UPDATED July 29, 2010

CDs that are recommended by our panel of experts are now marked with an

Below are many of the early musicians and groups that Jazz Roots feels are important.

Jazz Roots would like to be your place for learning about and purchasing classic Jazz music. Please consider purchasing an early Jazz CD from any of our affiliated merchants to support our efforts.

You will notice our new image buttons below each artist. They can be clicked to see what is available by that musician from Amazon (cds & mp3s) and from ITunes.


Musicnotes.com

Oscar Aleman

South American guitarist
who was a contemporary of Django Reinhardt.

Oscar Alemán

Henry "Red" Allen Jr.

Fine early trumpeter
in the style
of Louis Armstrong
- Algiers, Louisiana born

Henry 'Red' Allen

Excellent Bio with sound clip

Albert Ammons

Boogie Woogie pianist

Albert Ammons

Boogie Woogie Trio CD

Ivie Anderson

Duke Ellington's
favorite vocalist.

Ivie Anderson

Lil Hardin-Armstrong

Louis Armstrong's second wife
and the pianist
with King Oliver
- great singer too!

Bio with picture

Lil Armstrong

Bio

Rememberances

Louis Armstrong

The King of Jazz

Louis Armstrong

Biography in print

Hot Fives & Hot Sevens Boxed Set

Sheet Music Available

Smithsonian

Bio and Bibliography

In Chicago

Mildred Bailey

A ground-breaking vocalist who toured with husband Red Norvo early on.

Mildred Bailey

Bio with picture

Paul Barbarin

New Orleans born drummer, great work both early and late in his career.

Books in Print

Kid Ory, Oscar Celestin, Paul Barbarin & Wilbur De Paris

Bio with picture

Blue Lu Barker

New Orleans born blues singer and wife of Danny Barker.

Blue Lu Barker

Count Basie

The man who led the band that swung the hardest.

Autobiography

Basie Jam CD

Count Basie

Sidney Bechet

Great New Orleans born reed man who later settled in France.

Sidney Bechet

Biography in print

Sheet Music Available

Short Bio and Picture

Bix Beiderbecke

Great early trumpeter who lived too short a life.

Video Tape

Nice Bio

Bixology

Bix Beiderbecke & Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra

Bio with picture

Bunny Berigan

Many great singers and musicians played with Bunny Berigan & His Orchestra .

CDss in Print

Bio with picture

Bunny Berigan & Bunny Berigan & His Boys

Barney Bigard

Brilliant New Orleans born clarinetist who spent much time with Duke Ellington.

Barney Bigard

Bio with picture

Eubie Blake

Long-lived pianist and composer.

Eubie Blake

Sharkey Bonano

New Orleans born trumpeter, similar to Louis Prima

Sharkey Bonano

Connie Boswell

Influential vocalist who was a member of the Boswell Sisters.

Connie Boswell

Boswell Sisters

Ground-breaking vocalists who influenced Andrews Sisters.

Boswell Sisters

Perry Bradford

Composer, musician and music publisher who changed the world of blues.

Jazz Roots Feature

Perry Bradford and His Gang

Bio with picture

Cab Calloway

The Hi-De-Ho man with the zoot suit who brought a whole new style of singing.

Cab Calloway

Video Tape

Sheet Music Available

Jazz Roots Profile

Official Cab Calloway Family

Wonderful Site run by his Grandson!

Hoagy Carmichael

The first successful singer / songwriter.

Biography in print

Hoagy Carmichael

Sheet Music Available

Benny Carter

Very influential sideman and sometime leader.

Biography in print

Benny Carter

Sheet Music Available

Jazz Roots Profile

Home Page

Oscar "Papa" Celestin

Trumpeter and leader of great New Orleans bands.

Oscar "Papa" Celestin's Tuexdo Jazz Band

Bill Coleman

Great early recordings with Django Reinhardt

Bill Coleman

Eddie Condon

Guitarist who led some great Dixieland bands.

Eddie Condon

Bio with Picture

Wilbur DeParis

A trombone player and band leader, especially known for mixing New Orleans jazz with Swing.

