100 Greatest Jazz Flutists

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Criteria: This list of jazz flutists is based on their improvisation, influence, originality, versatility, and impact on modern jazz music. It's mostly classic jazz, but a little bit of smooth jazz too.

Greatest Jazz Flutists

  1. Eric Dolphy
  2. Herbie Mann
  3. Rahsaan Roland Kirk
  4. Jerome Richardson
  5. Hubert Laws
  6. James Moody
  7. David "Fathead" Newman
  8. Frank Wess
  9. Jim Newsom
10. Yusef Lateef
11. Ali Ryerson
12. Sam Most
13. Charles Lloyd
14. Bud Shank
15. Jim Walker
16. Nestor Torres
17. Alexander Zonjic
18. Tim Weisberg
19. Robert Dick
20. Gigi Gryce
21. Gilberto Valdez
22. Sam Marowitz
23. Jerry Dodgion
24. Severino Gazzellioni
25. Jeremy Steig
26. Kent Jordan
27. Dave Valentin
28. Joe Farrell
29. Jeremy Clay
30. Roger Glenn
31. Dan Trimboli
32. Albert Socarras
33. Nathan Davis
34. Paul Horn
35. Wayman Carver
36. Bobby Jaspar
37. Buddy Collette
38. Harry Klee
39. Holly Hoffman
40. Steve Kujala
41. Sam Rivers
42. Ira Sullivan
43. Prince Lasha
44. Lloyd McNeil
45. Byard Lancaster
46. James Newton
47. Joe Henderson
48. Bob Downes
49. Lew Tabackin
50. Moe Koffman

51. Bobbi Humphrey
52. Ronald Snijders
53. Phillip Bent
54. Doug Harris
55. Jane Bunnett
56. Bennie Maupin
57. Magic Malik
58. Hermeto Pascoal
59. Micheal Edelin
60. Jorge Pardo
61. Thijs Van Leer
62. Julien Monti
63. Deepak Ram
64. Jamie Baum
65. Thomas Chapin
66. Mathias Ziegler
67. Mathieu Schneider
68. Andrea Brachfeld
69. Bill McBirnie
70. Stefan Keller
71. Urban Hansson
72. Paul Cheneour
73. Sherry Winston
74. Kenny Stahl
75. Derrick Davis
76. Bettine Clemen
77. Jan Leder
78. Zig Noda
79. Eddie Perales
80. Robert Goldman
81. George Colovus
82. Simeon Shtrev
83. Sahib Shihab
84. Nora Nausbuam
85. Peter Guidi
86. Mark Weinstein
87. Mark Alban Lotz
88. Danilo Lozano
89. Leo Wright
90. Nicola Stilo
91. Harold McNair
92. George Adams
93. Sonny Fortune
94. Viviana Guzman
95. Howard Rumsey
96. Trey Eley
97. Carlos Jimenez
98. Bradley Leighton
99. Matt Marvuglio
100. Mindy Canter

Some listening recommendations:

"Out to Lunch!" - Eric Dolphy
"The Best of Herbie Mann" - Herbie Mann
"Midnight Oil" - Jerome Richardson
"Rip, Rig, and Panic" - Rahsaan Roland Kirk
"Now Please Don't You Cry Beautiful Edith" - Rahsaan Roland Kirk
"The Laws of Jazz" - Hubert Laws
"At the Tallinn Jazz Festival in the Soviet Union" - Charles Lloyd
"Eastern Sounds" - Yusef Lateef
"Flute n' Oboe" - Bud Shank
"Young at Heart" - James Moody
"The Sound of Wide Open Spaces" - James Clay/David "Fathead" Newman
"The Sacred Fire" - Nicholas Gunn
"Time Traveler: Three Decade Journey" - Tim Weisberg
"Burning Whispers" - Nestor Torres
"Elegant Evening" - Alexander Zonjic

Eric Dolphy

Herbie Mann

Edited By: Alvin, Lew

Last Updated: 2020-03-08
Newly added names are in Red