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Lonnie Smith
Lonnie Smith
American jazz musician
1
Creed Taylor
Creed Taylor
American record producer
2
Stanley Turrentine
Stanley Turrentine
American musician
3
Ray Barretto
Ray Barretto
Puerto Rican jazz musician
4
George Avakian
George Avakian
American record producer of Armenian descent
5
Jack McDuff
Jack McDuff
American jazz organist and organ trio bandleader
6
Orrin Keepnews
Orrin Keepnews
American record producer
7
Max Roach
Max Roach
American jazz percussionist, drummer, and composer
8
The Jazz Messengers
The Jazz Messengers
American jazz band
9
Marlena Shaw
Marlena Shaw
American singer
10
Donald Byrd
Donald Byrd
American recording artist; jazz and rhythm & blues trumpeter and vocalist
11
David "Fathead" Newman
David "Fathead" Newman
American jazz and rhythm-and-blues saxophonist
12
Carmen McRae
Carmen McRae
American jazz musician and actress
13
Branford Marsalis
Branford Marsalis
American saxophonist, composer, and bandleader (born 1960)
14
Stanley Jordan
Stanley Jordan
American jazz guitarist
15
Alfred Lion
Alfred Lion
American record executive born in Germany
16
Charnett Moffett
Charnett Moffett
American musician
17
Soulive
Soulive
18
Alphonse Mouzon
Alphonse Mouzon
American musician (1948-2016)
19
Teo Macero
Teo Macero
American jazz saxophonist, composer, and record producer
20
Esmond Edwards
Esmond Edwards
American photographer and record producer
21
Sonny Lester
Sonny Lester
American record producer
22
Bobbi Humphrey
Bobbi Humphrey
American soul-jazz musician
23
Jean Carn
Jean Carn
American singer
24
Odell Brown
Odell Brown
American jazz organist, songwriter
25
Kenny Garrett
Kenny Garrett
American musician
26
Willie Bobo
Willie Bobo
American musician
27
Ronnie Foster
Ronnie Foster
American organist and record producer
28
Joe Chambers
Joe Chambers
American jazz drummer, pianist, vibraphonist and composer
29
Charlie Persip
Charlie Persip
American jazz drummer
30
Woody Shaw
Woody Shaw
American musician
31
Booker Ervin
Booker Ervin
American saxophonist
32
Mark de Clive-Lowe
Mark de Clive-Lowe
New Zealand musician
33
Cassandra Wilson
Cassandra Wilson
American jazz singer, songwriter, and producer from Jackson, Mississippi
34
Grover Washington, Jr.
Grover Washington, Jr.
American recording artist, jazz-funk / soul-jazz saxophonist (1943-1999)
35
Johnny Bristol
Johnny Bristol
American musician, songwriter and record producer
36
Dexter Gordon
Dexter Gordon
American jazz tenor saxophonist
37
Grant Green
Grant Green
American jazz guitarist and composer
38
George Duvivier
George Duvivier
American musician
39
Nicola Conte
Nicola Conte
Italian DJ and nu jazz musician
40
Cedar Walton
Cedar Walton
American hard bop jazz pianist
41
George Coleman
George Coleman
American musician
42
Joe Sample
Joe Sample
American pianist
43
Tom Wilson
Tom Wilson
American record producer (1931-1978)
44
Harold Vick
Harold Vick
American musician
45
Curtis Fuller
Curtis Fuller
American jazz musician
46
Ronnie Mathews
Ronnie Mathews
American musician
47
George Benson
George Benson
American recording artist, guitarist, singer, and songwriter
48
Steve Wilson
Steve Wilson
American jazz musician
49
Bob Thiele
Bob Thiele
American record producer, music executive (1922-1996)
50
Johnny Griffin
Johnny Griffin
American musician
51
Jimmy McGriff
Jimmy McGriff
American hard bop and soul-jazz organist and organ trio bandleader (1936-2008)
52
Ravi Coltrane
Ravi Coltrane
American jazz saxophonist (born 1965)
53
Berry Gordy
Berry Gordy
American Music Executive, Record Producer
54
Terry Callier
Terry Callier
American jazz, soul and folk guitarist and singer-songwriter
55
Dave Holland
Dave Holland
British musician
56
Bennie Green
Bennie Green
American musician
George Butler
American jazz record producer

George Butler

Intro
American jazz record producer

George Butler (September 2, 1931 – April 9, 2008) was a prominent American jazz record producer, executive and A&R man. He worked for a number of well-known jazz record labels from the 1960s to the 1990s including Blue Note Records, Columbia Records and United Artists Records. He signed and launched the careers of a number of now famous artists including Wynton Marsalis, Harry Connick Jr. and Nnenna Freelon.