Great Jazz Musicians?

i agree with your music Teacher (Or what you like to call the person)

Alot above are running while they are walking

Jaco Pastoreas? (Forgive me if that is spelled wrong)

Jaco will chew up anyone at a new musician.

begin in Listening at Louis Armstromng not Jaco Pastoreaus

then work up to like a David Sanborn or Spyro gyra (Something like that

Then Miles and Chick Corea

and Stevie ray,

As an old clinician Starting with a Miles Davis is still a bit massive (He will hurt you if you are not in the business as of yet.)

Lets make it very easy

Blues

Swing

Then Bop `

then contemprary bop (Chick Coresa is a good example at contenporary bop) Begin at Louis Arnstrong then find your own way though the Jazz scene

Beginning with Jaco Pastoreas will hurt you if you begin there.

I had to tell my old students that every year

Don't get me wrong i love every musicain above but beginning at Jaco? NO that is too heavy sometimes for me

Trumpeters...

Chuck Mangione, Doc Severinsen, Arturo Sandoval, Wynton Marsalis

Saxophonists

Candy Dulfer, Everett Harp, Kenny G, Grover Washington Jr.

Guitarists

George Benson, John Pizzarelli, Kevin Eubanks

Drummers

Marvin "Smitty" Smith, Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa

Percussionists

Vicky Randle, Ralph McDonald, Tito Puente (of course, the "mambo king" who adored the timbales)

Pianists

Oscar Peterson, Duke Ellington, Diane Schurr, Ramsey Lewis

Singers

Natalie Cole, Lena Horne, Maureen McGovern, B.B. King, Koko Taylor

Miles Davis

Art Blakey

Chick Corea

Thelonious Monk

Wes Montgomery

Louis Armstrong

Duke Ellington

Chet Baker

John Coltrane

John Surman

It's very simple to start, there's one album which is imho the BEST one to get when starting to listen to jazz and it's already been suggested I think. KIND OF BLUE by Miles Davis. It features the great John Coltrane's saxophone but every musician on it is excellent and it's just a brilliant beautiful chilled out masterpiece which is very accessible. From there I would get MINGUS AH UM by Charles Mingus which is also very accessible but totally different to Kind of Blue. Those two are two of the easiest jazz albums to get into and feature a handful of it's most important musicians. Also I'd recommend diggin into Miles' back catalog and listening to Sonny Rollins (the album SAXOPHONE COLOSSUS is a great start).

I've got to say Miles Davis is one of my all time favorite jazz musicians.

Here's a few tracks that I personally would recommend.

'Round Midnight off the album 'Round About Midnight

My Funny Valentine off the album 1958 Miles

All Blues off the album Kind of Blue

The list that Stan posted is good plus I would add Erroll Garner and Meade Lux Lewis a boogie woogie player.Boogie Woogie piano are a faster form of the blues and evolved from the blues piano players.Erroll Garner is not a boogie woogie pianist but is so extraordinary for his playing by ear and creative rhythm style.Add McCoy Tyner and Ray Bryant.Did I mention Duke Ellington? Very underrated but great piano styling from the Duke.

JAZZ:

Miles Davis - Kind of Blue & Bitches Brew

John Coltrane - A Love Supreme

BLUES:

Muddy Waters - Folk Singer (don't believe it, he's electric)

Paul Butterfield Blues Band (w/Mike Bloomfield) I may be going out on a limb here but they were instrumental in bringing it to the white kids as were the Rolling Stones.

Chick Corea

Stevie Ray Vaughn

Gerry Mulligan my friend, is a great man.

jaco pastours

stanly clarck