. Evans is a prolific giant surely. Beautiful inoffensive music that you can put on while you have a conversation over dinner. But it's not anywhere near provocative enough for me to put on a Mt. Rushmore. Monk took his music into uncharted territory. All depends on what you look for in jazz music I suppose.

lol, Everybody Digs Bill Evans and Bill's work on Kind of Blue swing harder than anything Thelonius could dream of....you won't find a single jazz historian who thinks Monk is in the same universe as Bill.

[masonanddixon]

:facepalm

Your list is not a list without Ellington . Tatum, Brubeck & Peterson would all scoff/laugh at the notion that they are higher in the pantheon of Jazz greats than Ellington.

Ellington is unparalled as a Jazz band leader/ composer of over 1000 tunes. Dozens which are Jazz standards

Duke Ellington would admit Tatum(great improviser) had more piano chops(virtuosity)but being in the pantheon of Jazz greats requires more than 'chops'. I think you are misunderstanding the concept/question.

Armstrong (who I explained above ) & Ellington aren't up for serious debate .


If anything Monk is underrated in the creation of modern Jazz(post WWII or post swing Jazz).


A lot of the credit goes to Charlie Parker for being a bop pioneer & Monk was overlooked.


Monk (although not the sheer volume of compositions) is one the greatest / influential .

Dude, Duke was a legend and historic but in terms of talent and ability he doesn't stack up well against the other guys, especially the modal players.


I'm also wondering why people aren't showing more love to The President of Jazz. I enjoy his tenor sax more than anyone else out there.