The great jazz trumpet players are distinctive in their sound, style & technique. This comprehensive list gives the aspiring jazz trumpeter an outline with which he can thoroughly investigate the entire spectrum of jazz trumpet.

Innovators versus Stylists There is a distinct difference between being a stylist and a major stylistic innovator.

There are very few true innovators in jazz music, and they follow a direct lineage from Louis Armstrong to Roy Eldridge to Dizzy Gillespie to Fats Navarro, Miles Davis and Kenny Dorham to Clifford Brown to Booker Little, Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard and Woody Shaw. These men substantially altered the harmonic and rhythmic direction of jazz trumpet in their given eras. Not only did they redirect the concepts of the players that followed them, but they heavily influenced their peers as well.

A stylist is also considered a master of his craft. These are men who are fantastic soloists and who contributed greatly to the history and individuality of jazz trumpet (e.g. Rex Stewart, Joe Newman, Carmell Jones, Freddie Webster, Blue Mitchell, Stu Williamson, etc.), but whose influence on the direction of the music is secondary to that of the great innovators. This in no way diminishes these men's great contributions to the music. These men excelled in established styles (and these styles were established by Louis, Roy, Dizzy, etc.) and added their own personal approaches with a wide variety of variations in tone, rhythm and harmony.

This variety is what makes jazz music so unique and which leads us to what we strive for most as artists and musicians--individuality.

Notes on the Format
This is a comprehensive overview of jazz trumpet history. It has been divided into five eras: Traditional, Swing, Bebop/Straight Ahead, Avant-Garde and Contemporary. The listings are arranged essentially in chronological order. The recording that best represents each artist has been listed. The album title is listed first, followed by the name of the record label. If the artist appears as a sideman, the leader or co-leader's name appears in quotations.

Note: Names highlighted in hypertext indicate a major stylistic innovator. Each name in hypertext links to a biography which includes historically important recordings.

Traditional Era
Birth of Jazz centered in New Orleans and Chicago
1920's and onward
Buddy Bolden--No recordings exist
Joe "King" Oliver--1923 (Classics)
Louis Armstrong--Complete Hot Five and Hot Seven Recordings (Columbia/Legacy)
Bix Beiderbecke--Singin' the Blues Volume 1 (Columbia/Sony)
Freddie Keppard--Complete Freddie Keppard 1923-1927 (King Jazz)
Red Allen--Red Allen & His Orchestra 1929-1933 (Classics)
Punch Miller--1925-1930 (RST)
Doc Cheatham--Swinging Down In New Orleans (Jazzology)
Wild Bill Davison--Commodore Master Takes (GRP)
Jabbo Smith--1929-1933 (Classics)
Bunk Johnson--1944 #2 (American Music)
George Mitchell--"Johnny Dodds" 1926 (Classics)
Kid Howard--"George Lewis" Jazz Funeral In New Orleans (Trad)
Tommy Ladnier--"Fletcher Henderson" 1926-1927 (Classics)
Bobby Stark--"Fletcher Henderson" 1927-1931 (Classics)
Max Kaminsky--"Eddie Condon" 1942-1943 (Classics)
Yank Lawson--That's A Plenty (Columbia)
Kid Sheik Cola--"Eureka Brass Band" Jazz at Preservation Hall Volume 1 (Atlantic)
Jimmy McPartland--"Eddie Condon" 1927-1938 (Classics)
Johnny Dunn--Johnny Dunn Volume 2 (RST)
Mugsey Spainer--1939-1942 (Classics)
Percy Humphrey--Climax Rag (Delmark)
Johnny Letman--Harlem Hop 1937-1950 (EPM Musique)
Al Hirt--Blockbustin' Dixie (Verve)
Ruby Braff--"w/Ellis Larkins" Duets Volumes 1 and 2 (Vanguard)
Modern Era Traditional Masters
Leroy Jones--Props For Pops (Sony) **see additional entry in contemporary era category
Wendell Brunious--"Preservation Hall" In the Sweet Bye and Bye (Sony)
Greg Stafford--"w/Dr.Michael White" Down Home Music (Jazz Crusade)
Nicholas Payton--Dear Louis (Verve) **see additional entry in contemporary era category
Kermit Ruffins--Big Easy (Basin Street Records)

