Music & Artists
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This trumpeter helped define the laid-back 'West Coast cool' jazz sound of the 1950s.
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Known as the Count, this pianist led a Kansas City-based swing big band famed for its tight rhythm section.
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Nicknamed 'Bird,' this alto saxophonist co-created bebop alongside Dizzy Gillespie in the 1940s.
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This flutist and tenor saxophonist co-led a big band with his wife, pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi.
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This alto saxophonist's soulful sound became a signature of 1980s smooth jazz radio.
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All 100 questions in this topic, with answers — use it to study, or just browse. Every actual play of the puzzle only pulls a random handful of these into one game, so knowing them all here won't spoil which ones show up or where they're hidden in the grid. Play it here.
This Grammy-winning guitarist has led his own genre-blending group since the 1970s.
METHENYThis pianist's introspective, impressionistic chords shaped 'Kind of Blue' and his own trio recordings.
EVANSThis drummer's thunderous fusion playing with the Mahavishnu Orchestra influenced rock drummers too.
COBHAMThis french horn player was one of the first to make the instrument a serious jazz solo voice.
WATKINSSinger Washington, nicknamed 'Queen of the Blues,' had the first name '_ _ _ _ _.'
DINAHThis trumpeter's playful scat singing became a novelty hit alongside his horn playing.
TERRYThis modern guitarist blends jazz with Americana, country, and film-score textures.
FRISELLOften called the King of Ragtime, this pianist-composer wrote 'Maple Leaf Rag.'
JOPLINThis flutist moved fluidly between jazz, classical, and R&B recording sessions.
LAWSThis singer-pianist began her career while recovering from a serious car accident as a teenager.
GARDOTHarpist Coltrane, widow of saxophonist John Coltrane, had the first name '_ _ _ _ _.'
ALICEThis pianist's album 'Head Hunters' helped bring funk grooves into jazz fusion.
HANCOCKDubbed the 'First Lady of Song,' this scat-singing legend's first name was '_ _ _ _.'
ELLAThis tenor saxophonist recorded the spiritual jazz album 'A Love Supreme' in 1964.
COLTRANEThis husky-voiced singer earned the nickname 'The Divine One' for her operatic vocal range.
VAUGHANBelgian harmonica player Thielemans, who also whistled while soloing, went by the nickname '_ _ _ _ _.'
TOOTSThis session drummer's iconic groove drives Steely Dan's 'Aja' and countless other classic tracks.
GADDThis trumpeter and gravel-voiced singer recorded 'What a Wonderful World' and was nicknamed Satchmo.
ARMSTRONGThis pianist and composer helped found the soulful, gospel- and blues-infused hard bop style.
SILVERThis flutist and saxophonist amazed audiences by playing three horns simultaneously.
KIRKGuitarist McLaughlin, who founded the fusion group Mahavishnu Orchestra, had the first name '_ _ _ _.'
JOHNThis flugelhorn player's smooth instrumental 'Feels So Good' became an unlikely pop radio hit.
MANGIONEThis modern pianist is known for reworking pop and rock songs through a jazz trio lens.
MEHLDAUThis hard-bop drummer led the Jazz Messengers, a band that launched many young musicians' careers.
BLAKEYOften called the first man of jazz, this New Orleans cornetist never made a surviving recording.
BOLDENThis nearly blind pianist's dazzling technique left even classical virtuosos in awe.
TATUMThis virtuoso drummer was famous for blistering technique and a fiery temper on the bandstand.
RICHThis french horn player and composer coined the term 'Third Stream' for jazz-classical fusion.
SCHULLERThis cornetist spent decades as a featured soloist in Duke Ellington's orchestra.
STEWARTThis cornetist led a popular 1920s studio band called the Five Pennies.
NICHOLSThis tenor and soprano saxophonist played in Miles Davis's 1960s quintet and co-founded Weather Report.
SHORTERThis French accordionist brought the instrument into modern jazz with a virtuosic solo voice.
GALLIANOThis pianist co-founded the fusion band Return to Forever after playing with Miles Davis.
COREA1920s cornetist Beiderbecke, who died young of alcoholism-related illness, went by the nickname '_ _ _.'
BIXThis pianist's angular, dissonant style on tunes like 'Round Midnight' helped define bebop.
MONKThis flutist and alto saxophonist was a fixture of the West Coast cool jazz scene.
SHANKThis pianist-composer boastfully, and wrongly, claimed to have invented jazz single-handedly.
MORTONThis drummer's explosive solos with his own big band made him a 1930s swing-era superstar.
KRUPAThis pianist blends jazz with hip-hop and neo-soul, winning Grammys for genre-crossing albums.
GLASPERThe son of a saxophone legend, this tenor player blends tradition with new ideas.
REDMANThis electric bassist co-founded the fusion supergroup Return to Forever with Chick Corea.
CLARKEThis french horn player and composer wrote film scores including for 'The Manchurian Candidate.'
AMRAMThis electric bassist and producer has played on albums for Miles Davis, Luther Vandross, and dozens more.
MILLERThis bent-horn trumpeter and bebop pioneer co-led a famous quintet with Charlie Parker.
GILLESPIEThis drummer and civil rights activist co-led a classic quintet with trumpeter Clifford Brown.
