THE

GREATEST
SMALL GROUPS
IN JAZZ HISTORY
WILLIAM P. GOTTLIEB/COURTESY OF THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

← Tommy Potter,
Charlie Parker,
Max Roach,

TOP ARTISTS AND CRITICS

Miles Davis and
Duke Jordan (from left)
at the 3 Deuces

ON GROUNDBREAKING BANDS
on New York’s
52nd Street,
c. August 1947

Words by Terri Lyne Carrington, Joey DeFrancesco, Dave Douglas,

Vijay Iyer, Dave Liebman, Jaleel Shaw & many more

1 JAZZTIMES MAGAZINE
454 THE
GREATEST
SMALL
GROUPS
IN JAZZ
HISTORY

for

I 5 n honor of JazzTimes’ 45th

anniversary, we polled nearly
60 top musicians and JT writers to come up
with a list of the 45 Greatest Small Groups in
Jazz History. Participants were asked to provide
a ballot ranking between five and 10 bands,
trios through nonets, that they believe uphold the principles
of the best improvising units—concepts like communi-
cation, empathy and a unique confluence of individual
personalities. Dates have been added to denote specific
lineups of ensembles that shifted personnel throughout
their existence, and the first 20 entries feature commentary
from artists and critics. Is this list infallible? Of course not.
But you certainly can’t go wrong by adding any of these
bands to your record collection.
—EVAN HAGA, Editor
 THE 45 GREATEST SMALL GROUPS
IN JAZZ HISTORY

DON HUNSTEIN/SONY MUSIC

← John Coltrane (left) and Miles Davis, the frontline of Davis’ First Great Quintet,
in 1959, a year after that iconic lineup had disbanded

3. THE ORNETTE COLEMAN QUARTET

(Coleman, saxophone/Don Cherry,
trumpet/Charlie Haden, bass/Ed
Blackwell or Billy Higgins, drums)
Coleman’s quartet established a new
system of small-group interaction
and improvisation—one that pri-
oritized the cohesion of the group
statement over the succession of
1. JOHN COLTRANE: THE CLASSIC QUARTET individual statements within a group
(Coltrane, saxophone/McCoy Tyner, piano/ concept. The willingness of all four
Jimmy Garrison, bass/Elvin Jones, drums) men to communicate using a melodic
Honesty, conviction, no showbiz clutter—music vocabulary unfamiliar to most at the
that went directly to the soul, the mind and body time, and to withstand the waves of
of a listener, played nightly as if the musicians’ criticism thrust upon them by musi-
lives depended on it. On top of these attributes, cians, critics and fans alike, makes their
what these four gentlemen played changed the contribution to the music heroic. JIMMY GREENE
course of music forever: McCoy with those
fourth-based voicings; Elvin with broad triplets 4. MILES DAVIS: THE FIRST
played throughout the drum set; Jimmy with GREAT QUINTET/SEXTET
a sound and beat that was the foundation; and (Davis, trumpet/Cannonball Adderley, John
John—forget it, he did it all. If you were lucky Coltrane, saxophones/Red Garland, piano/Paul
enough to see the Classic Quartet live, Chambers, bass/Philly Joe Jones, drums)
it changed your life forever. DAVE LIEBMAN Miles’ First Great Quintet set the standard for
how a band should play together. The rhythm
2. MILES DAVIS: THE SECOND GREAT QUINTET section laid down a swinging groove and pro-
(Davis, trumpet/Wayne Shorter, saxophone/ vided the perfect accompaniment for each soloist,
Herbie Hancock, piano/Ron Carter, bass/ and everyone in the group listened to each other
Tony Williams, drums) intensely. Though we’re always pushing forward,
This quintet played like the five fingers of one this group will forever be the this-is-how-it’s-
hand, all capable of moving independently done example. JOEY DEFRANCESCO
while serving one common cause. I’ve never
heard a better example of five amazingly strong
solo voices playing together as a band with such
sympathetic intensity. KEN PEPLOWSKI

