Tom's Top Jazz Artists of All-Time

Updated July 2025

Abbey Lincoln 

Ahmad Jamal

Al Di Meola

Al Jarreau

Albert Ayler

Alice Coltrane

Andrew Hill

Anita O’Day

Anthony Braxton

Art Blakey

Art Pepper

Art Tatum

Artie Shaw

Ben Webster

Benny Carter

Benny Golson

Benny Goodman

Bessie Smith

Betty Carter

Bill Evans

Billie Holiday

Billy Cobham

Billy Eckstein

Billy Strayhorn

Blossom Dearie 

Bob James

Bobby McFerrin 

Branford Marsalis

Brecker Brothers (Michael & Randy)

Bud Powell

Buddy Rich

Cab Calloway

Cannonball Adderley

Carla Bley

Carmen McCrae

Cecil Taylor

Cecile McLorin Salvant

Charles Lloyd

Charles Mingus

Charlie Christian

Charlie Haden

Charlie Parker

Chet Baker

Chick Corea

Chick Webb

Christian McBride

Chuck Mangione

Clark Terry

Clifford Brown

Coleman Hawkins

Count Basie

Crusaders

Dave Brubeck

David Murray

Dexter Gordon

Diana Krall

Dianne Reeves 

Dinah Washington 

Dizzy Gillespie

Django Reinhardt

Don Cherry

Donald Byrd

Duke Ellington

Earl Hines

Earl Klugh

Ella Fitzgerald

Elvin Jones

Eric Dolphy

Erroll Garner

Fats Waller

Fletcher Henderson

Frank Sinatra

Freddie Hubbard

Gene Krupa

George Benson

Gerry Mulligan

Gil Evans

Gregory Porter

Grover Washington Jr. 

Hank Jones

Harvey Mason

Herbie Hancock

Horace Silver

Jack Teagarden

Jackie McLean

Jaco Pastorius

James Blood Ulmer

James Carter

James Moody

Jan Hammer

Jason Moran

Jelly Roll Morton

Jimmy Rushing

Jimmy Smith

J.J. Johnson

Joe Henderson

Joe Sample

Joe Williams 

Joe Zawinul

John Coltrane

John Lewis

John McLaughlin

Johnny Hartman

Johnny Hodges

Julie London

June Christy

Keith Jarrett

Kenny Barron

King Oliver

Kurt Elling

Larry Carlton

Lee Konitz

Lee Morgan

Lee Ritenour

Lester Young

Lionel Hampton

Louis Armstrong

Mahavishnu Orchestra

Mark Murphy

Mary Lou Williams

Max Roach

McCoy Tyner

Mel Torme 

Miles Davis

Milt Hinton

Milt Jackson

Modern Jazz Quartet

Mose Allison

Nancy Wilson 

Nat King Cole

Nathan East

Nina Simone

Oscar Brown Jr. 

Oscar Peterson

Pat Metheny

Paul Desmond

Peggy Lee

Pharoah Sanders

Ornette Coleman

Quincy Jones

Rahsaan Roland Kirk

Ray Brown

Ray Charles

Red Norvo

Return to Forever

Ron Carter

Roy Eldridge

Roy Haynes

Sarah Vaughan

Shirley Horn 

Sidney Bechet

Sonny Rollins

Sonny Sharrock

Sonny Stitt

Stan Getz

Stan Kenton

Stanley Clarke

Sun Ra

Thad Jones

Thelonious Monk

Tony Bennett

Tony Williams

Vijay Iyer

Wayne Shorter

Weather Report

Wes Montgomery

Wilton Felder

Woody Shaw

Wynton Kelly

Wynton Marsalis