I have many favorite jazz instrumentalists and singers covering all eras and styles.  While it is easy to
find most of the active performers on the internet by putting a www. before their name and a .com
after it (if they have a website), here are an assortment who I strongly recommend seeking out.

Rob Mullins is a very versatile and colorful pianist who always puts on a good show. He can play
anything from straightahead jazz to funky r&b and sound original, distinctive and enthusiastic. He
also has a continually interesting website.  ROB MULLINS

Diane Hubka is a fine singer-guitarist from the East coast who happily relocated to the Los Angeles
area.  Her warm voice is always a joy to hear.   DIANE HUBKA

Although I generally think of Greg Abate as a hard-swinging bebop altoist, he also plays tenor,
soprano and flute on the same high level.   GREG ABATE

Meredith D'Ambrosio is the type of singer who grows on you.  Her lyrics are very intelligent and her
soft voice ranges from haunting to quietly sensual.   MEREDITH D'AMBROSIO

A major force in the Los Angeles area as a singer, band leader, entertainer and producer of
concerts, club dates and special events, Judy Chamberlain sings everything from swing to rock & roll
in a very spontaneous and often-surprising style with her tight band.  JUDY CHAMBERLAIN

Riz is an unusual and infectious performer, a one-man roots blues band.  I heard him playing some
vibes last year but he also plays guitar, kazoo, hi-hat and bass drum in addition to singing.  Quite
fun.   RIZ

Terry Blaine can always be relied upon to add life and swing to 1930s and '40s standards, often
teaming up with pianist Mark Shane.  Her recent Benny Goodman Songbook CD, which also features
clarinetist Allan Vache, is very good.   TERRY BLAINE

Ann Hampton Callaway could have spent her entire life singing cabaret music and enjoying her fame.
Instead she loved jazz so much that she switched her emphasis towards creative music.  She is a
major asset and delight for the jazz world.   ANN HAMPTON CALLAWAY

I always see Anton Schwartz at jazz conventions and festivals.  In addition to being a fine
tenor-saxophonist with a large tone, Anton is fun to hang out with.   ANTON SCHWARTZ

Corina Bartra sings both "World Jazz" and "Music For Bliss and Transformation."  Her haunting and
memorable vocals are in their own special category.   CORINA BARTRA

Always an exciting performer and a singer with a big heart, Dee Dee Bridgewater has long ranked
near the top of her field.   DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER

Trombonist Big Bill Bissonnette has always been a great proponent of New Orleans jazz, not only in
his playing but in his producing of a long series of enjoyable recordings. His Jazz Crusade label's
catalog is quite impressive.  JAZZ CRUSADE

A passionate jazz vocalist who should be much better known, Tessa Souter has an eclectic repertoire
and style; both filled with surprises.  TESSA SOUTER

Few singers perform the music of Mildred Bailey and her contemporaries with as much
understanding, warmth and talent as the lovable Daryl Sherman.   DARYL SHERMAN

A brilliant pianist with a highly original style, G.F. Mlely's music is complete yet accessible.  
G.F. MLELY

A delightful dixieland and swing jazz singer, Carol Leigh is a famous name on the trad jazz circuit, and
one of the best.  CAROL LEIGH

Subtle yet constantly creative, lyrical yet never shy to stretch herself, Andrea Wolper is a true jazz
singer.   ANDREA WOLPER

Pianist-singer Jeannie Cheatham (who recently wrote her colorful memoirs) and the late bass
trombonist Jimmy Cheatham co-led the Sweet Baby Blues Band, one of the most swinging and fun
bands around.   THE CHEATHAMS

A singer with a real feel for 1920s and '30s jazz including Annette Hanshaw and Ruth Etting, Barbara
Rosene is a major addition to the New York trad jazz scene.  Her records are a constant delight.   
BARBARA ROSENE

An excellent trumpeter whose style and stage personality is somewhere between Al Hirt and Louis
Prima, Lance Buller puts on entertaining shows on the West Coast.    LANCE BULLER

Altoist Virginia Mayhew has been gaining a well-deserved reputation as a consistently inventive
improviser.    VIRGINIA MAYHEW

Denise Donatelli's In The Company Of Friends is one of the most impressive vocal debut recordings
of recent times; her voice and Tom Garvin's arrangements work together perfectly.
DENISE DONATELLI

An adventurous singer from Canada who is well worth knowing, Jeannette Lambert's recent CD Sand
Underfoot has pianist Paul Bley as a guest.   JEANNETTE LAMBERT  

Stride piano would be a lost art form were it not for a select few.  Judy Carmichael is a powerful
pianist and a stride master despite not looking the slightest bit like Fats Waller.   
JUDY CARMICHAEL

Another fine stride pianist, Jeff Barnhart, is often hilarious onstage particularly when playing with the
Titan Hot 7.  However he has his serious side too, whether it be his recent Arbors solo piano CD or
performing duets with his wife, classical flutist Anne Barnhart.  JEFF BARNHART

A singer with a big heart, a warm voice and plenty of charisma, Roseanna Vitro is always a delight.  
Her most recent recording, Live At The Kennedy Center, is one of her best.  ROSEANNA VITRO

April Barrows is unusual in two respects. She is an excellent jazz singer who lives in Nashville (home
of country music) and she writes original songs that one would swear came from the 1920s or '30s.
Happily she is currently recording her long overdue third CD. Check out her songs. APRIL BARROWS

Phyllis Chapell sings what she calls "world songs" in ten different languages. She always displays the
spirit of a jazz singer, stretching boundaries with her group Siora. She is a new discovery.  
PHYLLIS CHAPELL          SIORA

Patti Wicks is an exquisite singer-pianist whose Max Jazz release Love Locked Out is one of the
finest ballad albums in recent times.   PATTI WICKS

One of the top jazz singers in Sweden and one who is heard at her best singing her intriguing
originals on In The Middle Of A Riddle, Jeanette Lindstrom is currently recording a standards album
and is well worth checking out.  JEANETTE LINDSTROM

A very talented guitarist living in Portland whose most recent CD is New Wings, the underrated
Margaret Slovak has a lyrical, thoughtful and often-introspective style yet also swings.
MARGARET SLOVAK

She has never recorded often enough, but whenever Nanette Natal makes a recording or a personal
appearance, it is always memorable. She has both a powerful voice and a continually creative spirit.
NANETTE NATAL

A truly amazing saxophonist, 93-year old Al Gallodoro is still performing and recording. His
recordings, whether now or 50 years ago, have to be heard to be believed. Think Rudy Weidoeft
meets Earl Bostic.
AL GALLODORO

A fine young singer from New York who recently released Soho Jazz, Joan Bender has lots of
potential. JOAN BENDER




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