Cannonball Adderley

761,807 plays (118,481 listeners)

Julian Edwin "Cannonball" Adderley (15 September 1928 - 8 August 1975), originally from Tampa, Florida, was a jazz alto saxophonist, playing with Miles Davis and other greats, and leading his own band (which included his brother Nat Adderley) - the Cannonball Adderley Quintet (which was occasionally a sextet - being called "The Cannonball Adderley Quintet Plus").

Sonny Rollins

845,125 plays (124,125 listeners)

Theodore Walter "Sonny" Rollins (born September 7th, 1930 in New York City) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist.

Thelonious Monk

2,562,417 plays (213,246 listeners)

Thelonious Sphere Monk (1917-1982) was a jazz pianist and composer. He was known for his unique improvisational style and many contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including his classic work 'Round Midnight'. While Monk is often regarded as a founder of bebop, his playing style evolved away from the form.

Charles Mingus

2,099,736 plays (175,423 listeners)

Charles Mingus (April 22, 1922 – January 5, 1979), was an American jazz bassist, composer, bandleader, and occasional pianist. He was also known for his activism against racial injustice.

Dexter Gordon

548,660 plays (93,127 listeners)

Dexter Keith Gordon (February 27th, 1923 - April 25th, 1990) a Los Angeles native tenor saxophonist, was one of the first bebop tenor players to carve out a distinctive style. He matured into one of the major tenor voices in post-war jazz -- an exciting and original player who was perhaps the single strongest influence on the young John Coltrane.

Miles Davis

10,998,850 plays (490,440 listeners)

Miles Dewey Davis III (May 25, 1926 – September 28, 1991) was born in Alton, Illinois and was one of the most influential and innovative musicians of the 20th century. A trumpeter, fluegelhorn player, bandleader and composer, Davis was at the forefront of almost every major development in jazz after World War II.

Dizzy Gillespie

877,296 plays (138,216 listeners)

John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was born in Cheraw, South Carolina. He was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, singer, and composer. Gillespie, with Charlie Parker, was a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz.

Oliver Nelson

164,116 plays (37,801 listeners)

Nelson was born on 4 June 1932 in St. Louis, Missouri. His family was musical: his brother was a saxophonist who played with Cootie Williams in the 1940s, and his sister sang and played piano.