Jack DeJohnette
Jack DeJohnette was born on August 9, 1942, and passed away on October 26, 2025. He was an American jazz drummer, pianist, and composer. He worked with many famous musicians as a leader and supporting musician, including Charles Lloyd, Freddie Hubbard, Keith Jarrett, Bill Evans, John Abercrombie, Ralph Towner, Alice Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis, Joe Henderson, Michael Brecker, Pat Metheny, Herbie Hancock, and John Scofield.
Tony Williams
• Tony Williams (drummer) (1945–1997), American jazz drummer • Tony Williams (English musician) (born 1947), English bassist in Stealers Wheel and Jethro Tull • Tony Williams (singer) (1928–1992), American lead singer with The Platters • The WRLDFMS Tony Williams , American R&B and soul singer
Elvin Jones
Elvin Ray Jones was born on September 9, 1927, and died on May 18, 2004. He was an American jazz drummer from the post-bop era. He is most known for being part of John Coltrane’s quartet, a group he worked with from late 1960 to late 1965.
Philly Joe Jones
Joseph Rudolph “Philly Joe” Jones was born on July 15, 1923, and died on August 30, 1985. He was an American jazz drummer known for changing his way of playing to fit the needs of any group or person.
Max Roach
Maxwell Lemuel Roach was born on January 10, 1924, and passed away on August 16, 2007. He was an American jazz drummer and composer. Roach was a pioneer in the bebop style of music and performed in many different musical styles.
Art Blakey
Arthur Blakey (October 11, 1919 – October 16, 1990) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He was also known as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina after he converted to Islam for a short time in the late 1940s. Blakey became well-known in the 1940s for playing in the big bands of Fletcher Henderson and Billy Eckstine.
Roy Haynes
Roy Owen Haynes was born on March 13, 1925, and passed away on November 12, 2024. He was an American jazz drummer. In the 1950s, he earned the nickname “Snap Crackle” because of his unique snare drum sound and style of playing.
Kenny Clarke
Kenneth Clarke Spearman (January 9, 1914 – January 26, 1985), known professionally as Kenny Clarke and nicknamed Klook, was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He was an important creator of the bebop style of drumming, being the first to use the ride cymbal to keep time instead of the hi-hat, and also used the bass drum for unexpected beats (“dropping bombs”). He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and became an orphan when he was about five years old.
Palle Danielsson
Nils Paul “Palle” Danielsson was a Swedish jazz musician who played the double bass. He was born in Stockholm, Sweden, on October 15, 1946. From 1974 to 1979, he was part of Keith Jarrett’s quartet.
George Mraz
George Mraz (born Jiří Mráz; September 9, 1944–September 16, 2021) was a Czech-born American jazz musician who played the bass and the alto saxophone. He was part of Oscar Peterson’s musical group and performed with many famous musicians, including Pepper Adams, Stan Getz, Michel Petrucciani, Stéphane Grappelli, Tommy Flanagan, Jimmy Raney, Chet Baker, Barry Harris, Joe Henderson, John Abercrombie, John Scofield, and Richie Beirach, among others. In the 1970s, he was a member of the New York Jazz Quartet and the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra.