John Lenwood "Jackie" McLean was an American jazz alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader, and educator, and is one of the few musicians to be elected to the DownBeat Hall of Fame in the year of their death.
Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II was an American jazz and rhythm & blues trumpeter and vocalist. A sideman for many other jazz musicians of his generation, Byrd was one of the few hard bop musicians who successfully explored funk and soul while remaining a jazz artist. As a bandleader, Byrd was an influence on the early career of Herbie Hancock.
Arthur S. Taylor Jr. was an American jazz drummer, who "helped define the sound of modern jazz drumming".
Douglas Watkins was an American jazz double bassist. He was best known for being an accompanist to various hard bop artists in the Detroit area, including Donald Byrd and Jackie McLean.
Gigi Gryce, later Basheer Qusim, was an American jazz saxophonist, flautist, clarinetist, composer, arranger, and educator.
Edwin James Costa was an American jazz pianist, vibraphonist, composer and arranger. In 1957, he was chosen as DownBeat jazz critics' new star on piano and vibes – the first time that one artist won two categories in the same year. He became known for his percussive, driving piano style that concentrated on the lower octaves of the keyboard.
'Carlo Jackie Paris was an American jazz singer and guitarist. He is best known for his recordings of "Skylark" and "'Round Midnight" from the late 1940s to the early 1950s.
Julius Watkins was an American jazz musician who played French horn. Described by AllMusic as "virtually the father of the jazz French horn", Watkins won the Down Beat critics poll in 1960 and 1961 for Miscellaneous Instrument.
Richard Francis Wyands was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger, best known for his work as a side-man.
Don Kiethly Butterfield was an American jazz and classical tuba player.
James Milton Cleveland was an American jazz trombonist born in Wartrace, Tennessee.
Walter "Baby Sweets" Perkins was an American jazz drummer.
Addison Gerald Farmer was an American jazz bassist. He was the twin brother of Art Farmer.
Richard Gene Williams was an American jazz trumpeter.
Wade Legge was an American jazz pianist and bassist.
Wendell Marshall was an American jazz double-bassist.
At Newport is a live album by the Gigi Gryce–Donald Byrd Jazz Laboratory and the Cecil Taylor Quartet recorded for the Verve label at the Newport Jazz Festival in July 1957. The original LP album featured one side of performances by Taylor with Buell Neidlinger, Denis Charles and Steve Lacy and the other by Gryce, Byrd, Hank Jones, Wendell Marshall, and Osie Johnson.
Modern Jazz Perspective is an album by American jazz trumpeter Donald Byrd and saxophonist Gigi Gryce, with featured vocalist Jackie Paris, recorded in 1957 for the Columbia label.
