At 100: These Performers Left An Indelible Mark On Jazz

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The musical similarities among all the folks below might be in short supply, but each of these performers irrevocably changed jazz. Whether it was through Art Blakey’s (he was actually born in 1919, but that’s pretty close) tutelage and encouragement of the best jazz composers ever to record or Dave Brubeck’s chart success, the music is better—and dramatically different—than it would have been otherwise.

Below, DownBeat salutes six iconic artists who were born 100 years ago. DB

Art Blakey, the Mightiest Mentor

The Sound and Myth of Charlie Parker at 100

Dave Brubeck’s Legacy Enters a New Era

Clark Terry Fostered Generations of Performers

Shelly Manne Cultivated a Unique Brand from Behind the Kit

Yusef Lateef, The ‘Evolutionist’



  • Andy_Bey_NYC_2014_by_Steven_Sussman_copy.jpg

    “It kind of slows down, but it’s still kind of productive in a way, because you have something that you can be inspired by,” Andy Bey said on a 2019 episode of NPR Jazz Night in America, when he was 80. “The music is always inspiring.”

    Vocalist Andy Bey Dies at 85

    Singer Andy Bey, who illuminated the jazz scene for five decades with a four-octave range that encompassed a bellowing…

  • Al_Foster_Marketing.jpg

    Foster was truly a drummer to the stars, including Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins and Joe Henderson.

  • Francis-Davis_by_Ken_Winter%3AGetty_Images_copy.jpg

    ​Davis was a two-time Grammy winner for liner notes.

  • Branford_Marsalis_by_Mark_Sheldon_copy.jpg

    “Branford’s playing has steadily improved,” says younger brother Wynton Marsalis. “He’s just gotten more and more serious.”

  • Sasha_Berliner_by_Gulnara_Khamatova_copy.jpeg

    “What did I want more of when I was this age?” Sasha Berliner asks when she’s in her teaching mode.


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