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Nick Travis
Nick Travis
American jazz musician
1
Bill Crow
Bill Crow
American bassist
2
Kai Winding
Kai Winding
Danish-born American jazz musician and trombonist
3
Pete Brown
Pete Brown
American musician
4
Teddy Wilson
Teddy Wilson
American pianist (1912-1986)
5
Zoot Sims
Zoot Sims
American jazz saxophonist
6
Jimmy Maxwell
Jimmy Maxwell
American musician
7
Mel Lewis
Mel Lewis
American musician
8
Johnny Hodges
Johnny Hodges
American alto saxophonist
9
Willie Dennis
Willie Dennis
jazz musician
10
Bob Brookmeyer
Bob Brookmeyer
American jazz valve trombonist, pianist, arranger, and composer
11
Gerry Mulligan
Gerry Mulligan
American jazz baritone saxophonist, arranger and composer
12
Don Butterfield
Don Butterfield
American musician
13
Gene Krupa
Gene Krupa
drummer, composer, bandleader
14
Howard McGhee
Howard McGhee
American trumpeter
15
Urbie Green
Urbie Green
American jazz trombonist
16
George Duvivier
George Duvivier
American musician
17
Al Cohn
Al Cohn
American saxophonist
18
Dave Pell
Dave Pell
American musician
19
Johnny Coles
Johnny Coles
American trumpeter
20
Dave Bailey
Dave Bailey
American drummer
21
Jack Teagarden
Jack Teagarden
American jazz musician
22
Wayne Andre
Wayne Andre
American trombonist
23
Dave Burns
Dave Burns
American musician, trumpeter and music educator
24
Ray Nance
Ray Nance
American musician
25
Jimmy Cleveland
Jimmy Cleveland
American jazz trombonist
26
Trigger Alpert
Trigger Alpert
musician
27
Terry Gibbs
Terry Gibbs
American vibraphonist
28
Larry Bunker
Larry Bunker
American musician
29
Ernie Henry
Ernie Henry
American musician
30
Jimmy Rowles
Jimmy Rowles
American jazz pianist
31
Barry Galbraith
Barry Galbraith
American guitarist
32
Ben Webster
Ben Webster
American saxophonist
33
Connie Kay
Connie Kay
American musician
34
Charlie Shavers
Charlie Shavers
jazz trumpeter
35
Flip Phillips
Flip Phillips
American jazz tenor saxophone and clarinet player
36
Kenny Burrell
Kenny Burrell
American jazz guitarist
37
Buddy DeFranco
Buddy DeFranco
American jazz clarinetist and bandleader
38
James Buffington
James Buffington
American musician
39
James Moody
James Moody
American jazz musician
40
Leroy Vinnegar
Leroy Vinnegar
American bassist
41
Joe Wilder
Joe Wilder
American trumpeter
42
Al Lucas
Al Lucas
Canadian jazz musician
43
Bernie Glow
Bernie Glow
American musician
44
Joe Mondragon
Joe Mondragon
Woody Herman Band member
45
Vic Dickenson
Vic Dickenson
American jazz trombonist
46
Sonny Clark
Sonny Clark
American musician
47
Alvin Stoller
Alvin Stoller
American musician
48
Reunald Jones
Reunald Jones
American musician
49
Eddie Bert
Eddie Bert
American musician
50
Joe Newman
Joe Newman
American musician
51
Clark Terry
Clark Terry
American swing and bebop musician
52
Gene Quill
Gene Quill
American musician
53
Britt Woodman
Britt Woodman
American jazz trombonist
54
Gene Ammons
Gene Ammons
American jazz tenor saxophonist
55
Conte Candoli
Conte Candoli
American musician
56
Illinois Jacquet
Illinois Jacquet
American jazz tenor saxophonist, songwriter
57
Sonny Stitt
Sonny Stitt
American jazz saxophonist
58
Matthew Gee
Matthew Gee
American musician
59
Ed Shaughnessy
Ed Shaughnessy
American jazz drummer
60
Peter Ind
Peter Ind
British jazz musician, painter and nonfiction writer
61
Tony Mottola
Tony Mottola
guitarist (1918-2004)
62
John Simmons
John Simmons
American jazz bassist
63
Rolf Ericson
Rolf Ericson
Swedish musician
64
Bill Holman
Bill Holman
American composer, arranger, and conductor
65
Everett Barksdale
Everett Barksdale
American jazz guitarist
66
Leonard Gaskin
Leonard Gaskin
American musician
67
Vido Musso
Vido Musso
Italian musician
68
Freddie Green
Freddie Green
American jazz guitarist
69
Chico Hamilton
Chico Hamilton
American musician
70
Mundell Lowe
Mundell Lowe
American jazz guitarist (1922-2017)
71
Gene Cherico
Gene Cherico
American musician
72
Buster Bailey
Buster Bailey
American musician
73
Bobby Donaldson
Bobby Donaldson
American musician
74
Cal Tjader
Cal Tjader
American Latin jazz musician, recording artist
75
Richie Kamuca
Richie Kamuca
American musician
76
Howard Roberts
Howard Roberts
American guitarist
77
Bill Harris
Bill Harris
American jazz trombonist
78
Teddy Kotick
Teddy Kotick
American musician
79
Hal McKusick
Hal McKusick
American jazz flautist and saxophonist
80
Milt Bernhart
Milt Bernhart
American musician
81
Henry Coker
Henry Coker
American musician
82
Billy Byers
Billy Byers
American jazz trombonist and arranger (1927-1996)
Bernie Leighton
American musician

Bernie Leighton

Intro
American musician
Genres
Music

Bernie Leighton (January 30, 1921 – September 16, 1994) was an American jazz pianist.

Leighton was born in West Haven, Connecticut. He first played professionally at the end of the 1930s. He played with Bud Freeman, Leo Reisman, Raymond Scott (1940) and Benny Goodman (1940-41) before serving in the Army. Following his discharge, he worked as a studio sideman, with Dave Tough (1946), Billie Holiday (1949), Neal Hefti (1951), Goodman again, Artie Shaw (1953), John Serry, Sr. (1956), James Moody (1963) and Bob Wilber (1969). He did a tour with Tony Bennett in 1972-73.

While Leighton was best known as a sideman, he also recorded extensively as a leader; he recorded for Keynote Records in 1946, Mercury Records in 1950, an LP on Columbia Records in 1950, Brunswick in 1951, LPs for Disneyland and Capitol in 1957, and a tribute to Duke Ellington released in 1974.

His instrumental cover of Connie Francis' "Don't Break The Heart That Loves You" on the Colpix label in 1962 reached #101 on Billboard's listing.

Leighton has a cameo role in the film Hannah and Her Sisters (1986). He died in Coconut Creek, Florida.