10 Best Jazz Artists 十大杰出爵士乐艺术家

译/禹杰 审订/常玉田

Jazz is among the most respected art forms from America.It has played a big part in shaping the music industry.It has helpedinitiate1 initiate发起；开辟。a variety of new music elemental genres and careers of many musical geniuses.

爵士乐是源自美国的最受尊敬的艺术形式之一，在打造音乐产业方面发挥了重要的作用。爵士乐带动形成了多种音乐流派，也成就了许多音乐天才的职业生涯。

爵士乐可追溯至19世纪和20世纪初，是将欧洲和美国的古典音乐与非洲民歌及奴隶歌谣混合而成的一种音乐形式。这种音乐形式在20世纪发生了巨大的变化，此后一直不断演变。这种变化可以归功于新兴艺术家带来的新作品及新影响。使爵士乐这一艺术形式不断演进的那些音乐人是公认的史上最杰出的一批爵士音乐家。以下是爵士乐史上一些最杰出艺术家的汇编介绍。

1.Louis Armstrong

1.路易斯·阿姆斯特朗

Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans, Louisiana to a very poor family as his grandparents were slaves.His father abandoned his family when Louis was aninfant3 infant幼儿；未成年人。, and his mother left him and his sister to be cared for by their grandmother.Armstrong grew up to be one of the most influential jazz music figures in history.He came to prominence in 1920’s as a cornet and trumpet“inventive”player.With his gravelly voice, Armstrong demonstrated greatdeftness4 deftness熟练；灵巧。as a musicimproviser5 improviser即兴演奏者；即兴诗人。as he blended melody and lyrics of songs for the purpose of expressing himself.Louis was also a skilledscat6 scat拟声唱法，一种爵士乐演唱技巧，这种唱法用拟声的或无意义的音节进行即兴演唱，例如模仿乐器演奏的声音等。singer and was responsible for the recognition of a trumpet as a stand alone instrument.

路易斯·阿姆斯特朗出生于路易斯安那州新奥尔良市的一个贫民家庭，祖父母都是奴隶。父亲在他很小的时候就抛弃了家庭，母亲把他和妹妹托付给外祖母照顾。阿姆斯特朗后来成为历史上最具影响的爵士音乐家之一。20世纪20年代，他因独创短号和小号“花式”吹奏而声名鹊起。阿姆斯特朗嗓音沙哑，他把歌曲的旋律和歌词糅合在一起表达情感，表现出娴熟的即兴演奏技巧。阿姆斯特朗也精通拟声唱法。小号作为独奏乐器用于表演并得到公众认可，也是阿姆斯特朗开的先河。

2.Thelonious Monk

2.塞隆尼斯·蒙克

Thelonious Monk was born in North Carolina’s Rocky Mount, but 5 years after his birth, his family relocated to Manhattan in New York.At age 6, he started playing the piano.Even though he did not complete high school, he started finding work in his late teens as a jazz player.He eventually became a jazz composer and pianist and is now among the giants of music in America.His improvisational style is unique, and it made major contributions to standard jazz selection.This includes“Well, You Needn’t”,“In Walked Bud”,“Ruby, My Dear”,“Blue Monk”and“Round Midnight”.

塞隆尼斯·蒙克出生在北卡罗来纳州落基山城，5岁时全家搬到了纽约的曼哈顿。蒙克从6岁开始学钢琴。虽然没有读完中学，但他不到20岁就开始找工作，为人演奏爵士乐。最终，他成为一位爵士乐作曲家、钢琴家，如今是美国的音乐大家之一。他的即兴创作风格独特，奉献了不少爵士乐优秀曲目，包括《其实你不必》《懵懂少女》《我亲爱的露比》《忧郁的修道士》和《午夜圆舞曲》等。

3.Charles Mingus

3.查尔斯·明格斯

Charles Mingus is mostly known as the pioneering bass player.However,he is also one of the most inventive andraucous7 raucous喧闹的。此处意为活跃的。composers in his era.He was born in Arizona Nogales but grew up in LA’s Watts area.His mother had an English and Chinese heritage, and his father was theillegitimate offspring8 illegitimate offspring私生子。of a black farmhand and a white granddaughter of a Swedish employer.Charles grew up to become a highly influential jazz double bassist, bandleader, and composer.He was a man who would refuse to compromise his musical integrity.

