TT 503: Who deserves this honor?

Thinking about the Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame

For over a decade I’ve been casting votes for the inductees of the Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame at JALC. They opened in 2004; usually only three or four enter every year.

The list of inductees so far:

Julian "Cannonball" Adderley
Toshiko Akiyoshi
Louis Armstrong
Count Basie
Mario Bauzá
Sidney Bechet
Bix Beiderbecke
Art Blakey
Jimmie Blanton
Clifford Brown
Dave Brubeck
Benny Carter
Betty Carter
Paul Chambers
Charlie Christian
Kenny Clarke
Nat King Cole
Ornette Coleman
John Coltrane
Miles Davis
Lou Donaldson
Kenny Dorham
Roy Eldridge
Duke Ellington
Bill Evans
Gil Evans
Ella Fitzgerald
Dizzy Gillespie
Benny Goodman
Dexter Gordon
Freddie Green
Lionel Hampton
Coleman Hawkins
Roy Haynes
Fletcher Henderson
Earl Hines
Johnny Hodges
Billie Holiday
Freddie Hubbard
Antônio Carlos Jobim
James P. Johnson
J. J. Johnson
Elvin Jones
"Papa" Jo Jones
Sheila Jordan
Lee Konitz
John Lewis
Hugh Masekela
Charles Mingus
Thelonious Monk
Wes Montgomery
Jelly Roll Morton
Joe "King" Oliver
Eddie Palmieri
Charlie Parker
Bud Powell
Tito Puente
Don Redman
Django Reinhardt
Max Roach
Sonny Rollins
Wayne Shorter
Nina Simone
Bessie Smith
Billy Strayhorn
Art Tatum
Clark Terry
Lennie Tristano
Frank Trumbauer
McCoy Tyner
Sarah Vaughan
Fats Waller
Dinah Washington
Chick Webb
Ben Webster
Mary Lou Williams
Teddy Wilson
Lester Young

I remember voting for Paul Chambers, James P. Johnson, Freddie Hubbard, and Lennie Tristano, although to be clear others would have voted for those four (there’s a substantial committee).

It’s time for me to cast votes for three people not yet on the list.

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Criteria for induction into the Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame

• Achieved innovation in a style or a concept of playing.

• Created an original concept with a body of music or body of arrangements.

• Spoke/speaks across generations, unbound to his or her generation’s concept of style.

• Originated a definitive style.

• Popularized a style without compromising the aesthetic quality of the music.

• Occupies a significant position within the jazz lineage.

• Influenced musicians across time.

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As usual, I have too many possibles on nominate, about 20 names immediately came to mind. Still, three seem obvious enough, no need to overthink anything here.

Who are your choices?

Care to guess who I am picking?