Jazz music is arguably one of the most fascinating genres in the entire spectrum of music. Whether it’s the improvisational tone, innovative pushing boundary, or the history behind it, jazz is remarkable for countless reasons that most music genres don’t have.

Despite the innovative landmark of jazz music as a whole, many standard music listeners aren’t too familiar with the genre. Considering jazz has always been just outside of the mainstream appeal, it makes sense why so many people aren’t heavily invested in the genre.

Regardless of this, there are a ton of extraordinary jazz musicians that catapulted the genre forward. For those interested in diving into the genre for the first time, or want to know more about the history of jazz, let’s take a look at ten essential jazz musicians. Keep in mind; there are numerous other jazz musicians that could’ve made this list; these are just some of my favorites.