Swing Era
Big Bands were an important vehicle for the great jazz soloists
1930's and onward
Roy Eldridge--After You've Gone (GRP/Decca)
Charlie Shavers--"John Kirby" 1938-1939 (Classics)
Buck Clayton--"Count Basie" Complete Decca Recordings 1937-1939 (GRP/Decca)
Oran "Hot Lips" Page--Jump for Joy (Columbia)
Harry "Sweets" Edison--"w/Ben Webster" Ben and Sweets (Columbia)
Cootie Williams--Cootie Williams in Hi-fi (RCA)
Bobby Moore--"Count Basie" Complete Decca Recordings 1937-1939 (GRP/Decca)
Bubber Miley--"Duke Ellington" Complete Brunswick Recordings 1926-1931 (Decca)
Dud Bascomb--"Erskine Hawkins" 1938-1939 (Classics)
Rex Stewart--"Duke Ellington" Blanton/Webster Band 1939-1942 (RCA)
Bill Coleman--1936-1938 (Classics)
Taft Jordan--"Chick Webb" 1929-1934 (Classics)
Erskine Hawkins--1938-1939 (Classics)
Ray Nance--"Duke Ellington" Blanton/Webster Band 1939-1942 (RCA)
Wingy Manone--Collection Volume 1 1927-1930 (Collectors Classics)
Harry James--1937-1939 (Classics)
Shad Collins--"Count Basie" Complete Decca Recordings 1937-1939 (GRP/Decca)
Cat Anderson--"Duke Ellington" Great Paris Concert (Reprise)
Joe Thomas--"Vic Dickenson" Mainstream (Koch/Mainstream)
Cuban Bennett
Buddy Anderson
Bunny Berigan--1935-1936 (Classics)
Don Jacoby--"Sam Donahue" Convoy Volume 1 (Hep)
Shorty Baker--Shorty & Doc (OJC/Swingville)
Johnny Best--"Sam Donahue" LST Pary (Hep)
Bobby Hackett--1938-1940 (Classics)
Snooky Young--Horn of Plenty (Concord)
Billy Butterfield--"Artie Shaw" Complete Gramercy 5 Sessions (RCA)
Ziggy Elman--1938-1939 (Classics)
Don Goldie--Best of Jerome Kern (Jazz Forum)
Warren Vache--Iridescence (Concord)
Bob Barnard--Stardust (La Brava)
Randy Sandke--Stampede (Jazzology)

