Jazz Artist Studies
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Jazz educational materials!
For each artist, there are three
worksheets – One with the
information filled in, one fill in
the blank, and one blank.
These can be used as standalone lessons, or in conjunction
with other jazz lessons.
Corresponding Spotify Playlist
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Version #1
With Facts
Louis Armstrong
Born: August 4, 1901
Died: July 6, 1971
Louis Armstrong was born and raised in New Orleans. As a
kid, he was taken in by a Jewish family who bought him his
first trumpet. When he was 12, Armstrong was arrested and
placed in a juvenile detention home. There, he started to take
trumpet lessons. He is known for his distinctive voice and
incredible trumpet skills.
Facts
• Armstrong was known
as the “First Star of
Jazz.”
• He loved performing
so much, sometimes he
would perform over
300 shows in a year.
• He played for King
George V of England
in 1932.
Music
• Dinah Dinah
• What a Wonderful
World
• Cheek to Cheek
• Ain’t Misbehaving
• Georgia on my Mind
• Jeepers Creepers
Ella Fitzgerald
Born: April 25, 1917
Died: June 15, 1996
Ella Fitzgerald was born in Virginia. When she was 17, she
made her singing debut at the Apollo theatre in a talent
contest. Fitzgerald was the first African-American woman to
win a Grammy Award. In her career, she performed with a
long list of jazz greats, including Louis Armstrong.
Facts
• Ella’s nickname was
the “First Lady of
Song.”
• By the end of her
career, she won 13
Grammy Awards.
• She also received the
Presidential Medal of
Freedom.
Music
•
•
•
•
•
Summertime
Mack the Knife
A-Tisket, A-Tasket
Blue Skies
Dream a Little Dream
of Me
• Cry Me a River
Duke Ellington
Born: April 29, 1899
Died: May 24, 1974
Duke Ellington was born in Washington D.C. to a family of
musicians. He composed his first piece when he was 15 and
began to play professionally at 17. During his 50-year long
career as a musician, he composed thousands of pieces of
music.
Facts
• Ellington helped
popularize big band
music, which is jazz
music played with a
band of about 17
instruments.
• Ellington earned 12
Grammy Awards.
Music
•
•
•
•
•
•
Take the ‘A’ Train
It Don’t Mean a Thing
Mood Indigo
All Too Soon
Perdido
In a Sentimental Mood
Dizzy Gillespie
Born: October 21, 1917
Died: January 6, 1993
John Birks “Dizzy” Gillespie was a jazz trumpet player born
in South Carolina. He was known for his showmanship as
well as his talent. Dizzy was also famous for his puffed
cheeks and bent horn. He was one of the creators of a new
type of jazz called Bebop.
Facts
• Dizzy worked with
jazz greats like Duke
Ellington and Ella
Fitzgerald.
• He received the
Kennedy Center
Honor Award in 1990.
Music
•
•
•
•
•
•
Salt Peanuts
Oop Bop Sh’Bam
A Night in Tunisia
Johnny Come Lately
Groovin’ High
All the Things You Are
Charlie Parker
Born: August 29, 1920
Died: March 12, 1955
Charlie Parker, also known as Bird or Yardbird, was born in
Kansas. Parker started playing music in his school band. At
15, he decided to become a saxophone player. He, along
with Dizzy Gillespie, created Bebop. Parker was a Grammy
Award-winning saxophonist
Facts
• Parker played at the
Paris International
Jazz Festival in 1949
• A jazz club in New
York called the
Birdland Jazz Club
was named in honor
of Parker.
Music
•
•
•
•
•
•
Cool Blues
Yardbird Suite
Ornithology
Confirmation
Now’s The Time
Chasin’ the Bird
Count Basie
Born: August 21, 1904
Died: April 26, 1984
William James “Count” Basie was born in New Jersey. His
mother gave him piano lessons as a child. At first, Basie
wanted to be a drummer. He went on to lead his own big
band called the Count Basie Orchestra. He is considered one
of the greatest musicians of the “Golden Age of Jazz”
Facts
• Basie was the first
African American
man to receive a
Grammy Award.