Wilbur De Paris

Baby Dodds

Great early New Orleans drummer who rarely recorded as a bandleader.

Baby Dodds

Short Bio and Picture

Johnny Dodds

One of the great early clarinetists out of New Orleans.

Johnny Dodds

Books in Print

Bio & Discography

Short Bio and Picture

Jimmy Dorsey

The Dorsey Brothers were a part of Jazz for many years.

Biography in print

Jimmy Dorsey

Sheet Music Available

Bio and Picture

Tommy Dorsey

Great early sides of Sinatra are with Tommy Dorsey.

Frank Sinatra & Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra

Biography in print

Sheet Music Available

Roy Eldridge

The second generation of Jazz trumpeters.

Roy Eldridge

Duke Ellington

He taught the world to swing

Duke Ellington & Duke Ellington & His Cotton Club Orchestra

Autobiography in print

Sheet Music Available

Official Site

Duke Ellington Jazz Society

Smithsonian

Discography

James Reese Europe

The Father of Orchestra Jazz.

Biography in print

CD in Print

James Reese Europe's 369th U.S. Infantry "Hell Fighters" Band

Jazz Roots Profile

Ella Fitzgerald

One of the greatest Jazz vocalists.

Ella Fitzgerald

Jean Goldkette

An important early bandleader while based in New York

Jean Goldkette

Benny Goodman

He was the favorite clarinetist and band leader of many swing fans.

Biography in print

Benny Goodman

Sheet Music Available

Jazz Roots Profile

Chicago Roots

Bobby Hackett

Trumpeter who followed Bix Beiderbecke

Bobby Hackett

Good Bio and Picture

Adelaide Hall

Fine vocalist, sometimes with Duke Ellington.

Adelaide Hall

Edmond Hall

HIs Blue Note sides are amazing.

CDs in Print

Edmond Hall

Lionel Hampton

Great on the vibes but have you heard him play the drums.

Biography In Print

Lionel Hampton

W.C Handy

The Father of the Blues and so much more.

W.C. Handy

Sheet Music Available

Jazz Roots Profile

Handy Festival

Coleman Hawkins
The first important and influential jazz tenor saxophonist.

Coleman Hawkins & Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra

Biography In Print

Jazz Roots Profile

Fletcher Henderson

The New York Jazz bandleader who had so many greats in his orchestra.

Fletcher Henderson

Jazz Roots Profile

Short Bio and Picture

Earl Hines

Fine Jazz pianist.

Earl "Fatha" Hines

Short Bio and Picture

Chicago Roots

Milt Hinton

The great bassist and photographer called "The Judge."

Autobiography In Print

Milt Hinton

Billie Holiday

She brought the blues to jazz, like no one else.

Autobiography In Print

Billie Holiday

Sheet Music Available

Lady Day Home Page

Alberta Hunter

The older she got the more sassy she became.

Alberta Hunter

Bio with picture

Ink Spots

Their thirties material is the best.

CDs in Print

The Ink Spots

Harry James

One of the most outstanding instrumentalists of the swing era.

The Harry James Orchestra

Sheet Music Available

Bunk Johnson

One of the old style trumpeters from back in the beginning, rediscovered in the forties.

Bunk Johnson

Homepage with Extensive Info.

Short Bio and Picture

James P Johnson

The Father of Stride piano

James P. Johnson

Discography in Print

Jazz Roots Profile

Lonnie Johnson

An American original on the guitar.

Lonnie Johnson

CDs in Print

The Original Guitar Wizard

Bio with picture

Pete Johnson

A Boogie Woogie Master

Pete Johnson

Freddie Keppard

One of the original "Kings" of the cornet.

Freddie Keppard

Short Bio and Picture

John Kirby

A fine bassist with many top bands and under his own name.

John Kirby And His Onyx Club Boys

Andy Kirk

Great big band which featured a young Mary Lou Williams.

Andy Kirk & His Twelve Clouds Of Joy

Autobiography in Print

Billy Kyle

One of Louis Armstrong's favorite pianists.