3 JAZZTIMES MAGAZINE
 THE 45 GREATEST SMALL GROUPS
IN JAZZ HISTORY

STEVE SCHAPIRO
5. LOUIS ARMSTRONG ← Bill Evans, flanked by Scott LaFaro (left) and
& HIS HOT FIVE/SEVEN
Paul Motian, at the Village Vanguard in 1961
(Armstrong, cornet/Kid Ory or
John Thomas, trombone/Pete Briggs, tuba/Johnny
Dodds, clarinet/Johnny St. Cyr, banjo/Lil Hardin
Armstrong, piano/Baby Dodds, drums) the right-hand lines. I fell in love with his early, Village
My aunt Theodosia Ingram was a singer, and her Vanguard sound and his emotional connection to his
producer was Clarence Williams. He worked with band—and to each tune he played. FRED HERSCH
the Hot Five as well, and often brought Louis
Armstrong to our home. Armstrong’s scatting on 7. ART BLAKEY & THE JAZZ MESSENGERS (1961-64)
“Heebie Jeebies,” and the use of stop-time technique (Blakey, drums/Freddie Hubbard, trumpet/Curtis Fuller,
within the arrangements, changed what came after trombone/Wayne Shorter, saxophone/Cedar Walton,
him. If there is one band in the vast history of jazz piano/Jymie Merritt or Reggie Workman, bass)
that you should study, Louis Armstrong & His Hot Blakey was a force throughout his entire career, but
Five is it. ALLAN HARRIS both the writing and soloing of this lineup were particu-
larly inspired. Wayne, Freddie and Cedar all composed
6. BILL EVANS TRIO (1959-61) several masterpieces for the band, and Freddie in par-
(Evans, piano/Scott LaFaro, bass/Paul Motian, drums) ticular was an unstoppable, fiery melodic improviser
I was struck by how different Evans’ left hand was. on album after album. The harmonic sophistication of
Not only did he move it up an octave from where the both Wayne and Cedar augmented Blakey’s indomitable
pure beboppers played—freeing up the lower sound drive, and Workman’s arrival pushed everyone further
stage for the bassist—it contained true voice leading, still. But ultimately it was the incredible tunes that made
and he used the left hand in a unique way to shape this band. AARON GOLDBERG

← Weather Report in 1976

8. WEATHER REPORT (1976-81)
(Joe Zawinul, keyboards/Wayne Shorter,
saxophone/Jaco Pastorius, bass/Alex
Acuña or Peter Erskine, drums/Manolo
Badrena or Robert Thomas Jr., percussion)
Weather Report merged jazz and rock
in very distinctive ways. Their approach
to using electronics and grooves within
consistently innovative jazz-inspired
compositions set the bar so high that 40
years later their music still sounds
as fresh as tomorrow. REZ ABBASI
COURTESY OF SONY MUSIC

4 JAZZTIMES MAGAZINE
 THE 45 GREATEST SMALL GROUPS
IN JAZZ HISTORY

ROBERTO MASOTTI/ECM RECORDS

←Art Ensemble of
11. ART ENSEMBLE OF CHICAGO Chicago in 1978
(Lester Bowie, trumpet/Malachi Favors, bass/
WILLIAM P. GOTTLIEB/COURTESY OF THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

Joseph Jarman, woodwinds/Roscoe Mitchell,

woodwinds/Famoudou Don Moye, percussion)
The Art Ensemble of Chicago was a pillar of
musical fluidity, in that they were stylistically
and timbrally completely malleable. They could
change course, in any direction, at the drop of a
hat. The Art Ensemble also brought the role of
identity—racial and lineal heritage—to the music
in a new way. That is a powerful message for all
who have followed. DAVE DOUGLAS

12. KEITH JARRETT “STANDARDS” TRIO

(Jarrett, piano/Gary Peacock,
bass/Jack DeJohnette, drums)
← They breathe together, and are of one mind with
Charlie Parker with Miles Davis how pulse can ebb and flow. They are pastoral
and Max Roach (obscured) in 1947 and textural, with a rich, orchestral sound that’s
immensely melodic. All three musicians have a
unique and phenomenal touch on their instru-
9. CHARLIE PARKER/DIZZY GILLESPIE: THE QUINTET ment, which plays a big role in defining their
(Parker, saxophone/Gillespie, trumpet/Bud Powell, sound. The trio embodies freedom to me, even
piano/Charles Mingus, bass/Max Roach, drums) within the boundaries of standards, which they
This was perhaps the premier bebop ensemble. The make sound modern—timeless, actually—with no
elaborate heads, catchy intros and outros, and more beginning and no end. TERRI LYNE CARRINGTON
elaborate and ambitious soloing were the trademark
components. While the music came out of a blues
DANIELA YOHANNES/ECM RECORDS