• He performed at the
inauguration of John
F. Kennedy in 1961.
Music
• One O’Clock Jump
• April in Paris
• Everyday I Have the
Blues
• Flip, Flop, and Fly
• The Kid from Red
Bank
Billie Holiday
Born: April 7, 1915
Died: July 17, 1959
Billie Holiday, nicknamed Lady Day, grew up in Baltimore.
She started her singing career as a teen, singing in small
clubs in Harlem. She recorded her first record at 18. She
was known for her songwriting skills, and for her courage to
stand up for equality.
Facts
• Holiday never had any
formal training and
didn’t even know how
to read music.
• Her real name was
Eleanora Fagan.
Music
•
•
•
•
•
•
Strange Fruit
Billie’s Blues
I’ll be Seeing You
Blue Moon
Body and Soul
Gloomy Sunday
John Coltrane
Born: September 23, 1926
Died: July 17, 1967
John Coltrane was born in to a very musical family. At a
young age, he showed an immediate talent playing the
saxophone. Coltrane was known for pushing the boundaries
of jazz. His music is still considered some of the most
influential jazz music of all time.
Facts
• Coltrane was
awarded the Grammy
Lifetime Achievement
Award after his
death.
• He was a pioneer for
a new sound he called
Free Jazz.
Music
•
•
•
•
•
•
Alabama
Giant Steps
Blue Train
In a Sentimental Mood
My Favorite Things
A Love Supreme
Miles Davis
Born: May 26, 1926
Died: September 28, 1991
Miles Davis was the child of a music teacher. He first started
to play the trumpet when he was 13 and was playing
professionally by the time he was in high school. Davis was
known for always moving forward and experimenting with
new sounds and techniques.
Facts
• Davis was inducted in
to the Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame in 2006.
• He studied for a short
time at Julliard, a
prestigious arts school.
Music
•
•
•
•
•
So What
Blue in Green
Deception
All Blues
Four
Thelonious Monk
Born: October 10, 1917
Died: February 17, 1982
Thelonious Monk began studying classical piano at 11 years old. At
13, he was winning the weekly talent show at the Apollo so often
that they banned him from entering. He didn’t record his first piece
until 1947, when he was 30. Monk was one of the creators of
modern jazz and was known for his originality.
Facts
• Monk was known for
his inventive piano
playing, sometimes
playing with his
elbows.
• Although he received
some lessons, Monk
was mostly self-taught.
Music
•
•
•
•
•
•
‘Round Midnight
Straight, No Chaser
Blue Monk
Ask Me Now
Monk’s Dream
I Mean You
Version #2
Fill in the Blank
Louis Armstrong
Born:
Died:
Louis Armstrong was born and raised in __________. As a
kid, he was taken in by a ___________who bought him his
first __________. When he was ____, Armstrong was
_______ and placed in a juvenile detention home. There, he
started to take ____________. He is known for his
_______________ voice and incredible ____________.
Facts
• Armstrong was known
as the __________
_________________.
• He loved performing
so much, sometimes he
would perform over
____shows in a year.
• He played for King
________________
of England in 1932.
Music
Ella Fitzgerald
Born:
Died:
Ella Fitzgerald was born in ___________. When she was
_____, she made her singing debut at the Apollo theatre in
a ___________________. Fitzgerald was the first
African-American woman to win a _________________.
In her career, she performed with a long list of jazz greats,
including ___________________.
Facts
• Ella’s nickname was
the _____________
________________
• By the end of her
career, she won ___
Grammy Awards.
• She also received the
________________
_______________.
Music
Duke Ellington
Born:
Died:
Duke Ellington was born in ____________________to a
family of ____________. He composed his first piece
when he was ____ and began to play professionally at
_____. During his ________________career as a
musician, he composed ____________ of pieces of music.
