Eli "Lucky" Thompson (June 16, 1924 – July 30, 2005) was an American jazz tenor and soprano saxophonist whose playing combined elements of swing and bebop. Although John Coltrane usually receives the most credit for bringing the soprano saxophone out of obsolescence in the early 1960s, Thompson (along with Steve Lacy) embraced the instrument earlier than Coltrane.
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Oscar Pettiford
American musician
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Coleman Hawkins
American jazz saxophonist
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Nelson Boyd
American musician
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Kenny Clarke
American jazz drummer
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Percy Heath
American musician
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Jerome Richardson
American jazz multi-instrumentalist
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Danny Bank
American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist and flautist
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Kenny Dorham
American jazz trumpeter, singer, and composer
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Sahib Shihab
American jazz saxophonist and flautist
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Skeeter Best
American musician
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Jimmy Cleveland
American jazz trombonist
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J. C. Heard
American musician
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Charlie Persip
American jazz drummer
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Wendell Marshall
American jazz musician; double bassist
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Wade Legge
Jazz pianist and bassist
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Cecil Payne
American jazz saxophonist
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James Moody
American jazz musician
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Gigi Gryce
American recording artist; jazz saxophonist, flutist, clarinetist, composer, arranger, and educator
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Phil Woods
American saxophonist
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Don Byas
American musician
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Budd Johnson
American musician
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Sonny Stitt
American jazz saxophonist
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Ernie Wilkins
American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and music arranger
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Osie Johnson
American jazz drummer, arranger and singer
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A. K. Salim
American musician
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Billy Mitchell
American jazz tenor saxophonist
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Joe Carroll
American singer
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Walter Bishop Jr.
American jazz pianist, recording artist
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Milt Jackson
American musician
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Henri Renaud
French musician
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Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis
American saxophonist
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Frank Wess
American saxophonist and flautist, composer and arranger
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Dave Burns
American musician, trumpeter and music educator
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Bill Graham
American musician
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Curley Russell
American jazz musician
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Julius Watkins
American jazz musician
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Walter Benton
American jazz musician
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Joe Puma
American musician
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Ernie Royal
American jazz trumpeter
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Jimmy Hamilton
American jazz musician
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Johnny Griffin
American musician
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Charlie Ventura
American musician
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Charlie Shavers
jazz trumpeter
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Tadd Dameron
American pianist
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Bobby Jaspar
cool jazz and hard bop saxophonist, flautist and composer
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Matthew Gee
American musician
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Kenny Burrell
American jazz guitarist
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Harry Edison
American trumpeter
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Conte Candoli
American musician
49
Kai Winding
Danish-born American jazz musician and trombonist
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George Duvivier
American musician
51
John Lewis
American jazz pianist, composer and arranger
52
Billy Bauer
American jazz guitarist
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Modern Jazz Quartet
American jazz ensemble
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Walter Davis
American pianist
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Illinois Jacquet
American jazz tenor saxophonist, songwriter
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Johnny Hodges
American alto saxophonist
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Al Cohn
American saxophonist
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Zoot Sims
American jazz saxophonist
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Charlie Rouse
American musician
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Max Roach
American jazz percussionist, drummer, and composer
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Joe Wilder
American trumpeter
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Jimmy Heath
American jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger and big band leader
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Johnny Hartman
Jazz Singer
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Russell Procope
American musician
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Hal McKusick
American jazz flautist and saxophonist
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Duke Jordan
American musician
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Dave Schildkraut
American musician
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Arnett Cobb
American jazz tenor saxophonist
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J. J. Johnson
American jazz trombonist, composer and arranger (1924-2001)
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Hilton Jefferson
American jazz saxophonist