My Favorite Trumpet Players - Past and Present

As a trumpet player myself, I am always searching for different trumpeters to listen to.  The best way to learn is to find the sound you like and model.  Listening is probably one of the most important aspects to furthering your own musicianship.  If you are a sax player, then find some other sax players you like.  This applies to all instruments.  I'll eventually add posts about musicians who play other instruments, but I figured I'd start with trumpet players since that is my forte (pun intended).  And anyone who knows a trumpet player knows that we like to play forte (or louder).  So here are some of my favorites who frequent my playlists.

Miles Davis

1. Miles Davis.
Miles is absolutely at the top of my list.  All trumpeters, especially anyone into jazz, must listen to as much Miles as possible.  He had a long career and played in nearly every style of jazz.  He was always on the cutting edge of the next new thing.  Birth of the Cool lived up to its namesake as the beginning of the cool jazz era.  Kind of Blue revolutionized the idea of modal jazz; that is, the idea of basing improvisation on modes or scales rather than chordal structure.  This was a departure from the old ways of improvising and gave the musicians much more freedom and ease in their solos.  Bitches Brew is a hallmark album of jazz fusion.  As you explore his catalogue of albums, you can literally follow the progression of jazz from the 1950s through the 1980s.  Not only did he have a mastery of the instrument, he also played from his soul.  He didn't always try to fill his solos with as many notes as possible.  He liked to use space in between notes and phrases.  Sometimes that silence says more than a long stream of notes.  He was a musical genius and arguably one of the top five most important figures in jazz history.  Some of my favorite Miles Davis albums are Miles In The Sky, Someday My Prince Will Come, Kind of Blue, On the Corner, Porgy and Bess, Sketches of Spain, Milestones, and Bitches Brew.


2. Louis Armstrong

Louis Armstrong

I already gave you a run down about Louis Armstrong in my post, "The Big Easy," but I will say it again.  Louis Armstrong is great.  He plays with such joy, and that really comes through in his sound.  He really epitomizes New Orleans jazz.  He had a long career, but unlike Miles Davis, he really didn't change his style (at least not that drastically).  His solos were so melodic and just made a lot of musical sense.  It was as if he wrote out his solos before he played them, even though they were all improvised.  He had a big sound, which I'm sure was influeced by another New Orleans trumpeter, Buddy Bolden, who was also known for his big sound.  His music was considered "hot," which was the contrast to Bix Beiderbeck's "cool" sound at the time.  He had a "Hot Five" and "Hot Seven" band in the early days.  He moved north to Chicago and played with King Oliver and really made a name for himself.  He'd eventually collaborate with other jazz greats such as Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald.  He was an all-around entertainer in addition to being a great trumpet player, even appearing in some movies.  I heard a great quote from Armstrong once in which he said "Always play to someone you love."  After listening to many of his recordings, I think I can safely say that he always did.

Freddie Hubbard - Open Sesame

3. Freddie Hubbard
I hadn't really listened to Freddie's stuff until recently, but I'm glad I did.  He has a bit of a funky style to his playing, even years before funk music would come about.  You can hear the funkiness in his playing, especially in his articulations and the way he manipulated his tone.  Hubbard came onto the jazz scene around the height of the hard bop era, which is one of my favorites.  The thing I like about his playing is that you can clearly hear the past and the future of jazz at the same time in his solos.  Check out Open Sesame, Ready For Freddie, and Skydive.


4. Dizzy Gillespie
I can't really condone Dizzy's technique of puffing his cheeks (students take note), but I guess when you're Dizzy Gillespie, you can do whatever you want.  Certainly when discussing bebop, Dizzy was the trumpeter.  He and Charlie Parker (sax) really paved the way for the future of jazz.  Bebop was a departure from the big band era that had been so popular in the years prior.  He could really navigate through the entire range of the trumpet, from the super high notes to the very bottom.  The chords in bebop were much more complex than those in the swing era, and Gillespie improvised over the changes like it was no big deal.  Miles Davis looked up to Dizzy as a model and a mentor, and even started his own career playing with him.  That should really tell you something.  Dizzy brought cuban percussionists into his band, and you could hear that Latin influence in his playing.  For a true gem, listen to "Salt Peanuts."


5. Roy Hargrove

Roy Hargrove - Hard Groove

I bought Roy's album Hard Groove a few years ago and have really enjoyed it.  He has a modern sound, and you can definitely hear the more recent hip hop and R&B influences while still being rooted in jazz.  I can hear a little bit of Miles, Louis, Freddie, and Dizzy in his sound.  Is he as influential or important as those players?  Probably not, but he has a great sound and I really enjoy his albums.  I personally own Hard Groove and Earfood.

Rashawn Ross

6. Rashawn Ross
Rashawn is currently the trumpet player for Dave Matthews Band.  And yes, DMB is my favorite band.  But guess what, I've been listening to Rashawn for years before he joined DMB.  Prior to his current gig, he played in Soulive and Lettuce.  He has roots in jazz, but I think his playing goes beyond the boundaries of jazz.  He is incredibly funky, which if you can't tell by now, I love.  And probably what sticks out most about his playing is his range.  He can squeal out notes I didn't think were possible on the trumpet.  He's got a huge set of lungs.  Over the past few years since he joined DMB, he has really settled into his role in the band.  When their sax player Leroi Moore passed away and Jeff Coffin was brought on as his replacement, Rashawn taught Jeff tons of licks and riffs in a very short amount of time.  I think he has a great ear, which is evident in his playing.  I have always enjoyed Dave Matthews Band, but I think I like the band's sound the most since they have added Rashawn to their lineup.


7. Wynton Marsalis

Wynton Marsalis

Most people either love or hate Wynton.  He does appear to have an inflated ego, but let's put his personality aside for the moment.  He has studied the greats and I would argue that he definitely knows his stuff.  He is like a walking jazz encyclopedia.  He can talk about jazz and then play for you what he is talking about.  Perhaps being so analytical of the past greats has ruined some of his creativity.  However, I do like his tone quality and the precision of his playing.  In this case, I would argue his theory and history knowledge comes in handy.  The other thing I like about Wynton is his ability to play both jazz and classical pieces.  He can play an Ellington chart or a Haydn concerto.  He is also an advocate for music education and has done a lot to promote the arts.

Classic Lee Morgan album

Some other classic trumpet players:
Lee Morgan
Clifford Brown
Nat Adderly
Maynard Fergusen
Arturo Sandoval
Clark Terry


Some other modern trumpet players:
Nicholas Payton
Christian Scott
Troy Andrews (Trombone Shorty)

Al Chez (plays in David Letterman's band)



Maynard Ferguson

Kermit Ruffins

Of course this is not a complete list.  There are lots of other great trumpet players out there.  Many are unknown back-up players or studio players.  I think a hornline makes any music better.  Do your own research.  What music do you listen to that features a trumpet player?  Look up their name in the liner notes.  You never know when you'll find some new inspiration.  And if you play another instrument, can you name 5 musicians, or 10 musicians who play your instrument?  If not, maybe it's time to do more listening.