0
Frank Wess
Frank Wess
American saxophonist and flautist, composer and arranger
1
Frank Foster
Frank Foster
American jazz musician and bandleader
2
Cleveland Eaton
Cleveland Eaton
American musician
3
Billy Mitchell
Billy Mitchell
American jazz tenor saxophonist
4
Harry Edison
Harry Edison
American trumpeter
5
Thad Jones
Thad Jones
American jazz trumpeter
6
Count Basie Orchestra
Count Basie Orchestra
American big band led by Count Basie
7
Count Basie
Count Basie
American jazz musician, bandleader, and composer (1904-1984)
8
Benny Powell
Benny Powell
American jazz trombonist
9
Walter Page
Walter Page
American jazz musician
10
Dennis Mackrel
Dennis Mackrel
jazz musician
11
Pete Minger
Pete Minger
American musician
12
Bill Hughes
Bill Hughes
jazz musician
13
Snooky Young
Snooky Young
American musician
14
Butch Miles
Butch Miles
American jazz drummer
15
Robert Trowers
Robert Trowers
American musician
16
Joe Williams
Joe Williams
American jazz singer
17
Waymon Reed
Waymon Reed
American musician
18
Buck Clayton
Buck Clayton
American jazz trumpeter
19
Neal Hefti
Neal Hefti
American jazz trumpeter, composer, songwriter, and arranger (1928-2008)
20
Sammy Nestico
Sammy Nestico
American composer and arranger
21
Al Grey
Al Grey
American jazz musician
22
Marshal Royal
Marshal Royal
American musician
23
Booty Wood
Booty Wood
American jazz musician
24
Jerry Dodgion
Jerry Dodgion
American musician
25
Ernie Royal
Ernie Royal
American jazz trumpeter
26
Sonny Payne
Sonny Payne
American jazz drummer
27
Nat Pierce
Nat Pierce
American musician
28
Charlie Fowlkes
Charlie Fowlkes
American musician
29
Carmen Bradford
Carmen Bradford
American musician
30
Bill Ramsay
Bill Ramsay
American jazz saxophonist & bandleader
31
Ernie Wilkins
Ernie Wilkins
American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and music arranger
32
Eddie Jones
Eddie Jones
American musician
33
Freddie Green
Freddie Green
American jazz guitarist
34
Lester Young
Lester Young
American jazz tenor saxophonist and sometimes clarinetist
35
Buster Smith
Buster Smith
Jazz alto saxophonist
36
Joe Newman
Joe Newman
American musician
37
Bobby Plater
Bobby Plater
American musician
38
Gregg Field
Gregg Field
American music producer and musician
39
Gus Johnson
Gus Johnson
American musician
40
Buddy Rich
Buddy Rich
American jazz drummer and bandleader
41
Johnny Mandel
Johnny Mandel
American composer and arranger of popular songs, film music and jazz (1925-2020)
42
Preston Love
Preston Love
American saxophonist
43
Shad Collins
Shad Collins
American musician
44
Gerald Wilson
Gerald Wilson
American trumpetist (1918-2014)
45
Doug Lawrence
Doug Lawrence
American jazz saxophonist
46
Joe Wilder
Joe Wilder
American trumpeter
47
Melton Mustafa
Melton Mustafa
American musician
48
Mel Lewis
Mel Lewis
American musician
49
Pepper Adams
Pepper Adams
American saxophonist
50
John Heard
John Heard
American musician and sculptor
51
Louie Bellson
Louie Bellson
American jazz drummer, a composer, arranger, bandleader, and jazz educator
52
Butch Ballard
Butch Ballard
American jazz drummer
53
Buster Harding
Buster Harding
Canadian-born American jazz pianist, composer and arranger
54
Benny Bailey
Benny Bailey
American musician
55
Reunald Jones
Reunald Jones
American musician
56
Manny Albam
Manny Albam
musician and composer
57
Peter Appleyard
Peter Appleyard
Canadian vibraphonist
58
Helen Humes
Helen Humes
American jazz and blues singer
59
Ed Shaughnessy
Ed Shaughnessy
American jazz drummer
60
Bill Holman
Bill Holman
American composer, arranger, and conductor
61
Roy Eldridge
Roy Eldridge
American trumpeter
62
Hot Lips Page
Hot Lips Page
American jazz musician
63
Emmett Berry
Emmett Berry
American musician
64
Paul Quinichette
Paul Quinichette
American saxophonist and jazz musician
65
Russell Procope
Russell Procope
American musician
66
Dave Stahl
Dave Stahl
American trumpet player
Mel Wanzo
American trombonist

Mel Wanzo

Intro
American trombonist
Music

Melvin "Mel" Wanzo, also known as Melvin Wahid Muhammad (November 22, 1930, Cleveland - September 9, 2005, Detroit) was an American jazz trombonist. He is best known for his longtime association with the Count Basie Orchestra.

Wanzo received formal education in music at Youngstown University in Youngstown, Ohio, graduating in 1952. He then joined the United States Army and played in a band whose leader was Cannonball Adderley. In the 1950s he worked in bands behind blues and R&B singers such as Ruth Brown and Big Joe Turner, then studied music once more, at the Cleveland Institute of Music. In the 1960s he worked with Woody Herman and Ray McKinley (then leading the Glenn Miller Orchestra), and in 1969 became a member of the Count Basie Orchestra, where he played trombone until 1980. In the early 1980s he played with Frank Capp and Nat Pierce, then re-joined Basie's orchestra after Basie died and leadership passed to Thad Jones and Frank Foster.