Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926 – September 28, 1991) was an American musician who played the trumpet, led bands, and wrote music. He is one of the most important and respected people in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Over nearly 50 years, Davis helped shape many major changes in jazz, including bebop, cool jazz, hard bop, third stream, modal jazz, avant-garde jazz, and jazz fusion.
Charlie Parker
Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), known as “Bird” or “Yardbird,” was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader, and composer. He was a very influential soloist and a key figure in the development of bebop, a style of jazz with fast tempos, highly skilled techniques, and complex harmonies.
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his jazz orchestra named after him from 1924 until his death. Ralph J. Gleason called him “America’s most important composer.” Ellington was born and raised in Washington, D.C.
Louis Armstrong
Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), known by nicknames such as “Satchmo,” “Satch,” and “Pops,” was an American jazz and blues trumpeter and singer. He was one of the most important people in the history of jazz, and his career lasted for fifty years across many different times in the development of the genre. Armstrong received many awards, including the Grammy Award for Best Male Vocal Performance for “Hello, Dolly!” in 1965, and he won a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award after his death in 1972.
Cash McCall
Cash McCall is a 1960 American romantic drama film in color, made by Warner Bros. Pictures. It was produced by Henry Blanke, directed by Joseph Pevney, and stars James Garner and Natalie Wood.
Billy Branch
William Earl Branch was born on October 3, 1951. He is an American musician who plays the harmonica in the Chicago blues style. He has been nominated for a Grammy Award three times.
Lurrie Bell
Lurrie Bell, whose full name is Lurrie C. Bell, was born on December 13, 1958, in Chicago, Illinois, United States. He is an American blues guitarist and singer.
Lonnie Brooks
Lonnie Brooks (born Lee Baker Jr., December 18, 1933 – April 1, 2017) was an American blues singer and guitarist. Robert Palmer, a music expert, wrote in Rolling Stone that Brooks’ music was witty, soulful, and full of energy. He used creative musical phrases, strong singing, and impressive guitar playing.
Son Seals
Frank “Son” Seals (August 14, 1942 – December 20, 2004) was an American electric blues guitarist and singer. In 2009, he was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.
Luther Allison
Luther Sylvester Allison (August 17, 1939 – August 12, 1997) was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He was born in Widener, Arkansas, although some sources say he was born in Mayflower, Arkansas. Allison became interested in music as a child and traveled with a family gospel group called The Southern Travellers during the late 1940s.