查尔斯·明格斯是著名的贝斯先驱，也是那个时代最有创造力、最活跃的作曲家之一。他出生在亚利桑那州诺加利斯市，但在洛杉矶沃茨区长大。他的母亲是中英混血，父亲是黑人农场工人和白人瑞典雇主孙女的私生子。明格斯长大后成为爵士双低音提琴手、乐队领队和作曲家，颇负影响力。他始终坚持自己的音乐风格，从不妥协。

4.Billie Holiday

4.比莉·荷莉戴

Billie Holiday was born to a musician father although he was never present for most of her life.Holiday had a difficult childhood and, as a result, she was never able to complete her high school education.Her singing career started in various Harlem night clubs.She eventually became an actress, songwriter and more notably, a jazz singer.She was given the nickname“Lady Day”by Lester Young, her musical partner and friend.Holiday has seminal influence on pop and jazz singing.Holiday’s vocal style was inspired by various jazz instrumentalists, and it pioneered a way of manipulating tempo and phrasing.

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比莉·荷莉戴的父亲是音乐家，但对她却不管不顾。荷莉戴的童年生活很艰辛，没读完中学就辍学了。她的演唱生涯始于在哈莱姆各大夜总会驻唱。后来她成了演员、流行歌曲作家，当然更为知名的是作为爵士歌手。莱斯特·扬是荷莉戴的音乐伙伴和朋友，他给荷莉戴起了个绰号叫“戴小姐”。荷莉戴对流行音乐和爵士乐的影响很大。她的演唱风格受到了许多爵士演奏家的启发，开创了操控音乐节奏和乐句划分的演唱方式。

5.John Coltrane

5.约翰·克特兰

Popularly known as“Trane”, John Coltrane was born in an apartment in Hamlet, North Carolina.When he was twelve, John’s father, grandmother and aunt all died within few months of each other.His mother and her close cousin were left to raise him.When he was 17, his mother bought him a saxophone(alto).He started playing professionally in mid-1945 while he served in the Navy.In his early career, he worked in the hard bop and bebop idioms, and this allowed him to be a pioneer in using jazz modes.He was also on the front line of free jazz.

约翰·克特兰更广为人知的名字是“柯川”。克特兰出生在北卡罗来纳州哈姆雷特市的一个公寓里。在他12岁时，父亲、祖母和姑姑在几个月之内相继去世。他的母亲和一位表亲将他抚养长大。克特兰17岁时，母亲给他买了一个中音萨克斯。他在海军服役期间，于1945年夏开始专业演奏萨克斯。职业生涯初期，他的演奏风格是硬博普和比博普，他因此成为使用不同爵士乐类型的先驱，在自由爵士乐方面他也走在前列。

6.Nat King Cole

6.耐特·金·科尔

Nat King Cole grew up in Chicago Illinois.His first music performance was“Yes! We Have No Bananas”when he was 4 years old.At age 12, he started formal lessons.He eventually learnedgospel music9 gospel music福音音乐，美国黑人的一种宗教音乐，主要强调有节奏的器乐伴奏和即兴演唱。, jazz and classical music from the West.Since his family lives in Bronzeville, Chicago, Cole wouldsneak10 sneak偷偷溜走；潜行。out and go sit outside clubs to listen to artists like Jimmie Noon, Earl Hines and Louis Armstrong.He went on to become a leading jazz pianist.He was also widely noted for having soft,baritone11 baritone男中音；男中音歌手。vocals, which he used in his performances.He was also the first black man to host a TV show called“The Nat King Cole Show”.

耐特·金·科尔在伊利诺伊州的芝加哥长大。他第一次表演时才4岁，演唱曲目是《对！我们没有香蕉》。12岁时，他开始接受正式的音乐培训，最终学到了西部的福音音乐、爵士乐和古典音乐。科尔家住芝加哥布朗兹维尔，他因此经常会从家里偷偷溜出去，坐在音乐俱乐部外面聆听吉米·努恩、厄尔·海恩斯以及路易斯·阿姆斯特朗等艺术家表演。科尔后来成为著名的爵士钢琴家。他还是出名的男中音，演唱时声音柔和。此外，他还是第一位主持电视表演秀的黑人，这个节目的名称就是“耐特·金·科尔秀”。

7.Miles Davis

7.迈尔斯·戴维斯

Miles Dewey Davis III, more commonly known as Miles Davis, was born in Alton, Illinois to an affluent African-American family.His father was a dentist, and he moved the family to Illinois’s East St.Louis in 1927.It was in Illinois that Davis developed an interest for music as a young man.He grew up listening to music in church.His mother, being a capable blues pianist, wanted her son to learn the piano.He started studying music at 13 with a trumpet he got from his mother.Davis grew up to be a jazz musician, composer, trumpeter, and band leader.He was also one of the people who were at the forefront of many jazz music developments.

