Alabama Jazz Artists
Alabama has a rich history of jazz music, and many famous jazz musicians have hailed from the state. Here are some of the most well-known Alabama jazz musicians and a brief summary of their careers:
- Nat King Cole: Born in Montgomery, Alabama, Cole was a pianist, vocalist, and bandleader who became one of the most popular and influential jazz musicians of all time. He is known for hits such as “Unforgettable” and “Mona Lisa” 1.
- C. Handy: Born in Florence, Alabama, Handy was a trumpeter, bandleader, and publishing pioneer who is known as the “Father of the Blues.” He helped create a formidable business structure around taking ownership for written music in the genres and many of his compositions are thought of as early jazz standards 3.
Alabama has a rich history of jazz music, and many famous jazz musicians have hailed from the state.
- Erskine Hawkins: Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Hawkins was a trumpeter and bandleader who is best known for his hit song “Tuxedo Junction.” He was one of the most popular jazz musicians of the swing era 3.
- Sun Ra: Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Sun Ra was a free jazz musician and composer who adopted theatrics to accompany his band’s sound. He claimed that he was from the planet Saturn but hailed from Birmingham where he learned piano before moving to Chicago to participate in big band jazz 9.
Lionel Hampton: Born in Louisville, Kentucky, but raised in Birmingham, Alabama, Hampton was a vibraphonist and bandleader who played with many of the top jazz musicians of the swing era. He is known for hits such as “Flying Home” and “Hamp’s Boogie Woogie” 7
Source(s)
- History of Jazz and Blues in Alabama – Alabama Tourism …
- 30 Alabamians who changed jazz history – al.com
- 22 Of The Greatest And Most Famous Musicians From Alabama
- Music of Alabama – Wikipedia
- https://bing.com/search?q=well+known+Alabama+jazz+musicians+bios
- Category:Jazz musicians from Alabama – Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alabama_Jazz_Hall_of_Fame
- https://www.al.com/entertainment/2016/09/greatest_musicians_born_in_ala.html