ROACHThis modern harpist continues the instrument's jazz legacy pioneered by Dorothy Ashby.
YOUNGERThis trumpeter's fiery hard-bop style made him one of the most in-demand horn players of the 1960s.
HUBBARDThis Canadian pianist's blistering technique made him one of the most recorded jazz musicians ever.
PETERSONThis tenor saxophonist's warm tone on 'Body and Soul' influenced generations of players.
HAWKINSThis saxophonist and flutist's 1966 album 'Forest Flower' became a surprise hit with rock audiences.
LLOYDThis Romani guitarist played dazzling solos despite two fingers on his left hand being burned in a fire.
REINHARDTThis drummer joined Miles Davis's band as a teenager and helped pioneer jazz fusion soon after.
WILLIAMSThis pianist and singer's smooth baritone made hits like 'Unforgettable' before he turned to pop.
COLEThis cornetist and trumpeter was known for a warm, melodic tone that avoided flashy solos.
HACKETTThis tenor saxophonist's smooth tone made the bossa nova hit 'The Girl from Ipanema' a crossover success.
GETZThis innovative electric bassist called himself the greatest bass player in the world and played fretless.
PASTORIUSThis British bassist joined Miles Davis's band after Davis heard him playing in a London club.
HOLLANDThis saxophonist's radical style, showcased on his album 'Free Jazz,' broke from fixed chord changes.
COLEMANThis pianist's entirely improvised 1975 solo concert in Germany became jazz's best-selling piano album.
JARRETTThis bandleader and pianist led the Cotton Club's house orchestra and recorded Billy Strayhorn's 'Take the A Train.'
ELLINGTONThis guitarist helped popularize the amplified electric guitar in Benny Goodman's band before dying young.
CHRISTIANThis harpist was one of the first to establish the instrument as a serious jazz voice.
ASHBYThis trumpeter led the sessions for the best-selling jazz album of all time, 'Kind of Blue.'
DAVISThis Canadian-born flugelhorn player became a major voice in the British and European jazz scene.
WHEELEROften compared to Charlie Parker, this saxophonist played alto, tenor, and baritone with equal fluency.
STITTThis contemporary vocalist is known for setting his own lyrics to recorded jazz instrumental solos.
ELLINGThis trumpeter and flugelhorn player co-led the Jazztet with saxophonist Benny Golson.
FARMERThis drummer toured with rocker Lenny Kravitz while also building a serious jazz career of her own.
BLACKMANGuitarist Montgomery, who played with his thumb instead of a pick, had the first name '_ _ _.'
WESNicknamed the 'Saxophone Colossus,' this tenor player once practiced alone on the Williamsburg Bridge.
ROLLINSThis harmonica virtuoso was blacklisted in Hollywood during the 1950s Red Scare.
ADLERThis pianist's rich chords powered John Coltrane's classic 1960s quartet.
TYNERThis flutist's early-1960s hit 'Comin' Home Baby' helped bring the instrument into the jazz spotlight.
MANNNicknamed 'Pres,' this tenor saxophonist's light, floating tone contrasted with Coleman Hawkins.
YOUNGThis New Orleans cornetist reportedly turned down an early chance to record, fearing rivals would copy him.
KEPPARDCalled the 'King of Swing,' this clarinetist filled dance floors with his big band in the 1930s.
GOODMANThis blind British pianist composed the jazz standard 'Lullaby of Birdland.'
SHEARINGThis pianist's 'trumpet style' let his right hand mimic a horn player's phrasing.
HINESThis drummer's polyrhythmic power fueled John Coltrane's classic 1960s quartet.
JONESThis multi-instrumentalist played flute, alto sax, and bass clarinet, pushing jazz toward the avant-garde.
DOLPHYThis singer's signature song declared he left his heart in San Francisco.
BENNETTThis singer and bassist won the Grammy for Best New Artist in 2011, upsetting several pop stars.
SPALDINGThis Canadian pianist-singer is known for sultry renditions of the Great American Songbook.
KRALLThis blind pianist and singer blended jazz, gospel, and blues into what became known as soul music.
CHARLESThis drummer's career spanned from backing Charlie Parker to leading his own band into his 90s.
HAYNESThis bassist and cellist helped establish the bass as a bebop solo instrument in the 1940s.
PETTIFORDThis crooner's phrasing and swing-band roots made him a giant of vocal jazz standards.
SINATRANicknamed 'Lady Day,' this singer recorded the haunting anti-lynching song 'Strange Fruit.'
HOLIDAYThis alto saxophonist led Duke Ellington's saxophone section for decades.
HODGESThis modern drummer founded the Fellowship Band, blending jazz with gospel and Americana roots.
BLADEThis saxophonist's raw, wailing tone made him one of the most radical voices in 1960s free jazz.
AYLERThis stride pianist and entertainer composed the standard 'Ain't Misbehavin'.'
WALLERThis multi-instrumentalist ran a Manhattan loft that became a hub for 1970s avant-garde jazz.
RIVERSThis Grammy-winning tenor saxophonist was a leading voice in jazz fusion from the 1970s onward.
BRECKERThis bassist, one of the most recorded musicians in jazz history, also plays piccolo bass.
CARTER