迈尔斯·杜威·戴维斯三世，一般多称其迈尔斯·戴维斯。他出生在伊利诺伊州奥尔顿市一个富裕的非裔美国人家庭。父亲是牙医，全家于1927年搬到了该州的东圣路易斯市。正是在伊利诺伊州，年轻的戴维斯对音乐产生了兴趣，他从小就常到教堂聆听音乐。他的母亲是才华出众的蓝调钢琴家，希望他学钢琴。戴维斯13岁时开始学习音乐，所学乐器便是母亲送给他的一把小号。戴维斯后来成为爵士音乐人、作曲家、小号手以及乐队指挥，也是爵士乐发展历程中的先驱之一。

8.Charlie Parker

8.查理·帕克

Nicknamed“Yardbird”, Charlie Parker was born and bred in Kansas and was the only child.In 1934, he started high-school but soon after (in 1935)withdrew and joined a local musicians’union.He started playing the saxophone when he was 11 years old and by the time he was 14, he had joined his school’s band.This gave him the chance to rent school instruments.He started to diligently practice playing in late 1930’s.He is remembered for being one of the most influential jazz soloists of all time.

查理·帕克绰号“大鸟”，出生在堪萨斯州并在那里长大，是家里的独生子。1934年上中学后不久（1935年），他便辍学加入了当地的音乐家协会。帕克11岁开始演奏萨克斯，14岁加入了学校的乐队，因此有机会租用学校的乐器。30年代末，他开始勤奋练习乐器演奏。帕克是爵士乐发展史上最具影响力的爵士独奏家之一。

9.Duke Ellington

9.艾灵顿公爵

Edward Kennedy Ellington, better known as Duke Ellington, was born in West End, Washington D.C.Both his parents were pianists—his mother mostly played parlor songs whereas his father was into operatic arias.Ellington started piano classes when he was 7 years old.His mother also surrounded him with dignified women because she wanted him to learn to live elegantly.As expected, his manners changed, he had easy grace and was a dapper dresser.His friend noticed his nobleman mannerisms and nicknamed him“Duke”.His first composition was written while he worked as Poodle Dog Café soda jerk.It is called“Soda Fountain Rag”.Many compositions later, he is renowned for being a great pianist, composer and jazz orchestras’ band leader.

爱德华·肯尼迪·艾灵顿，即著名的艾灵顿公爵。他出生在华盛顿特区西区。父母都是钢琴家，母亲主要演奏客厅歌曲，父亲则为歌剧伴奏。艾灵顿7岁时开始学习钢琴。他的母亲希望他学会优雅地生活，因此安排他多多接触端庄优雅的女性。如其所愿，他的行为举止改变了，总是从容优雅、衣冠楚楚。朋友注意到他举手投足宛若贵族，于是给他起了个绰号“公爵”。他的第一个作品《冷饮柜拉格泰姆舞曲》是在狮子狗咖啡馆做冷饮时创作的。艾灵顿后来创作了许多音乐作品，被誉为伟大的钢琴家、作曲家和爵士管弦乐队指挥。

10.Lena Horne

10.莲纳·荷恩

Lena Mary Calhoun Horne, better known as Lena Horne, was born on Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant.Both sides of her family come from a mixture of African-American, Native American and European American descent.Her family also belonged to the middleclass, upperstratum12 stratum社会阶层；岩层。of well-educated citizens.She joined Cotton Club’s chorus when she was 16 to become a nightclub performer.She moved to Hollywood, but later returned home to her nightclub performing career, only this time she also performed on TV.She sporadically continued performing into the 90’s where she was given numerous accolades and awards.

莲纳·玛丽·卡尔霍恩·荷恩，多称莲纳·荷恩，出生在纽约布鲁克林区贝德福德-史岱文森。父母都是非裔美国人、美洲原住民和欧裔美国人的混血。她的家庭属于中产阶级，即受过高等教育的上层人士。莲纳16岁时加入了棉花俱乐部合唱团，在夜总会表演。她曾搬到好莱坞住了一段时间，后又搬回了家，继续在夜总会表演，不过当时她还上电视演出。莲纳的表演生涯断断续续，一直持续到90年代，其间获得过许多荣誉和奖项。