The Modern Jazz Quartet › Similar Artists

Milt Jackson - 100% match to The Modern Jazz Quartet

1 January 1923, Detroit, Michigan, USA, d. 9 October 1999, New York City, New York, USA. Jackson’s first professional engagement, at the age of 16, was in his home town, playing the vibraphone alongside tenor saxophonist Lucky Thompson (one year his junior). Jackson benefited from the 40s loose attitude towards band personnel, spending six years accompanying visiting mu Read more

Gerry Mulligan - 57% match to The Modern Jazz Quartet

Gerald Joseph Mulligan, 6 April 1927, New York City, New York, USA, d. 19 January 1996, Darien, Connecticut, USA. Raised in Philadelphia, Mulligan started out on piano before concentrating on arranging. He also took up the saxophone, first the alto and a few years later the baritone. Among the name bands that used his arrangements were those led by Gene Krupa and Claude Thor Read more

Hampton Hawes - 46% match to The Modern Jazz Quartet

13 November 1928, Los Angeles, California, USA, d. 22 May 1977, Los Angeles, California, USA. Born into a musical family (his mother played piano for the church run by his Presbyterian minister father), Hawes taught himself to play piano by listening to records of 30s jazz piano giants, among them Earl ‘Fatha’ Hines and Fats Waller. He began to play professionally Read more

John Lewis - 46% match to The Modern Jazz Quartet

John Aaron Lewis, 3 May 1920, LaGrange, Illinois, USA, d. 29 March 2001, New York City, New York, USA. A formally trained pianist from a very early age, Lewis studied music and anthropology at the University of New Mexico. first took an interest in jazz after meeting Kenny Clarke. In 1946, both men joined Dizzy Gillespie’s big band with Lewis writing charts in addition Read more

Oscar Peterson - 44% match to The Modern Jazz Quartet

15 August 1925, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, d. 23 December 2007, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Blessed with an attractive stage personality, this behemoth of mainstream jazz’s fluid technique was influenced by Art Tatum, Errol Garner and, later, George Shearing. After studying trumpet, illness redirected Peterson to the piano. His enthusiasm resulted in endless hours of p Read more

Art Pepper - 42% match to The Modern Jazz Quartet

1 September 1925, Gardena, Los Angeles, California, USA, d. 15 June 1982, Panorama City, California, USA. Pepper started out on clarinet at the age of nine, switching to alto saxophone four years later. After appearing in school groups, he first played professionally with Gus Arnheim’s band. During his mid-teens he developed his jazz style sitting in with otherwise all- Read more

Paul Desmond - 42% match to The Modern Jazz Quartet

Sonny Rollins - 42% match to The Modern Jazz Quartet

Theodore Walter Rollins, 7 September 1929, New York City, New York, USA. Although an older brother played violin and, at the age of nine, he took piano lessons, Rollins was destined for the saxophone. In 1944 he played alto saxophone in high school and when he left in 1947 he began gigging round New York on tenor. His first inspiration was Coleman Hawkins, but he was well aw Read more

Erroll Garner - 39% match to The Modern Jazz Quartet

Erroll Louis Garner, 15 June 1921, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, d. 2 January 1977, Los Angeles, California, USA. A self-taught pianist, Garner played on the radio at the age of 10 and within a few more years was playing professionally in his home town. Among the bands with which he played during this period were those led by Leroy Brown and, reputedly, Fate Marable. In 194 Read more

Lionel Hampton - 39% match to The Modern Jazz Quartet

20 April 1908 (some claim 1909 and 1914), Louisville, Kentucky, USA, d. 31 August 2002, New York, USA. After living briefly in Louisville and Birmingham, Alabama, Hampton was taken to Chicago where he lived with his grandparents. They sent him to Holy Rosary Academy at Collins, Wisconsin, where he was taught the rudiments of military band drumming by a Dominican nun. Followi Read more

Horace Silver - 38% match to The Modern Jazz Quartet

Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silva, 2 September 1928, Norwalk, Connecticut, USA. Silver studied piano and tenor saxophone at school, settling on the former instrument for his professional career. Early influences included Portuguese folk music (from his father), blues and bop. He formed a trio for local gigs which included backing visiting musicians. One such visitor, Stan Get Read more

Red Garland - 38% match to The Modern Jazz Quartet

William M. Garland, 13 May 1923, Dallas, Texas, USA, d. 23 April 1984, Dallas, Texas, USA. Garland turned to the piano in his late teens, having earlier studied and played reed instruments. Although initially inspired by mainstream artists, he moved into bebop in the late 40s, accompanying Charlie Parker, Fats Navarro and others while still playing regularly with musicians s Read more

Dave Brubeck - 37% match to The Modern Jazz Quartet

David Warren Brubeck, 6 December 1920, Concord, California, USA. Initially taught piano by his mother, Brubeck showed an immediate flair for the instrument, and was performing with local professional jazz groups throughout northern California at the age of 15 while still at high school. Enrolling at the College of the Pacific in Stockton, California, as a veterinary major, h Read more

George Shearing - 37% match to The Modern Jazz Quartet

13 August 1919, London, England. Shearing was born blind but started to learn piano at the age of three. After limited training and extensive listening to recorded jazz, he began playing at hotels, clubs and pubs in the London area, sometimes as a single, occasionally with dance bands. In 1940 he joined Harry Parry’s popular band and also played with Stéphane Gra Read more

Bill Evans - 36% match to The Modern Jazz Quartet