One of the least popular genres in the United States, jazz has become underrated over time. Nevertheless, the jazz music genre contributed a lot to the creation of popular music of this time. As the title of this article suggests, we are going to start a discussion on famous jazz trumpet players today.
A trumpet is highly associated with jazz as it is used in many different types of music. However, it is also among the instruments that are difficult to master.
With this fact in mind, making a list of ten famous jazz trumpet players is a bit challenging. After all, trumpet players carry the melody of a song /album. Moreover, we have seen many trumpet masters over time.
But hey! Today’s topic focuses on today’s popular jazz trumpet players. So we will try to include biographies of today’s famous jazz trumpet players who rose to fame through their work.
10 of The Popular Jazz Trumpet Players Today!
Unfortunately making a list of ten famous jazz players today is more challenging than making a list of hundreds of jazz trumpet players. After all, picking at random could make this article a point of contention. So, here in this article, I will try to rank some of the famous trumpet players today according to the information available all over the web.
| Name | Instrument |
| 1. Wynton Marsalis | Trumpet |
| 2. Cindy Bradley | Trumpet, Flugelhorn |
| 3. Terence Oliver Blanchard | Trumpet, Piano, Keyboard |
| 4. Chris Botti | Jazz, Smooth Jazz, Pop |
| 5. Roger Ingram | Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Piano |
| 6. Mathias Eick | Trumpet |
| 7. Ibrahim Maalouf | Piccolo Trumpet, Trumpet, Flugelhorn |
| 8. Brian Newman | Trumpet |
| 9. Jon Faddis | Trumpet, Flugelhorn |
| 10. Ingrid Jensen | Trumpet |
1. Wynton Marsalis
Born: October 18, 1961
Instrument: Trumpet
Genre: Jazz, Classical, Dixieland
Career: Musician, Composer, Artistic Director, etc
Active: 1980 to Present
Wynton Learson Marsalis is an American trumpet player who has released many award-winning albums. His contribution to music as a trumpet player made him one of the best trumpet players we have today. As a trumpet player, he is the only individual to win a Grammy in both jazz and classical in a year.
Career
Wynton’s career started in 1980 when he was around 19 to 20 years old, touring Europe as a member of the Art Blakey big band. At first, he was serious about pursuing classical music but later dropped his desire and shifted to become a jazz trumpet player.
Later, Wynton signed a contract with Columbia records to record his first album. As a trumpet player, he has worked on several projects that brought him fame and awards.
Awards and Honors
- George Foster Peabody Award(1995)
- 9x Grammy Awards
- The Frederick Douglass Medallion
- Arts Education Award
- Dutch Edison Award
- the French Grand Prix du Disque
- Louis Armstrong Memorial Medal
- The Algur H. Meadows Award
2. Cindy Bradley
Born: December 11, 1977
Instrument: Trumpet and Flugelhorn
Genre: Smooth Jazz and Contemporary Jazz
Career: Musician/Composer
Active: 2005 to Present
Cindy Lynn Bradley is an American smooth jazz trumpet player from North Tonawanda, New York. In her music career, she won six notable awards from 2009 to 2011. It is her outstanding skill over the trumpet that brought her into the limelight of where she is now.
Career
Bradley would’ve never chosen to play trumpet if her teacher didn’t have trumpet as an instrument on the list for school band classes. As a schoolgirl, she was more focused on playing Traditional Jazz. She later earned her degrees in jazz studies from Ithaca Private College.
Although she started her career in 2005, her professional career in 2007 by publishing her first album Just a Little Bit on her label. Two years later she signed with Les Cutmore’s Trippin’ N’ Rhythm Records to record her second album “Bloom” with Michael Broening. She released five albums as a leader in Trippin’ N’ Rhythm Records.
Awards and Honors
- Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival Debut Artist of the Year (2009)
- American Smooth Jazz Awards Best New Artist (2010)
- Oasis Contemporary Jazz Award (2011)
- Oasis Contemporary Jazz Award (2011)
- Jazziz Magazine’s Critics’ Choice of the Year for Unscripted (2011) and a few others
3. Terence Oliver Blanchard
Born: March 13, 1962
Instrument: Trumpet, Piano, Keyboard
Genre: Jazz
Career: Musician, Composer, Conductor, Orchestrator
Active: 1982 to Present
Reaching 3rd on our list, we have Terence Blanchard, who is a 5x Grammy winner American trumpet player and composer. He ranks among the famous jazz trumpet players today and is notable for getting nominations on fourteen annual Grammy awards. As a jazz trumpeter, he is famous for his amazing work in the music industry.
Career
Terence Oliver Blanchard started his professional music career as a jazz trumpet player in 1982 by joining the Lionel Hampton Orchestra. Later in 1990, he composed his first debut for Columbia Records, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. His self-titled debut for Columbia Records became 3rd on the Billboard Jazz Chart.
