Ever since Joshua fit the battle of Jericho with his trumpet, the instrument has held a special place among the horns. And trumpeters were first and main identifying figures and founding fathers of the African-American Jazz that developed in New Orleans, Louisiana, around 1900. Unfortunately, there are no recordings with Buddy Bolden, but King Oliver and especially his student Louis Armstrong are still known around the world today - and the latter also very popular. From "Satchmo" Armstrong to Dizzy Gillespie to Miles Davis trumpeters became the figureheads of a music that developed at breakneck speed in synchronicity with the industrial and technological developments of the 20th century and went on to conquer the world. Anyone who thinks that the aforementioned triumvirate is enough is underestimating the musical "army" that makes up the wealth of musical personalities in Jazz and especially its trumpeters. This is remedied here with 23 of the greatest soloists - and we could easily present another 23 and more. Doc Cheatham (1905-1997), one of the important exponents between Armstrong and Roy Eldridge, played the first trumpet in countless orchestras for decades until he began a world career as a soloist at an age where Satchmo had to limit himself to singing. The many big band soloists from Ellington and Basie are well represented here with Shorty Baker, Clark Terry, Harry Edison and Joe Newman. Miles Davis might not have been up to par with many of his colleagues technically, especially Dizzy and the highly important and now sadly forgotten Howard McGhee, but his charisma and creativity made him, together with Armstrong, one of the greatest stars of the guild. Of all things, Doc Cheatham's grandson, Theo Croker, trumpeter (born 1985), whatever else, has been showing impressively for several years that he is growing up to become the most important musician of his generation and one of the Giants.
