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100 Greatest Jazz Drummers Of All Time

Criteria: Jazz Drummers were chosen for originality, versatility, impact & influence within the genre. For their innovations & the technical ability for improvisation & musical expression in addition to their compositional skill & creative inspiration.

Jazz has had the broadest perspective of all genre's in music since it's first note to the present day. It is for that reason that this list is presented in the same manner, with respect to all the myriad forms & interpretations of Jazz that exist today.


Last Updated: 2011-01-02
Newly added names are in  Red 
Greatest Jazz Drummers
  1. Buddy Rich
  2. Elvin Jones
  3. Max Roach
  4. Roy Haynes
  5. Jack DeJohnette
  6. Tony Williams
  7. Billy Cobham
  8. Art Blakey
  9. Joe Morello
10. Kenny Clarke
11. Gene Krupa
12. Dave Weckl
13. Harvey Mason
14. Peter Erskine
15. Chick Webb
16. Louis Bellson
17. Ed Blackwell
18. Bill Stewart
19. Steve Gadd
20. Papa Joe Jones
21. Connie Kay
22. Jeff "Tain" Watts
23. Philly Joe Jones
24. Paul Wertico
25. Big Sid Catlett
26. Rashied Ali
27. Warren "Baby" Dodds
28. Bernard Purdie
29. Clayton Cameron
30. Don Alias
31. Alphonse Mouzon
32. Alex Acuna
33. Paul Motian
34. Vinnie Colaiuta
35. Narada Michael Walden
36. Chad Wackerman
37. Shelly Manne
38. Johnny Vidacovich
39. Lional Hampton
40. Art Taylor
41. Billy Higgins
42. Lewis Nash
43. John Robinson
44. Danny Gottlieb
45. Antonio Sanchez
46. Bill Bruford
47. Alan Dawson
48. Dannie Richmond
49. Dennis Chambers
50. Ed Shaughnessey
51. Airto
52. Kenny Wollesen
53. Brian Blade
54. Gary Husband
55. Steve Smith
56. Alex Riel
57. Al Foster
58. Ben Perowski
59. Lenny White
60. Bernie Dresel
61. Panama Francis
62. Louis Hayes
63. Sonny Payne
64. Ed Thigpen
65. Jeff Ballard
66. Jay Lane
67. Gary Novak
68. Billy Kilson
69. Jimmy Cobb
70. Idrus Muhammed
71. John Riley
72. Abe Laboriel Jr.
73. Joe LaBarbera
74. Mel Lewis
75. Andrew Cyrille
76. Stanton Moore
77. Adam Nussbaum
78. Ben Riley
79. Cecil Brooks III
80. Simon Phillips
81. Joel Taylor
82. Marvin 'Smitty' Smith
83. Harold Jones
84. T.S. Monk
85. Terry Bozzio
86. Frankie Dunlop
87. Ray Barretto
88. Billy Hart
89. Stan Levey
90. Jimmy Campbell
91. Paul Barbarin
92. Joel Rosenblatt
93. Andre Ceccarelli
94. Martin Drew
95. John Guerin
96. Kenny Washington
97. Leon Parker
98. Luis Conte
99. Gene Jackson
100. Claude Ranger
Jazz Drummer Buddy Rich
Buddy Rich

Jazz Drummer Elvin Jones
Elvin Jones

Jazz Drummer Max Roach
Max Roach

Jazz Drummer Billy Cobham
Billy Cobham



More Great Jazz Drummers:
Ray Bauduc
Frank Colon
Tirlok Gurtu
Omar Hakim
Albert "Tootie" Heath
Jon Heisman
Don Lamond
Babatunde Olatunji
Armando Peraza
Tito Puente
Mickey Roker
Tony Royster
Poncho Sanchez
Nana Vasconcelos
Some Album listening recommendations:
Moanin' - Art Blakey
Spectrum - Billy Cobham
Ultimate - Tony Williams
Synergy - Dave Weckl
One Of A Kind - Bill Bruford
Rich vs Roach - Buddy Rich & Max Roach
Parallel Realities - Jack DeJohnette
Moanin album cover



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