Billy Kyle

Eddie Lang

Timeless jazz guitar playing that influenced so many.

Eddie Lang And Joe Venuti

Short Bio and Picture

Julia Lee

The Queen of the Double Entendre

Julia Lee And Her Boyfriends

George Lewis

Post-revival clarinetist who traveled extensively

George Lewis

Short Bio and Picture

Jimmie Lunceford

Swingin' bandleader from the late Thirties and Forties

Jimmie Lunceford

Wingy Manone

Best one-armed trumpeter in Jazz!

Wingy Manone

Bio with picture

Red McKenzie

He played the comb but oh, what a band.

Red McKenzie

Short Bio and Picture

Mezz Mezzrow

Better writer than clarinetist, read his book.

Mezz Mezzrow

Short Bio and Picture

Miff Mole

Important early trombonist.

Solo Booklet

Miff Mole

Short Bio and Picture

Mills Brothers

The early stuff is great!

The Mills Brothers

Jelly Roll Morton

Pianist, composer, director, he could do it all, very well.

Jelly Roll Morton

Sheet Music Available

Extensive Profile

Short Bio and Picture

Bennie Moten

Kansas City band that became Count Basies'.

Bennie Moten

Jazz Roots Profile

Red Nichols

A Jazz Roots favorite.

Red Nichols

Book in Print

Short Bio and Picture

Jimmy Noone

Great influence on Benny Goodman.

Jimmy Noone

Short Bio and Picture

Joe "King" Oliver

He was King before Louis Armstrong.

King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band

Louisiana Masters of Music

Kid Ory

The epitome of Tailgate Trombonists.

Kid Ory

Books in Print

Short Bio and Picture

Tiny Parham

Little known pianist and composer.

CDs in Print

Bio with picture

Ben Pollack

Important early bandleader.

CDs in Print

Ben Pollack

Bio with picture

Louis Prima

Talented New Orleans trumpeter, vocalist and bandleader.

Louis Prima

Don Redman

Talenter arranger and bandleader, also interesting vocalist.

Don Redman

Jazz Roots Profile

Adrian Rollini

Yes, he did play the goofus and the hot fountain pen.

Adrian Rollini

Bio with picture

Jimmy Rushing

Mister 5 X 5.

Jimmy Rushing

Pee Wee Russell

Dixieland clarinetist.

Pee Wee Russell

Bio with picture

Luis Russell

Important band leader out of New Orleans via Panama

Luis Russell

Bio with picture

Bessie Smith

One of the greatest blues singers.

Bessie Smith

Biography in Print

Sheet Music Available

Jabbo Smith

Was he is as good as Louis? He thought he was.

Unknown

Bio with picture

Willie "The Lion" Smith

A great pianist.

Willie 'The Lion' Smith

Bio with picture

Stuff Smith

He could make that violin swing.

Stuff Smith

CDs in Print

Art Tatum

Fabulous pianist, who impressed everyone with his style.

Art Tatum

Jack Teagarden

A great trombonist and singer.

Jack Teagarden

Short Bio and Picture

Sister Rosetta Tharpe

Guitar playing and singing Soul sister.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe

Frank Trumbauer

C-Melody Sax man.

Bix Beiderbecke And Frankie Trumbauer

Short Bio and Picture

Joe Venuti

His sides with Eddie Lang are ground-breaking.

Joe Venuti

Short Bio and Picture

Fats Waller

There was only one Fats Waller, a personal favorite.

Fats Waller

Sheet Music Available

Jazz Roots Profile

Paul Whiteman

Led a band full of great players

Paul Whiteman

Nice Bio

Clarence Williams

Publisher, pianist, manager, bandleader; he did it all.

Clarence Williams

Books in Print

Jazz Roots Profile

Masters of Louisiana Music

Find a book about early jazz or an early jazz musician.

Questions

or Feedback

Early Jazz Musicians
Links
Pictures
Tom Morgan's

Jazz & Blues

Tom Morgan's Blogs
Jazz Roots Radio Show
Home