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The Mount Rushmore of Hard Bop: Rankings

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This poll closes on May 16, 2024 | Voters: 112

1

Horace Silver

piano

2

Art Blakey

drums

3

Lee Morgan

trumpet

4

Hank Mobley

saxophone, tenor

5

John Coltrane

saxophone

6

Miles Davis

trumpet

7

Sonny Rollins

saxophone

8

Freddie Hubbard

trumpet

9

Cannonball Adderley

saxophone

10

Clifford Brown

trumpet

11

Wayne Shorter

saxophone

12

Thelonious Monk

piano

13

Max Roach

drums

14

Charlie Parker

saxophone, alto

15

Dexter Gordon

saxophone, tenor

16

Dizzy Gillespie

trumpet

17

Charles Mingus

bass, acoustic

18

Kenny Dorham

trumpet

19

Jackie McLean

saxophone, alto

20

Bobby Timmons

piano

21

Benny Golson

saxophone, tenor

22

Joe Henderson

saxophone

23

Curtis Fuller

trombone

24

Paul Chambers

bass, acoustic

25

McCoy Tyner

piano

26

Herbie Hancock

piano

27

Jimmy Smith

organ, Hammond B3

28

Bud Powell

piano

29

Donald Byrd

trumpet

30

Philly Joe Jones

drums

31

Sonny Clark

piano

32

Grant Green

guitar

33

Bill Evans

piano

34

Red Garland

piano

35

Wes Montgomery

guitar

36

Ron Carter

bass

37

Art Farmer

flugelhorn

38

Art Pepper

saxophone, alto

39

Bobby Hutcherson

vibraphone

40

Lou Donaldson

saxophone

41

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers

band / ensemble / orchestra

42

Duke Ellington

piano

43

Billie Holiday

vocals

44

Ahmad Jamal

piano

45

Eric Dolphy

woodwinds

46

Cedar Walton

piano

47

Michael Brecker

saxophone, tenor

48

Phil Woods

saxophone, alto

49

Roy Hargrove

trumpet

50

Elvin Jones

drums

51

Andrew Hill

piano

52

Stanley Turrentine

saxophone, tenor

53

J.J. Johnson

trombone

54

Booker Ervin

saxophone, tenor

55

Jaco Pastorius

bass, electric

56

Chick Corea

piano

57

Stan Getz

saxophone, tenor

58

Oscar Peterson

piano

59

Ornette Coleman

saxophone, alto

60

Chris Potter

saxophone, tenor

61

Sonny Stitt

saxophone

62

Woody Shaw

trumpet

63

Johnny Griffin

saxophone, tenor

64

Roy Haynes

drums

65

Herbie Nichols

piano

66

Billy Higgins

drums

67

Pepper Adams

saxophone, baritone

68

George Coleman

saxophone, tenor

69

Joe Morello

drums

70

Tina Brooks

saxophone, tenor

71

Harold Mabern

piano

72

Blue Mitchell

trumpet

73

Wilbur Ware

bass, acoustic

74

Louis Armstrong

trumpet and vocals

75

Keith Jarrett

piano

76

Ella Fitzgerald

vocals

77

Lester Young

saxophone

78

John McLaughlin

guitar

79

Chet Baker

trumpet and vocals

80

Kenny Burrell

guitar, electric

81

Wynton Marsalis

trumpet

82

Count Basie

piano

83

Brad Mehldau

piano

84

Maynard Ferguson

trumpet

85

John Scofield

guitar

86

Charlie Haden

bass, acoustic

87

Eliane Elias

piano and vocals

88

Tom Harrell

trumpet

89

Rahsaan Roland Kirk

woodwinds

90

Christian McBride

bass

91

Esbjorn Svensson

piano

92

Pat Martino

guitar

93

Charles Lloyd

saxophone

94

Stanley Clarke

bass

95

Lee Konitz

saxophone, alto

96

Nina Simone

piano and vocals

97

Kenny Barron

piano

98

Pharoah Sanders

saxophone, tenor

99

Coleman Hawkins

saxophone, tenor

100

Don Cherry

trumpet

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