The BBC’s 50, from Abbey Lincoln (top left) to Woody Herman (bottom right)

BBC Music has launched a poll for “the greatest ever jazz artist,” to be chosen from a list of fifty. Voting is open to voters in the UK until October 22nd.


The fifty are:

Abbey Lincoln
Art Blakey
Art Tatum
Betty Carter
Bill Evans
Billie Holiday
Bobby Wellins
Buddy Rich
Cannonball Adderley
Carmen Mcrae
Charles Lloyd
Charles Mingus
Charlie Haden
Charlie Parker
Count Basie
Dave Brubeck
Dianne Reeves
Dizzy Gillespie
Duke Ellington
Ella Fitzgerald
Esbjörn Svensson
Fats Waller
George Shearing
Gerry Mulligan
Gregory Porter
Herbie Hancock
Hugh Masekela
Jamie Cullum
Jan Garbarek
Jimmy Smith
John Coltrane
John Taylor
Keith Jarrett
Kenny Wheeler
Lester Young
Loose Tubes
Louis Armstrong
Mark Murphy
Mary Lou Williams
Miles Davis
Nina Simone
Norma Winstone
Ornette Coleman
Oscar Peterson
Pat Metheny
Sun Ra
Thelonious Monk
Tubby Hayes
Wayne Shorter
Woody Herman

The Press Release states: “As part of ‘BBC Music Jazz’, the special pop-up jazz digital radio station which is a collaboration between BBC Radio, Jazz FM and EFG London Jazz Festival, listeners and jazz lovers are being invited to vote for the 50 Great Jazz Artists of all time. The artists have been nominated by the jazz community and to vote for your favourite, you can visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/jazzvote . The vote closes at 8pm on 22nd October. The final results will be revealed on the digital pop-up station BBC Music Jazz in a show called the 50 Greatest Jazz Artists presented by BBC Radio 3 presenter Geoffrey Smith and guest presenter, Jazz FM’s Helen Mayhew between 12th – 15th November at 4pm each day on the pop-up jazz radio station.

“‘BBC Music Jazz’ will launch on 12th to 15th November across DAB digital radio, online and via the iplayerradio app. This is the first pop up ‘collaboration’ between BBC Music and Jazz FM.”