Bebop/Straight Ahead Era
Harmonic and rhythmic revolution inspired by Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie
1940 and onward
Dizzy Gillespie--Complete RCA Victor Recordings 1937-1949 (BMG/RCA)
Fats Navarro--Complete Blue Note and Capitol Recordings (Blue Note)
Miles Davis--Relaxin' with the Miles Davis Quintet (OJC/Prestige)
Kenny Dorham--"Art Blakey" At the Café Bohemia Volumes 1 and 2 (Blue Note)
Howard McGhee--Trumpet at Tempo (Dial)
Red Rodney--1957 (formerly titled The Red Arrow) (Prevue)
Benny Harris--"Charlie Parker" South of the Border (Verve)
Freddie Webster--"Sarah Vaughan" Complete Musicraft Mastertakes (Jazz Factory)
Joe Guy--"Charlie Christian/Dizzy Gillespie" After Hours (OJC/Esoteric)
George Taitt--"Thelonious Monk" Genius of Modern Music Volume 1 (Blue Note)
Vic Coulsen--"Coleman Hawkins" Rainbow Mist (Delmark)
George Treadwell--"Sarah Vaughan" Complete Musicraft Mastertakes (Jazz Factory)
Sonny Berman--Complete Dial Masters: Modern Jazz Trumpets (Dial)
Idrees Sulieman--"w/Donald Byrd & Art Farmer" Three Trumpets (OJC/Prestige)
Clark Terry--Serenade To A Bus Seat (OJC/Riverside)
Chet Baker--Best of Chet Baker Sings (Blue Note/Pacific Jazz)
Clifford Brown--"Art Blakey" A Night at Birdland Volumes 1 and 2 (Blue Note)
Art Farmer--When Farmer Met Gryce (OJC/Prestige)
Stu Williamson--Stu Williamson Quintet (Bethlehem)
Conte Candoli--"Art Pepper" Gettin' Together (OJC/Contemporary)
Don Fagerquist--Eight By Eight (Mode)
Doug Mettome--"Benny Goodman" Benny's Bop Volume 1 (Hep)
Jack Sheldon--"Art Pepper" Smack Up (OJC/Contemporary)
Maynard Ferguson--"Dinah Washington" Dinah Jams (Verve/EmArcy)
Tony Frucella--Jazz Lore #25 (Atlantic)
Donald Byrd--Royal Flush (Blue Note)
Lee Morgan--Candy (Blue Note)
Freddie Hubbard--Ready for Freddie (Blue Note)
Booker Little--Booker Little and Friend (formerly titled Victory and Sorrow) (Bethlehem)
Wilbur Hardin--"John Coltrane" Complete Savoy Sessions (Savoy Jazz)
Blue Mitchell--The Thing To Do (Blue Note)
Benny Bailey--Big Brass (Candid)
Jon Eardley--From Hollywood to New York (OJC/New Jazz)
Louis Smith--Smithville (Blue Note)
Thad Jones--The Fabulous Thad Jones (OJC/Debut)
Webster Young--For Lady (OJC/Prestige)
Dave Burns--"Art Taylor" AT's Delight (Blue Note)
Nick Travis--The Panic Is On (Victor)
Bill Hardman--"Jackie McLean" Jackie's Pal (OJC/Prestige)
Carmell Jones--The Remarkable Carmell Jones (Pacific Jazz)
Johnny Coles--Little Johnny C (Blue Note)
Marcus Belgrave--"Curtis Amy" Way Down (Pacific Jazz)
Nat Adderley--Work Song (OJC/Riverside)
Richard Williams--New Horn In Town (Candid)
Ernie Royal--Accent on Trumpet (Urania)
Ray Copeland--"Thelonious Monk" Monk (OJC/Prestige)
Joe Wilder--Wilder 'n Wilder (Savoy Jazz)
Joe Newman--Complete RCA Victor Recordings 1955-1956:The Basie Days (RCA)
Lonnie Hillyer--"Barry Harris" Newer Than New (OJC/Prestige)
Joe Gordon--Lookin' Good (OJC/Contemporary)
Ira Sullivan--Blue Stroll (Delmark)
Tommy Turrentine--Tommy Turrentine (Time)
Sam Noto--Entrance (Xanadu)
Charles Sullivan--Kamau (Arabesque)
Al Aarons--"Frank Wess" Southern Comfort (OJC/Prestige)
Phil Guilbeau--"Hank Crawford" Soul Clinic (Atlantic)
Clora Bryant--Gal with A Horn (VSOP)
Willie Thomas--"MJT plus 3" MJT plus 3 (Vee Jay)
Virgil Jones--"Charles Earland" Black Talk (OJC/Prestige)
Jerry Tyree--"Maynard Ferguson" Message from Birdland (Roulette)
Don Ellis--"George Russell" Ezz-Thetics" (OJC/Riverside)
Dizzy Reece--Star Bright (Blue Note)
Dupree Bolton--"Harold Land" The Fox (OJC/Contemporary)
Bill Berry--Shortcake (Concord)
Paul Serrano--Blues Holiday (Riverside)
Don Sleet--All Members (OJC/Jazzland)
Rolf Ericson--"Curtis Counce" Exploring the Future (Boplicity)
Ted Curson--Fire Down Below (OJC/Prestige)
Charles Tolliver--"Horace Silver" Serenade to A Soul Sister (Blue Note)
Woody Shaw--Rosewood (Columbia)

Avant-Garde Era
Fresh harmonic and rhythmic ideas inspired by Ornette Coleman
1957 and onward
Don Cherry--"Ornette Coleman" Change of the Century (Atlantic)
Lester Bowie--Fifth Power (Black Saint)
Bill Dixon--Archie Shepp/Bill Dixon Quartet (Savoy)
Marvin "Hannibal" Peterson--Visions of A New World (Atlantic)
Malachi Thompson--Buddy Bolden's Rag (Delmark)
Bobby Bradford--"Ornette Coleman" Complete Science Fiction Sessions (Columbia)
Leo Smith--Reflectativity (Kabell)