Jazz has become an undying culture that offers a broad artistic flavor to its music. This would not have been possible without jazz’s proponents. The most famous in jazz’s history were Louis Armstrong (1901-1971), Bix Beiderbecke (1903-1931), Ornette Coleman (born 1930), John Coltrane (1926-1967), Miles Davis (1926-1991), Duke Ellington (1899-1974), Dizzy Gillespie (1917-1993), Thelonious Monk (1917-1982), and Charlie Parker (1920-1955).
Louis Armstrong was known as in the jazz mainstream as Satchmo, which is a contraction of satchel-mouth, and Pops. He was one of the most innovative jazz players of all time. He converted jazz from a form of regional dance music into an undying artistry and culture. He was the first acclaimed trumpeter but shifted to being a vocalist. He moved to Chicago and invited Joe “King” Oliver. He played the jazz cornet in Oliver’s band and made some solos and breaks.
Bix Beiderbecke was one of the well-known cornet players and pianist in jazz culture. His early influences were the cornet players from Dixieland’ jazz bands, Joe Oliver King, Loius Armstrong and Leon Roppolo. Beiderbecke created a new way to play jazz on his cornet which fits his improvisation. The Wolverines was his first jazz recording.
Ornette Coleman was a renowned saxophonist and composer. He was one of the famous proponents of free jazz in the 1960s. His timbre is the most recognizable in the jazz music scene. He created his fantastically unique sound with the use of a plastic saxophone. Coleman’s jazz music was said to be eccentric but gained popularity since it captured the hearts of many.
John Coltrane was often called Trane in the jazz mainstream. He was a jazz saxophonist and composed his own jazz pieces. Trane produced many albums some of them were not released until his death. He was greatly credited in molding the modern jazz style. After his death, he was still the leading influence of the next jazz generation of saxophonists.
Miles Davis is also one of the most distinguished jazz players of the latter half of the 20th century. He was very talented in jazz. He was a trumpeter, a leader and he composed original pieces. He was leading in every development of jazz during his time. He played bebop and composed pieces for it. He recorded the first cool jazz record and was, at some point, responsible for modal and fusion jazz styles.
Duke Ellington was an astounding jazz proponent. He spent his career as a pianist, composer, and leader of their band. In the 20th century, he is regarded as one of the chief figures of American jazz. He surpassed his rivals like Coltrane, Armstrong and Parker. Although he was a well-known jazz proponent, he did not claim anything more specific to his work than the term music. With this, the audience was baffled if he was indeed, a jazz player, but some concluded that he was beyond it.
Dizzy Gillespie was a virtuoso of the jazz trumpet, a vocalist, a composer and a bandleader. With Charlie Parker, they become the chief proponent of modern jazz and bebop. He founded Afro-Cuban jazz, upon which he was very instrumental. He was inspired by Roy Eldridge, but he created an innovated style by adding layers of complexity in his jazz’s harmony which was not known in the jazz culture back then.
Thelonious Monk was well-renowned jazz pianist and jazz piece composer. He was mainly the proponent of bebop and was credited for his unique improvisation of jazz. He contributed many in the aspect of jazz repertoire. His compositions were said to be full of dissonant melodies that took some unusual twists with his harmonies.
Charlie Parker was one of the finest jazz saxophonists and a composer of original jazz pieces. He was nicknamed Yardbird, which was later contracted to merely Bird by the jazz mainstream. His saxophone playing was notable that it touched the hearts of those who hear it. He had several albums and was ranked alongside Armstrong.