0
Randy Sandke
Randy Sandke
American musician
1
Ziggy Elman
Ziggy Elman
American musician
2
James Chirillo
James Chirillo
Jazz guitar
3
Ben Aronov
Ben Aronov
American pianist
4
Eddie Duran
Eddie Duran
American jazz guitarist
5
zeke Zarchy
zeke Zarchy
American jazz trumpeter
6
Pee Wee Erwin
Pee Wee Erwin
American musician
7
Bernie Privin
Bernie Privin
American musician
8
Jess Stacy
Jess Stacy
American musician
9
Herbie Harper
Herbie Harper
American musician
10
Laurie Frink
Laurie Frink
American musician and music educator
11
Ed Polcer
Ed Polcer
American musician
12
Warren Vaché
Warren Vaché
American musician
13
Bunny Berigan
Bunny Berigan
American musician
14
Benny Goodman
Benny Goodman
American jazz musician, band leader
15
Jack Six
Jack Six
US-american jazz musician
16
Allan Vache
Allan Vache
American musician
17
McClure Morris
McClure Morris
American musician
18
Michael Moore
Michael Moore
American jazz bassist
19
Hal McIntyre
Hal McIntyre
American musician
20
Peter Appleyard
Peter Appleyard
Canadian vibraphonist
21
Nat Adderley
Nat Adderley
American recording artist; jazz cornet and trumpet player
22
Nate Kazebier
Nate Kazebier
American musician
23
Bosse Broberg
Bosse Broberg
Swedish trumpeter
24
Henry Lowther
Henry Lowther
British musician
25
Francis Williams
Francis Williams
American jazz musician
26
Charlie Shavers
Charlie Shavers
jazz trumpeter
27
George Adams
George Adams
musician
28
Bobby Hackett
Bobby Hackett
American jazz musician
29
Taft Jordan
Taft Jordan
Jazz trumpeter
30
Hazy Osterwald
Hazy Osterwald
Swiss trumpeter (1922-2012)
31
Don Lamond
Don Lamond
American musician
32
Herb Pomeroy
Herb Pomeroy
American trumpeter
33
Joe Magnarelli
Joe Magnarelli
American musician
34
Marty Sheller
Marty Sheller
American jazz trumpeter
35
Peanuts Hucko
Peanuts Hucko
American jazz musician
36
Cal Collins
Cal Collins
American musician
37
Allan Ganley
Allan Ganley
British musician
38
Chuck Wilson
Chuck Wilson
American musician (1948-2018)
39
Jake Hanna
Jake Hanna
American drummer
40
Scott Hamilton
Scott Hamilton
American musician
41
Cootie Williams
Cootie Williams
American trumpeter
42
Aimé Barelli
Aimé Barelli
French conductor and trumpeter
43
Joel Helleny
Joel Helleny
American musician
44
Nick Travis
Nick Travis
American jazz musician
45
Hymie Shertzer
Hymie Shertzer
American musician
46
John Eckert
John Eckert
American jazz trumpeter
47
Kenny Clarke
Kenny Clarke
American jazz drummer
48
Marshal Royal
Marshal Royal
American musician
49
Lee Katzman
Lee Katzman
American musician
50
Tony Coe
Tony Coe
British jazz musician
51
Earle Warren
Earle Warren
jazz musician
52
John Kirby
John Kirby
jazz bassist
53
Artie Bernstein
Artie Bernstein
American jazz bassist
54
Billy Bauer
Billy Bauer
American jazz guitarist
55
Pete Candoli
Pete Candoli
American musician (1923-2008)
56
Jack Butler
Jack Butler
American musician
57
Fritz Brocksieper
Fritz Brocksieper
German musician
58
Dave Burns
Dave Burns
American musician, trumpeter and music educator
59
Charles Davis
Charles Davis
American musician
60
George Masso
George Masso
American musician
61
Harry James
Harry James
American trumpeter, big band leader
62
Money Johnson
Money Johnson
American musician
63
Herb Geller
Herb Geller
American saxophonist (1928-2013)
64
Tommy Dorsey
Tommy Dorsey
American big band leader and musician
65
Kai Winding
Kai Winding
Danish-born American jazz musician and trombonist
66
Chico O'Farrill
Chico O'Farrill
Cuban composer and musician
67
Lionel Hampton
Lionel Hampton
American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, bandleader and actor (1908-2002)
68
Wallace Jones
Wallace Jones
American trumpeter
69
Christian McBride
Christian McBride
American musician
70
Dave Holland
Dave Holland
British musician
71
Floyd Bean
Floyd Bean
American musician and pianist
72
Carson Smith
Carson Smith
American musician
73
Ed Bickert
Ed Bickert
Canadian musician
74
Maynard Ferguson
Maynard Ferguson
Canadian jazz musician and bandleader
75
Woody Herman
Woody Herman
American recording artist, clarinetist, band leader
76
Michael Weiss
Michael Weiss
American musician
77
Pat Jenkins
Pat Jenkins
78
Dave Pell
Dave Pell
American musician
79
Barry Harris
Barry Harris
American bebop jazz pianist
Chris Griffin
American jazz trumpeter of the swing era

Chris Griffin

Intro
American jazz trumpeter of the swing era
Genres
Griffin on The Ed Sullivan Show (1963)

Gordon Claude "Chris" Griffin (October 31, 1915 – June 18, 2005) was an American jazz trumpeter.

Griffin was born in Binghamton, New York but moved to White Plains when he was ten; he began playing trumpet at age twelve, and played in dance bands as a teenager. He worked with Charlie Barnet, Rudy Vallee, Miff Mole, Mildred Bailey, Teddy Wilson, and Joe Haymes in the mid-1930s, and did work as a studio musician for CBS radio broadcasting. In 1936 he joined Benny Goodman's big band, remaining with him until 1939. He appeared in several movies as a member of Goodman's ensemble, such as The Big Broadcast of 1937 and Hollywood Hotel, and was the last surviving member of Goodman's band to perform in the first major jazz event at Carnegie Hall which was recorded and later released as The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert. In 1940 he played with Jimmy Dorsey and occasionally returned to Goodman's band in the 1940s and 1950s, but primarily worked on staff at CBS from the late 1930s onward. He played trumpet for radio television soundtracks into the 1980s, including for The Ed Sullivan Show, The Jackie Gleason Show, Lucky Strike Hit Parade, The Philip Morris Playhouse, and Camel Caravan.

Griffin and Pee Wee Erwin co-founded a trumpet education school which operated from 1966 to 1970, and toured with Warren Covington in Europe in 1974. He worked with Tex Beneke, Bud Freeman, and Warren Vaché Sr. later in his career. In the 1980s he led an ensemble of his own which included sidemen such as Marty Napoleon, Sonny Igoe, Jane Jarvis, and Major Holley.

Griffin was married to vocalist Helen O'Brien for 60 years until her death in 2000. The couple had four sons, one of whom also died in 2000, and two daughters. He died aged 89 in 2005 of melanoma.