Encyclopedia of Jazz Musicians
Founding Editor: Lewis Porter
Editors-in-Chief: Tim Wilkins and Ted Gioia
About The Encyclopedia of Jazz Musicians
Over the course of many years, Lewis Porter collected biographical information on thousands of jazz musicians. Starting in the late 1990s, he began soliciting information by circulating an email worldwide, with the intention of eventually sharing all of this with the public. This on-line encyclopedia is the built on Porter’s efforts, which focused on currently active players, and included many younger or lesser known musicians as well as established stars. Jazz.com intends to expand and update this work, with particular emphasis on adding entries on important historical figures who have contributed to the evolution of the music.
Many of the musicians profiled here are not included in any other reference works. Almost every one of the biographies has contact info such as an email address, and a link to the musicians' website. Often a photo has been provided by the musician as well. A number of well known jazz figures have been kind enough to send their information as well. Because of the amount of detail requested, these biographies usually include material never published anywhere else. Hence, we hope that this site will quickly become a "first stop' for fans, researchers, and fellow musicians looking to contact and learn about other jazz performers.
This reference guide is a work in progress. We enlist your help in filling in gaps in our encyclopedia, both adding to our coverage of currently active musicians (our main area of focus) and also assisting us in providing information on historical figures who have made a contribution to jazz music. Musicians who are not included are invited to submit their biographies for consideration (to reference@jazz.com). Researchers and writers who would like to submit entries for jazz performers, historical or current, who are not currently covered, are also invited to contact us (again to reference@jazz.com).
Musicians Who Are Included Please Note:
For various reasons, there may be errors in your bios, or updates may be needed. We ask your help in identifying any things that need changing. Please send corrections/ additions to reference@jazz.com. For ease of updating, we suggest that you send us a complete updated bio, rather than list piecemeal changes.
