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Alvin Stoller
Alvin Stoller
American musician
1
Eugene Wright
Eugene Wright
American jazz musician
2
Barry Finnerty
Barry Finnerty
American musician
3
Ike Isaacs
Ike Isaacs
American jazz bassist
4
Chico Hamilton
Chico Hamilton
American musician
5
Paul Desmond
Paul Desmond
American recording artist; jazz musician
6
Erroll Garner
Erroll Garner
American jazz pianist and composer
7
Paul Horn
Paul Horn
American flautist in jazz and New Age music
8
Buddy Collette
Buddy Collette
American musician
9
Carson Smith
Carson Smith
American musician
10
Red Callender
Red Callender
American string bass and tuba player, member of The Wrecking Crew
11
Dave Brubeck
Dave Brubeck
American jazz pianist and composer
12
Cal Tjader
Cal Tjader
American Latin jazz musician, recording artist
13
Dick Nash
Dick Nash
American musician
14
Al Hall
Al Hall
American musician
15
Bob Brookmeyer
Bob Brookmeyer
American jazz valve trombonist, pianist, arranger, and composer
16
James Moody
James Moody
American jazz musician
17
Johnny Coles
Johnny Coles
American trumpeter
18
George Avakian
George Avakian
American record producer of Armenian descent
19
Gerry Mulligan
Gerry Mulligan
American jazz baritone saxophonist, arranger and composer
20
Milt Jackson
Milt Jackson
American musician
21
Fred Katz
Fred Katz
American cellist
22
Lou Blackburn
Lou Blackburn
American musician
23
Joe Castro
Joe Castro
American musician
24
Chad Lefkowitz Brown
Chad Lefkowitz Brown
American saxophinist
25
Ron Crotty
Ron Crotty
American guitarist
26
Dennis Budimir
Dennis Budimir
American musician
27
Joe Dodge
Joe Dodge
American musician
28
Howard Roberts
Howard Roberts
American guitarist
29
Joe Morello
Joe Morello
American jazz drummer
30
Snooky Young
Snooky Young
American musician
31
Lennie McBrowne
Lennie McBrowne
American musician
32
Buell Neidlinger
Buell Neidlinger
American jazz musician; cellist and double bassist
33
Linton Garner
Linton Garner
American musician
34
George Duvivier
George Duvivier
American musician
35
Eddie Duran
Eddie Duran
American jazz guitarist
36
Marty Paich
Marty Paich
American pianist, composer, arranger, record producer, music director and bandleader (1925-1995)
37
Larry Bunker
Larry Bunker
American musician
38
Jerry Bergonzi
Jerry Bergonzi
American jazz musician
39
Larry Grenadier
Larry Grenadier
American bassist
40
Shadow Wilson
Shadow Wilson
American jazz drummer (1919-1959)
41
Herbie Lovelle
Herbie Lovelle
American musician and actor (1924-2009)
42
Zoot Sims
Zoot Sims
American jazz saxophonist
43
Eddie Marshall
Eddie Marshall
American drummer
44
Kenny Clarke
Kenny Clarke
American jazz drummer
45
Specs Powell
Specs Powell
American musician
46
Matthew Gee
Matthew Gee
American musician
47
Pete Candoli
Pete Candoli
American musician (1923-2008)
48
Ruby Braff
Ruby Braff
American musician
49
Frank Rosolino
Frank Rosolino
American jazz trombonist
50
Art Pepper
Art Pepper
American musician
51
Vince Guaraldi
Vince Guaraldi
American jazz pianist and composer (1928-1976)
52
Geoffrey Keezer
Geoffrey Keezer
American musician
53
Joe Newman
Joe Newman
American musician
54
Bob Bates
Bob Bates
American jazz bassist
55
Ray Nance
Ray Nance
American musician
56
Howard Brubeck
Howard Brubeck
American composer and music educator
57
Bill Smith
Bill Smith
jazz musician and composer from the United States
58
Percy Heath
Percy Heath
American musician
59
Armando Peraza
Armando Peraza
Cuban percussionist
60
Al Lucas
Al Lucas
Canadian jazz musician
61
Ed Thigpen
Ed Thigpen
American jazz drummer
62
Richard Wyands
Richard Wyands
hard bop pianist
63
Sadao Watanabe
Sadao Watanabe
Japanese jazz saxophonist, composer, bandmaster (1933-)
64
Jorge Rossy
Jorge Rossy
Spanish jazz musician
65
Michael Moore
Michael Moore
American jazz bassist
66
Tyree Glenn
Tyree Glenn
American recording artist; trombonist
Wyatt Ruther
American musician

Wyatt Ruther

Intro
American musician
Genres
Music
Photo courtesy of the Fraser MacPherson estate

Wyatt Robert "Bull" Ruther (February 5, 1923, Pittsburgh – October 31, 1999, San Francisco) was an American jazz double-bassist.

Ruther played trombone in high school before picking up the double-bass. He studied at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and the Pittsburgh Musical Institute, then played in New York City with Dave Brubeck (1951–52) and Erroll Garner (1951-55). He toured with Lena Horne in 1953 and recorded an album under his own name alongside Milt Hinton in 1955 for RCA Records entitled Basses Loaded. Following this he played with Toshiko Akiyoshi in 1956, then studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Canada. While in Canada he played with the Canadian Jazz Quartet (1956–57) and Peter Appleyard (1957). He played in the U.S. during the same period with Ray Bryant, Zoot Sims, Bob Brookmeyer, and Chico Hamilton. He toured with George Shearing in 1959 and then played on a world tour with Buddy Rich in 1960-61. In 1962-63 he played in Gerry Mulligan's quartet, then joined Count Basie in 1964-65.

Later in the 1960s, Ruther worked freelance in the San Francisco area, and played at the Olympic Hotel in Seattle from 1971 to 1973. He then moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and played with Fraser MacPherson from 1975 to 1979. He played at the Ankor Hotel in Vancouver in the early 1980s, and while there worked with Sammy Price, Jay McShann, and Dorothy Donegan. He returned to San Francisco in 1984, where he played until his death in 1999 when he died of a heart attack at age 76; he played with Stan Getz, Lou Stein, John Handy, Benny Carter, and Jerome Richardson in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Late in life he played regularly at the Bix Supper Club.