Facts
• Ellington helped
popularize ____
________ music,
which is jazz music
played with a band of
about ____
instruments.
• Ellington earned ____
Grammy Awards.
Music
Dizzy Gillespie
Born:
Died:
John Birks “Dizzy” Gillespie was a jazz _________ player
born in ___________________. He was known for his
_________________ as well as his talent. Dizzy was also
famous for his puffed cheeks and _____________. He
was one of the creators of a new type of jazz called
________________.
Facts
• Dizzy worked with
jazz greats like ____
____________ and
_______________.
• He received the
________________
__________in 1990.
Music
Charlie Parker
Born:
Died:
Charlie Parker, also known as ________ or __________,
was born in Kansas. Parker started playing music in _____
_____________ At _____, he decided to become a
________________ player. He, along with Dizzy Gillespie,
created ___________. Parker was a Grammy Awardwinning _________________.
Facts
• Parker played at the
________________
________________
in 1949
• A jazz club in New
York called the
________________
_______ was named
in honor of Parker.
Music
Count Basie
Born:
Died:
William James “Count” Basie was born in _____________.
His mother gave him _________________as a child. At
first, Basie wanted to be a _________. He went on to lead
his own big band called the Count Basie _____________.
He is considered one of the greatest musicians of the
__________________________.
Facts
• Basie was the first
African American
man to receive a
______________.
• He performed at the
inauguration of
________________
in 1961.
Music
Billie Holiday
Born:
Died:
Billie Holiday, nicknamed ______________, grew up in
______________. She started her singing career as a
__________, singing in small clubs in ___________. She
recorded her first record at _____. She was known for her
___________________skills, and for her courage to
stand up for ____________.
Facts
• Holiday never had any
__________
_____________ and
didn’t even know how
to _____________.
• Her real name was
_______________.
Music
John Coltrane
Born:
Died:
John Coltrane was born in to a very __________ family.
At a young age, he showed an immediate talent playing the
______________. Coltrane was known for pushing the
______________ of jazz. His music is still considered some
of the most _____________ jazz music of all time.
Facts
• Coltrane was
awarded the ______
________________
___________ after
his death.
• He was a pioneer for
a new sound he called
_______________.
Music
Miles Davis
Born:
Died:
Miles Davis was the child of a ___________________.
He first started to play the ____________when he was 13
and was playing professionally by the time he was in _____
__________. Davis was known for always ___________
___________ and experimenting with new sounds and
______________________.
Facts
• Davis was inducted in
to the ___________
________________
in 2006.
• He studied for a short
time at __________,
a prestigious arts
school.
Music
Thelonious Monk
Born:
Died:
Thelonious Monk began studying classical piano at ____ years old.
At _____, he was winning the weekly talent show at the _______
so often that they banned him from entering. He didn’t record his
first piece until ________, when he was _____. Monk was one of
the creators of ___________ jazz and was known for his
__________________.
Facts
• Monk was known for
his ____________
piano playing,
sometimes playing with
his __________.
• Although he received
some lessons, Monk
was mostly
_______________.
Music
•
•
•
•
•
•
‘Round Midnight
Straight, No Chaser
Blue Monk
Ask Me Now
Monk’s Dream
I Mean Now
Version #3
Blank
Louis Armstrong
Born:
Facts
Died:
Music
Ella Fitzgerald
Born:
Facts
Died:
Music
Duke Ellington
Born:
Facts
Died:
Music
Dizzy Gillespie
Born:
Facts
Died:
Music
Charlie Parker
Born:
Facts
Died:
Music
Count Basie
Born:
Facts
Died:
Music
Billie Holiday
Born:
Facts
Died:
Music
John Coltrane
Born:
Facts
Died:
Music
Miles Davis
Born:
Facts
Died:
Music
Thelonious Monk
Born:
Facts
Died:
Music