and swing sensibility, there were many adventur-

ous devices used to get to the more colorful aspects
of the harmonic structures. Between the doubling up
of the time and the breakneck tempos, eighth- and
sixteenth-note lines would fly by. Today, the recordings
sound as fresh and contemporary as ever. BOB MINTZER

10. CHARLIE PARKER QUINTET (1947)

(Parker, saxophone/Miles Davis, trumpet/Duke Jordan
or Bud Powell, piano/Tommy Potter, bass/
Max Roach, drums)
Parker, two years into his solo career and already
the gold standard of instrumental virtuosity, hired a
rhythm section custom-built to handle his unprec-
edented chops. Miles Davis, on the other hand, offset
them. His lyrical economy suggested that modern jazz
had still more possibilities. MICHAEL J. WEST

← Jack DeJohnette, Keith Jarrett and Gary Peacock

(from left) in 2010

5 JAZZTIMES MAGAZINE
 THE 45 GREATEST SMALL GROUPS
IN JAZZ HISTORY

← The Modern Jazz Quartet—

John Lewis, Connie Kay,
Milt Jackson and Percy Heath
(from left)—in 1988

15. MILES DAVIS QUINTET (1969-70)

(Davis, trumpet/Wayne Shorter, saxophone/Chick
Corea, Rhodes, piano/Dave Holland, bass/
Jack DeJohnette, drums)
The rhythm section of the “lost” quintet had huge shoes
to fill when they joined Miles Davis in 1969. They were
replacing probably the best rhythm section this music
had ever seen, and were playing basically the same ma-
terial that the previous group owned. They soon found
their own voice, though, and it was a hard-driving, more
groove-based sound that spurred Miles on to the stron-
gest, most intense playing of his career. DAVID WEISS

16. AHMAD JAMAL TRIO (1957-62)

(Jamal, piano/Israel Crosby, bass/
Vernel Fournier, drums)
This trio put two very important qualities in the
foreground, both of which defy notation: groove and
process. Each “song” became an opportunity for these
deep human interactions: astute and sympathetic lis-
tening, deft rhythmic communication, rich spontane-
ity. People always talk about Jamal’s use of space—but
it isn’t just space, because the other musicians are
TAD HERSHORN

playing. So it’s really about embracing the others, and

letting them take over for those moments. This is what
listening sounds like. VIJAY IYER

17. BENNY GOODMAN QUARTET

13. MODERN JAZZ QUARTET (Goodman, clarinet/Lionel Hampton, vibraphone/
(John Lewis, piano/Milt Jackson, vibraphone/ Teddy Wilson, piano/Gene Krupa, drums)
Percy Heath, bass/Connie Kay, drums) When Goodman added the ebullient vibraphonist
Lewis, Jackson, Heath and Kay spent 40 years refining Lionel Hampton to his chamber-jazz trio, he concoct-
the concept they invented: chamber jazz. Until 1994, they ed the ultimate yin-and-yang small jazz band: hot and
played intricate, erudite, impeccable music, taut with the cool, earthy and refined, cerebral and swinging. And
contrast between Lewis’ minimalism and Jackson’s lush- black and white: Goodman integrated the showbiz
ness. Remembering them now, dignified in their busi- major leagues a decade before Jackie Robinson would
ness suits, swinging their butts off, it all seems so long do the same for baseball. DAVID KASTIN
ago and far away. THOMAS CONRAD
18. THE DAVE BRUBECK QUARTET
14. CLIFFORD BROWN/ (Brubeck, piano/Paul Desmond, saxophone/Eugene
MAX ROACH QUINTET Wright, bass/Joe Morello, drums)
(Brown, trumpet/Roach, drums/Harold Land Even when employing odd time signatures derived from
or Sonny Rollins, saxophone/Richie Powell, global influences, the classic Brubeck Quartet made
piano/George Morrow, bass) accessible music that sold in the millions. They were a
The Clifford Brown/Max Roach Quintet was a blast fur- single-minded organism with four distinct personalities:
nace of modern jazz expression whose second incarna- Desmond’s melancholic “dry martini” alto tone perfectly
tion conjoined three jazz immortals: Brown, who indel- complemented Brubeck’s stout chording and classically
ibly touched subsequent trumpet generations despite his informed erudition, and the rhythm section kept it all
tragically truncated life; the polyrhythmic pioneer-seeker swinging, whether in 4/4, 5/4 or 9/8. JEFF TAMARKIN
Roach; and Sonny Rollins, inhabitant of the Mount
Rushmore of tenor saxophonists. WILLARD JENKINS