The 90s period was only the beginning of Terence’s professional career as a jazz trumpet player. Soon in two decades, Terence earned noteworthy awards and honors that only a handful are capable of; He has composed more than 40+ movie scores and performed over fifty.
Awards and Honors
From 1982 to 2022, Terence was nominated for multiple academic Awards and honors and has won a couple of them. Throughout his career, Terence Blanchard was selected for Grammy awards at fourteen annual Grammy Awards and won five Grammys.
Besides getting nominations at multiple annual award ceremonies, he got nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in 2022.
4. Chris Botti
Born: October 12, 1962
Instrument: Trumpet
Genre: Jazz, Smooth Jazz, Pop
Career: Musician
Active: 1990 to Present
Christopher Stephen Botti is an American famous award-winning trumpeter and composer. He is admired for his versatility in both jazz and pop music. He has received five Grammy Award nominations; Four of his albums have peaked at #1 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart.
Career
In 1990, Chris Botti met one of the most acclaimed songwriters Paul Simon and developed a recording bond. During his time with Paul, he got to record with the likes of – Aretha Franklin, Natalie Cole, Bette Midler, Joni Mitchell, Natalie Merchant, Scritti Politti, and a few more. One year later, he performed with Paul as part of The Rhythm of the Saints tour.
In 1995, Botti co-produced a track on the Brecker Brothers’ album, “Out of the Loop,” which won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Jazz Performance. The same year, Botti made his solo debut with “First Wish”.
His second step, “Midnight Without You,” was released in 1997 with a collaboration with Blue Nile vocalist Paul Buchanan. After a five-year stint with Verve Recordings, Botti shifted his career trajectory by beginning to work with Columbia Recordings and continues to do so.
Awards and Honors
Chris Botti won the Best Pop Instrumental Album award for his tenth studio album Impressions in 2013.
5. Roger Ingram
Born: November 13, 1957
Instrument: Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Piano
Genre: Jazz, Swing, Pop
Career: Musician, Teacher, Author, Instrument Designer
Active: 1972 to Present
Roger O’Neal Ingram is a multi-talented Jazz trumpeter. He has shared his work for three Grammy-nominated albums as well as the Grammy Award-winning album Danzon.
Career
Although starting trumpet at the age of eight, Roger Ingram began his journey at sixteen in 1972. During his early career, he toured with Hall of Famer Louie Bellson (the late). During this time, he gets to share section duties with Blue Mitchell, Bobby Shue, Kat Anderson, and others.
Soon after becoming 18 years old, Roger received his opportunity to play his first trumpet with 1966 Grammy Award winner and one of the best pop singers Tom Jones.
Later in 1985, Roger joined one of the best musicians of the 1930s, Woody Herman as a lead trumpeter. During his time with Herman, Roger contributed to releasing three Grammy-nominated albums:
- The 50th Anniversary Tour
- Woody’s Gold Star
- The Concord Years
Later in 1990, Roger joined Harry Connick Jr. and released three albums with Connick. Four years later, he joined the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra band and released three albums. In 1997, Roger left jazz and toured with one of the most influential singers in history, Ray Charles, for two years.
In 2005, Roger retired from being a sideman and began his solo career in 2014 with his album, “Roger Ingram Live at the College Hideaway”.
Awards and Honors
- Inducted into Kentucky Museum Instruments of American Excellence Collection (2014)
- Lead trumpeter on 2x Grammy-winning recordings
- Lead trumpeter on Blood on the Fields, which won the Pulitzer Prize
Moreover, Roger has contributed to several award-winning recordings, and his work received nominations for several awards. No wonder why he deserves to be one of the top ten most famous jazz trumpet players today.
6. Mathias Eick
Born: 16 June 1979
Instrument: Trumpet
Genre: Jazz
Career: Musician, Composer
Active: 2000 to Present
Mathias Eick is a jazz musician from Furnes, Hedmark /Norway. He is the brother of two of the best jazz musicians Johannes Eick and Trude Eick. His releases on ECM Records made him famous. But of course, the trumpet is not the only instrument Matthias excels at; He expanded his knowledge on various devices such as upright bass, vibraphone, piano, and guitar.
Career
Mathias started his music career as a Session Musician for the Motorpsycho band and released the Phanerothyme album in 2001. He released multiple albums as a session musician for different bands over years until 2012.
Mathias Eick has released five albums with the Jaga Jazzist band. It is the only band Mathias has worked in the most as a sideman. His last work as a sideman was With Unifony (Minco Eggersman and Theodoor Borger) which published the album Unifony in 2018.
He began his solo career in 2008 with the release of his album “The Door”. As a solo artist, he has released five albums for the ECM. His latest album, “When We Leave,” with the ECM brand, was released in 2021.
Awards and Honors
Mathias Eick has won the International Jazz Award for New Talent in 2007.
