Institute of Jazz Studies

Armstrong (1901-1971), trumpeter and singer who made solo improvisation a central facet of jazz with his Hot Five and Hot Seven groups of the 1920s and laid the groundwork for later jazz vocalists; one of the most popular of American performers for more than five decades, leading big bands as well as his smaller All Stars ensembles in the 1950s and '60s.

Includes short biography, bibliography, discography, filmography, chronology, and information about the Museum.

Bechet (1897-1959), clarinetist and soprano saxophonist, played a major role in bringing New Orleans jazz to both the rest of the U.S. and Europe (he ultimately settled in France) and in making the saxophone a prominent solo instrument.

Includes short biography, complete discography, and information about recordings and concerts organized by the Society.

Cornetist and pianist Beiderbecke (1903-1931) played with Paul Whiteman, leader of the most-successful orchestra of the 1920s and exemplar of the Sweet, or Symphonic, style of jazz; came to be more influential than Whiteman and, after his early death, was mythologized by admirers worldwide.

Includes short biography, discography, and information about the Society and its annual Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival.

Braxton (1945- ), one of the most-prolific composers of the present day in both jazz and contemporary art music, possesses an unmistakable sound on a bewildering array of saxophones and clarinets. He has enacted a similarly-diverse body of work, in addition to mentoring numerous younger players.

Includes downloads for free and for purchase, and a wealth of information about Braxton's and the Foundation's current projects.

Pianist who greatly expanded jazz music's audience and rhythmic sensibilities in the 1950s and '60s with his famed quartet featuring Paul Desmond, Eugene Wright, and Joe Morello. He explored new avenues in western art music and jazz in his performances.

Includes news, short biography, photographs, and samples of his music.

Tenor and soprano saxophonist who came to prominence in the hard bop era, performing with Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk, before setting off on his own course toward free jazz and beyond, in the process creating a few of the most popular jazz albums, such as My Favorite Things and A Love Supreme.

Includes news, short biography, partial discography, photographs, videos, and information about the John and Alice Coltrane Foundation.

Ellington (1899-1974), pianist, bandleader, and composer who was on the vanguard of jazz for five decades. Members of his orchestra, such as co-composer/ arranger Billy Strayhorn, Cootie Williams, Jimmy Blanton, and Johnny Hodges, ranked among the music's best. Branching into gospel, western art music, and film scores, Ellington's massive oeuvre has remained the most-performed in jazz.

Clarinetist whose big band ushered in the swing era in 1934, reviving the entire music industry amid the Great Depression and making jazz music and its dancehall gatherings a sensation among the nation's youth. Goodman's ensembles also broke down segregation practices in live music with interracial line-ups that included trumpeter Harry James, pianist Teddy Wilson, guitarist Charlie Christian, and drummer Gene Krupa.

Includes biography, partial discography, photographs, and chronology.

Pianist for the second Miles Davis Quintet and leader on several classic 1960s albums of his own, Hancock then became a star of fusion jazz as the leader of a groundbreaking sextet, then the Headhunters, later delving into electronic music while still on occasion returning to his roots.

Includes news, short biography, partial discography, photographs, and video.

Pianist and composer (1867-1917) who joined the ranks of performers popularizing ragtime music at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, and in 1899 published "Maple Leaf Rag," ultimately the most famous of all rags. While ragtime was one of several music genres leading to jazz, Joplin would go on to experiment with opera and ballet.

Includes an extensive biography, information about the foundation and copies of its newsletter, and updates about the annual Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival.

Master of the soprano saxophone, which he played exclusively, Lacy's creativity knew few bounds. His career encompassed a massive collection of solo works, poetry set to music, dixieland, interpretations of Thelonious Monk, free improvisation, and more.

Includes extensive discography, scores, articles, photographs, video, and updates about recordings and performances of Lacy's work.

Bassist, bandleader, and industry pioneer as the owner of his own label, Debut Records, Mingus redefined the possibilities of jazz in the bebop era with landmark albums like Blues and Roots.

Includes updates about the Mingus-related groups organized by his widow, Sue, biography, bibliography, partial discography, photographs, and information about education initiatives like the Charles Mingus High School Competition and Festival.

Bebop pianist whose instantly-recognizable tunes, like 'Epistrophy', 'Bemsha Swing', 'Straight, No Chaser', and ''Round Midnight', remain among jazz music's most-performed, second only to those of Ellington.

Includes short biography, photographs, and information about his son, drummer T.S. Monk, co-founder of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz.

Now in his sixth decade of musicianship, tenor saxophonist Rollins has made landmark albums, challenged and soothed divisions among jazz fans and players, and pioneered non-accompanied soloing among numerous other accomplishments.

Includes news, biography, extensive discography, and videos.

Webster (1909-1973), one of the three tenor-saxophone titans of the swing era alongside Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young, established himself in Duke Ellington's Orchestra before becoming a star in his own right working with Oscar Peterson and others as part of Norman Granz's 'Jazz at the Philharmonic' series of concerts and albums.

Includes biography, photographs, videos, an extensive chronology, and information about the Foundation.

Bill Evans (1929-1980). Perhaps the most-influential pianist in modern jazz, Evans led a series of trios, the legendary first featuring Scott LaFaro and Paul Motian, and wrote several pieces that have become standards.

Wayne Marsh (1927-1987). Tenor saxophonist who was mentored by Lennie Tristano and remained a strict adherent to the methods and sound of cool jazz.

Jelly Roll Morton (1885-1941). Pianist whose Red Hot Peppers group epitomized the hot jazz of the 1920s, and extensive oral history, recorded by Alan Lomax in 1938, offered a rich, opinionated history of the New Orleans scene that birthed jazz.

Fats Navarro (1923-1950). Bebop trailblazer whose style has inspired successors such as Clifford Brown, Freddie Hubbard, and Woody Shaw, Navarrro died at a tragically young age but left behind a fine body of work, often in collaboration with pianist/ arranger Tadd Dameron.

Charlie Parker (1920-1955). Alto saxophonist who was one of the early innovators of bebop, and whose style and method serves as the groundwork for countless saxophonists, both traditional and experimental, to the present day.

Lennie Tristano (1919-1978). A central figure, this pianist was an early innovator of the cool school, free improvisation, over-dubbing techniques, and--especially in his later years--educational methods in jazz.