6 JAZZTIMES MAGAZINE
 THE 45 GREATEST SMALL GROUPS
IN JAZZ HISTORY

← The Mahavishnu
Orchestra in the
early ’70s, clock-
wise from top left:
John McLaughlin,
Rick Laird,
Jerry Goodman,
Billy Cobham and
Jan Hammer

COURTESY OF SONY MUSIC

19. THE MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA (1971-73) 22. OSCAR PETERSON TRIO(1953-65)

(John McLaughlin, guitar/Jerry Goodman, violin/ (Peterson, piano/Ray Brown, bass/Herb Ellis, guitar,
Jan Hammer, keyboards/Rick Laird, bass/ or Ed Thigpen, drums)
Billy Cobham, drums)
This is music I will never be able to conceive to 23. CHARLES LLOYD QUARTET (1966)
play, but it is still so, so inspiring. The axis of (Lloyd, tenor saxophone, flute/Keith Jarrett, piano/
John McLaughlin and Billy Cobham was just Cecil McBee, bass/Jack DeJohnette, drums)
mind-boggling. The perfect band.
FRANK VIGNOLA 24. HERBIE HANCOCK “MWANDISHI” SEXTET
(Hancock, Rhodes/Eddie Henderson, trumpet/
20. THE CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Julian Priester, trombone/Bennie Maupin, woodwinds/
QUINTET (1966-69) Buster Williams, bass/Billy Hart, drums)
(Cannonball Adderley, saxophone/Nat Adderley,
cornet/Joe Zawinul, piano/Victor Gaskin, bass/
Roy McCurdy, drums)
This band developed a very distinct sound that
swung very hard, was extremely soulful, and
Herbie Hancock’s early ’70s sextet, which is now affectionately
at times drew influences from the rhythm-and-
blues and soul music of the day. Listening to
known as the “Mwandishi” sextet, was by far an “all-in” band.
these recordings helped me understand
and further appreciate the directions that
They were acoustic, electric, swinging, funky and avant-garde—
Cannonball and Zawinul went in later during
their careers. JALEEL SHAW
all through a lens of spiritualism and pan-Africanism.
—CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE
21. THE TONY WILLIAMS LIFETIME (1969)
(Williams, drums/John McLaughlin, guitar/
Larry Young, organ)

7 JAZZTIMES MAGAZINE
 THE 45 GREATEST SMALL GROUPS
IN JAZZ HISTORY

← Joe Lovano,
Paul Motian
and Bill Frisell
(from top) in 2006

Respecting the jazz tradition while propelling it forward, celebrating standards while
exploring a new and distinctive path, and finding spontaneity in a rarely used combination
of instruments, Paul Motian’s trio provided many of the most sublime moments I’ve heard
in the 20 years I’ve been going to the Village Vanguard. Inspiring and essential listening
from melodic, harmonic, rhythmic and timbral perspectives. —JON IRABAGON

25. THELONIOUS MONK QUARTET (1957-58)

(Monk, piano/John Coltrane, saxophone/Ahmed Abdul-Malik,
bass/Roy Haynes or Shadow Wilson, drums)

26. WAYNE SHORTER QUARTET (2001-PRESENT)

(Shorter, saxophone/Danilo Pérez, piano/John Patitucci, bass/
Brian Blade, drums)

27. CHARLES MINGUS SEXTET (1964)

(Mingus, bass/Johnny Coles, trumpet/Eric Dolphy, wood-
winds/Clifford Jordan, saxophone/Jaki Byard, piano/
Dannie Richmond, drums)