7. Ibrahim Maalouf
Born: 5 November 1980
Instrument: Piccolo Trumpet, Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Genre: Jazz, Classical
Career: Musician
Active: 1997 to Present
Ibrahim Maalouf is a Lebanese trumpeter from a musical family. His father, Nassim, is also a Lebanese classical trumpeter, and his mother, Nada Maalouf, is a Pianist. Maalouf became the first instrumentalist in the history of Lebanon to get a nomination at the Grammy Awards for his album.
Career
Ibrahim began his career as a trumpeter in 1997 at the age of 17. In 1999, Ibrahim presented his first composition and continued his journey to meet producer Marc-Antoine Moreau in 2000. Later in 2004, Ibrahim got his chance to discover various other music styles after collaborating with pop and rock singers.
Later in 2006, with the help of Perrier, Ibrahim formed a band and released a concert at the Paris New Morning Jazz Club. In his career, Ibrahim performed with followers of rock, electronic, and jazz-funk styles yet continued to follow his own Arabic culture in his playing.
Awards and Honors
- First Prize In The Hungarian International Trumpet Competition In Pilisvörösvár (2002)
- First Prize In The National Trumpet Competition (2001)
- Second Prize In The Maurice André International Competition (2003)
- Instrumental Revelation Of The Year At The French Jazz Music Awards
- Best World Music Artist At The French Music Awards (2014)
- Best Original Score Award (2017)
- First Lebanese Instrumentalist To Get A Nomination At Grammy Awards
8. Brian Newman
Born: June 10, 1981
Instrument: Trumpet
Genre: Jazz
Career: Musician, Singer
Active: 1990 to Present
Brian Newman is an American jazz trumpet player widely known for his work with Lady Gaga.
Career
Brian began his career by performing in venues across New York City with Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music graduates. He received a boost in his career by performing as a trumpet instrumentalist for Tony Bennett and Mark Murphy.
While in New York City, Brian became friends with Lady Gaga through her boyfriend, Luc Carl. It led Brian to receive a chance to perform for Lady Gaga in several specials. Brian appeared on Lady Gaga’s Jazz album, in return, Gaga also made a surprise appearance at Brian Newman’s gigs across town.
Awards and Honors
Despite working on several occasions with Lady Gaga and others, Brian has yet to win a major award in his career.
9. Jon Faddis
Born: July 24, 1953
Instrument: Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Genre: Bebop, Jazz
Career: Musician
Active: 1971 to Present
Jon Faddis is one of the most famous Jazz trumpet players for his outstanding work with instruments. One of his albums has been nominated for a Grammy award. Moreover, he has contributed to releasing eleven albums as a leader. However, Jon Faddis has more contributions in releasing albums as a sideman.
Career
Jon Faddis began his music career in 1971 at the age of eighteen by joining Lionel Hampton’s big band. Later he joined the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra band as a lead trumpeter and continued pursuing his career. Sharing performance alongside one of the greatest Jazz musicians in history, Jon soon became a noted studio musician in New York City.
Jon continued his career as a lead trumpeter from 1974 to 2006, after which he continued playing trumpet as a sideman. As of today, Jon Faddis has worked with the likes of Peter Allen, Charles Mingus, Anthony Braxton, Lalo Schifrin, and more.
However, Music is not the only field Jon had his focus on. Continuing his work as a Jazz trumpet player, Jon soon expanded his occupation list by becoming a notable Conductor, Composer, and Educator.
Awards and Honors
Jon Faddis released the Grammy Award-nominated album Remembrances and worked on many award-winning albums.
10. Ingrid Jensen
Born: January 12, 1966
Instrument: Trumpet
Genre: Jazz
Career: Musician
Active: 1987 to Present
Since we are listing famous Jazz trumpet players today, we can’t overlook the Canadian jazz trumpeter Ingrid Jensen. She has won Juno Award for her debut album and has worked on several projects as a jazz trumpet player.
Career
Jensen began her pursuit of being a Jazz trumpeter in 1987 when she was 21 years old. In 1994, She joined DIVA Big Band and had already released her debut album Vernal Fields which won a Juno Award. Following her professional career as a trumpet player, Jensen got the opportunity to work with multiple Grammy Award winner Maria Schneider. She even appeared in Saturday Night Live with English singer Corrine Bailey Rae.
Jensen had worked on eleven albums as a leader and had worked with several Award-winner musicians and composers as a guest.
Awards and honors
Despite receiving a Juno award for her debut album, she hasn’t captured any major awards to this date. However, she has shared her work in many award-winning albums.
Conclusion
Jazz has been a major genre of popular music since the 1920s. Although it is losing its popularity in the United States, other parts of the world still value this genre.
And after concluding our topic related to famous jazz trumpet players today, I hope this article doesn’t create an argument in the comment section. We have made this article based on the research and information gathered from the web.
Feel free to share your own favorite jazz trumpet players in the comment. Let us know if we have missed out on someone who deserved a place on this list.
People Also Read:
