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Skeets Tolbert
Skeets Tolbert
American musician
1
Sidney Bechet
Sidney Bechet
American jazz musician
2
Roy Eldridge
Roy Eldridge
American trumpeter
3
Coleman Hawkins
Coleman Hawkins
American jazz saxophonist
4
Oliver Nelson
Oliver Nelson
American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, arranger, composer, and bandleader (1932-1975)
5
Max Jones
Max Jones
British jazz author, radio host, and journalist
6
Benny Carter
Benny Carter
American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader (1907-2003)
7
Charlie Green
Charlie Green
American jazz trombonist
8
Ward Pinkett
Ward Pinkett
American jazz trumpeter and scat vocalist
9
Chu Berry
Chu Berry
American musician
10
Theodore Carpenter
Theodore Carpenter
American trumpeter and jazz musician
11
Bill Coleman
Bill Coleman
American musician
12
Budd Johnson
Budd Johnson
American musician
13
King Oliver
King Oliver
American jazz cornet player and bandleader
14
Buster Smith
Buster Smith
Jazz alto saxophonist
15
Jimmy Heath
Jimmy Heath
American jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger and big band leader
16
Edmond Hall
Edmond Hall
American jazz clarinetist
17
Ben Webster
Ben Webster
American saxophonist
18
Louis Jordan
Louis Jordan
American jazz, blues and rhythm and blues musician, songwriter and bandleader (1908-1975)
19
Alex Chilton
Alex Chilton
American songwriter, guitarist, singer & producer
20
Lucky Thompson
Lucky Thompson
American saxophonist
21
Barney Bigard
Barney Bigard
American jazz clarinetist, jazz musician
22
Big Boy Goudie
Big Boy Goudie
American musician
23
J. J. Johnson
J. J. Johnson
American jazz trombonist, composer and arranger (1924-2001)
24
Danny Barker
Danny Barker
American jazz musician
25
Red Allen
Red Allen
American jazz musician, band leader
26
Hamiet Bluiett
Hamiet Bluiett
American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer
27
Fletcher Henderson
Fletcher Henderson
American pianist, bandleader, arranger and composer
28
Pops Foster
Pops Foster
American musician
29
Ted Nash
Ted Nash
American musician
30
Tommy Ladnier
Tommy Ladnier
Jazz cornetist/trumpeter
31
Sonny Rollins
Sonny Rollins
American jazz saxophonist and composer
32
Harry Carney
Harry Carney
American jazz musician
33
Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five
Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five
American band led by Louis Jordan
34
Kings of Rhythm
Kings of Rhythm
American musical group; R&B/Soul band led by Ike Turner
35
Charlie Parker
Charlie Parker
American jazz saxophonist and composer
36
Lee Konitz
Lee Konitz
American jazz musician
37
Julius Hemphill
Julius Hemphill
American saxophonist
38
Eddie Shu
Eddie Shu
American swing and jazz multi-instrumentalist with high proficiency on tenor and alto saxophone, clarinet, trumpet, harmonica, and accordion
39
Doc Cheatham
Doc Cheatham
American jazz trumpeter, singer, and bandleader
40
Stan Getz
Stan Getz
American jazz saxophonist
41
Snub Mosley
Snub Mosley
American musician
42
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
American jazz trumpeter, composer and singer
43
Alcide "Slow Drag" Pavageau
Alcide "Slow Drag" Pavageau
New Orleans jazz musician
44
Eric Person
Eric Person
American musician
45
Kid Ory
Kid Ory
American jazz trombonist
46
Bunk Johnson
Bunk Johnson
American musician
47
Andy Sannella
Andy Sannella
American musician
48
Norman Mason
Norman Mason
American bandleader, conductor and jazz musician
49
Baby Dodds
Baby Dodds
American musician
50
Howard Johnson
Howard Johnson
American musician
51
Lester Young
Lester Young
American jazz tenor saxophonist and sometimes clarinetist
52
Jackie McLean
Jackie McLean
American jazz saxophonist, composer and bandleader
53
George Lewis
George Lewis
American musician
54
Horace Silver
Horace Silver
American jazz pianist and composer (1928–2014)
55
James Chance
James Chance
American saxophonist, keyboard player, songwriter and singer
56
Bob Wilber
Bob Wilber
jazz clarinetist, composer and saxophonist from United States
57
Frankie Trumbauer
Frankie Trumbauer
American musician
58
Nat Pierce
Nat Pierce
American musician
59
Bix Beiderbecke
Bix Beiderbecke
American jazz musician
60
Bud Freeman
Bud Freeman
American musician
61
Clark Terry
Clark Terry
American swing and bebop musician
62
The Toasters
The Toasters
American ska band
63
Charles Davis
Charles Davis
American musician
64
Mills Blue Rhythm Band
Mills Blue Rhythm Band
band that plays jazz
65
Art Taylor
Art Taylor
American jazz drummer
66
Gerry Mulligan
Gerry Mulligan
American jazz baritone saxophonist, arranger and composer
67
Illinois Jacquet
Illinois Jacquet
American jazz tenor saxophonist, songwriter
68
Money Johnson
Money Johnson
American musician
69
Ornette Coleman
Ornette Coleman
American jazz saxophonist, violinist, trumpeter, and composer
70
Lonnie Johnson
Lonnie Johnson
musician from the USA
71
Fraser MacPherson
Fraser MacPherson
Canadian jazz musician
72
Jaki Byard
Jaki Byard
American musician
73
Count Basie
Count Basie
American jazz musician, bandleader, and composer (1904-1984)
74
Freddie Keppard
Freddie Keppard
American jazz musician
75
Vince Giordano
Vince Giordano
American musician and arranger
76
Red Nichols
Red Nichols
American jazz musician
77
Lil Hardin Armstrong
Lil Hardin Armstrong
American jazz musician
78
Ed Cuffee
Ed Cuffee
American musician
Lem Johnson
American musician

Lem Johnson

Intro
American musician
Genres
Music

Lemuel Charles "Lem" Johnson (August 6, 1909 – April 1, 1989) was an American jazz saxophonist who played both tenor and soprano saxophones.

Johnson was born in Oklahoma City. He played clarinet in local ensembles in the 1920s and picked up saxophone in 1928, playing with Walter Page's Blue Devils. Early in the 1930s he played in the band of Grant Moore (1931–35) in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area, and then worked with Eli Rice and Earl Hines. In 1937 he moved to New York, where he played with Fess Williams, Luis Russell and Louis Jordan, and joined Skeets Tolbert's band in 1939. In Tolbert's group Johnson sang in addition to playing sax. He recorded with Buster Harding, Eddie Durham, Edgar Hayes, Sidney Bechet, Claude Hopkins, St. Louis Jimmy, Sam "The Man" Taylor and Sammy Price, and also cut some sessions as a leader, which have subsequently been released on compact disc. He also recorded with Johnny Long and his Orchestra on Coral Records (9-61478). After the 1940s he went into semi-retirement and occasionally played into the 1960s. Johnson died in New York City.