28. THELONIOUS MONK QUARTET (1964-69)

(Monk, piano/Charlie Rouse, saxophone/Larry Gales, bass/
Ben Riley, drums)
PHOTOS BY ROBERT LEWIS

29. PAUL MOTIAN/BILL FRISELL/JOE LOVANO

(Motian, drums/Frisell, guitar/Lovano, saxophone)

8 JAZZTIMES MAGAZINE
 THE 45 GREATEST SMALL GROUPS
IN JAZZ HISTORY

← The classic mid-’70s lineup

of Return to Forever, reunited
in 2008: Al Di Meola, Stanley
Clarke, Chick Corea and
Lenny White (from left)
LYNN GOLDSMITH

30. RETURN TO FOREVER 37. DUKE ELLINGTON/

(1974-76, 2008) CHARLES MINGUS/MAX ROACH
(Chick Corea, keyboards/Al Di Meola, guitar/ (Ellington, piano/Mingus, bass/
Stanley Clarke, bass/Lenny White, drums) Roach, drums)

31. THE JAZZTET (1960) 38. JASON MORAN & THE BANDWAGON
(Art Farmer, trumpet/Benny Golson, saxophone/Curtis (Moran, piano/Tarus Mateen, bass/Nasheet Waits, drums)
Fuller, trombone/McCoy Tyner, piano/
Addison Farmer, bass/Lex Humphries, drums) 39. WORLD SAXOPHONE QUARTET (1977-89)
(Hamiet Bluiett, baritone saxophone, alto clarinet/Julius
32. CHICK COREA/MIROSLAV VITOUS/ Hemphill, alto and soprano saxophone, flute/Oliver Lake,
ROY HAYNES alto and soprano saxophone/David Murray, tenor saxophone,
(Corea, piano/Vitous, bass/Haynes, drums) bass clarinet)

33. NAT KING COLE TRIO (1937-41) 40. DON PULLEN/GEORGE ADAMS QUARTET
(Cole, piano, vocals, arranger/Oscar Moore, guitar/ (Don Pullen, piano/George Adams, saxophone/
Wesley Prince, bass) Cameron Brown, bass/Dannie Richmond, drums)

34. GERRY MULLIGAN/CHET BAKER QUARTET 41. KEITH JARRETT “AMERICAN” QUARTET
(1952-53) (Jarrett, piano/Dewey Redman, saxophone/Charlie Haden,
(Mulligan, saxophone/Baker, trumpet/Bob Whitlock, bass/Paul Motian, drums)
bass/Chico Hamilton, drums)
42. RETURN TO FOREVER (1972-73)
35. AIR (Chick Corea, keyboards/Joe Farrell, woodwinds/
(Henry Threadgill, woodwinds/Fred Hopkins, bass/ Stanley Clarke, bass/Lenny White, drums/
Steve McCall, drums) Airto Moreira, percussion/Flora Purim, vocals)

36. BRANFORD MARSALIS 43. CECIL TAYLOR UNIT (1962)

QUARTET (1987-97) (Taylor, piano/Jimmy Lyons, saxophone/Sunny Murray, drums)
(Marsalis, saxophone/Kenny Kirkland, piano/
Robert Hurst, bass/Jeff “Tain” Watts, drums) 44. WYNTON MARSALIS QUINTET (1984-85)
(Marsalis, trumpet/Branford Marsalis, saxophone/Kenny Kirk-
land, piano/Charnett Moffett, bass/Jeff “Tain” Watts, drums)

45. JIMMY GIUFFRE 3 (1957-58)

(Giuffre, clarinet, saxophone/Jim Hall, guitar/Ralph Pena,
bass; later, trombonist Bob Brookmeyer replaces Pena) JT

9 JAZZTIMES MAGAZINE
 “As a musician
you have to keep
one foot back
in the past and

WILLIAM P. GOTTLIEB/IRA AND LEONORE S. GERSHWIN FUND COLLECTION, MUSIC DIVISION, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
have one foot
forward into
the future.”
— DIZZY GILLESPIE, JAZZTIMES ’ FIRST SUBSCRIBER

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