This is a list of American jazz drummers. Jazz drummers play percussion (predominantly the drum set) in jazz, jazz fusion, and other jazz subgenres such as latin jazz. The techniques and instrumentation of this type of performance have evolved over the 1900s, influenced by jazz at large and the individual drummers within it. Jazz required a method of playing percussion different from traditional European styles, one that was easily adaptable to the different rhythms of the new genre, fostering the creation of jazz drumming's hybrid technique. As each period in the evolution of jazz—swing and bebop, for example—tended to have its own rhythmic style, jazz drumming continued to evolve along with the music. In the 1970s and 1980s, jazz drumming incorporated elements of rock and Latin styles.
American jazz drummers
A
Clarence Acox, Jr. Leo Adde Henry Adler Pheeroan akLaff Mousey Alexander Muhammad Ali Rashied Ali Don Alias Carl Allen Barry Altschul Danny Alvin Robby Ameen Scott Amendola Leon Anderson Horace Arnold Joe Ascione Cuba Austin
B
Dave Bailey
Donald Bailey
Butch Ballard
Jeff Ballard
Louis Barbarin
Paul Barbarin
Danny Barcelona
Thurman Barker
Joey Baron
Ray Barretto
Lionel Batiste
Bobby Battle
Ray Bauduc
Ronnie Bedford
Poogie Bell
Louie Bellson
Tommy Benford
Jimmy Bennington
Black Benny
Bill Berg
Dick Berk
Steve Berrios
Vic Berton
Jimmy Bertrand
Denzil Best
John Betsch
Chief Bey
Tony Bianco
Wallace Bishop
Gregg Bissonette
Jim Black
Cindy Blackman
Ed Blackwell
John Blackwell
Brian Blade
Allen Blairman
Art Blakey
John G. Blowers, Jr. Mickey Bones Fred Braceful Pauline Braddy Tiny Bradshaw Gerald Brashear Brittany Brooks Cecil Brooks III Roy Brooks Anthony Brown Mel Brown Larry Bunker Gary Burghoff Ronnie Burrage Alvin Burroughs Frank Butler
C
Gene Calderazzo
Charlie Callas
Frank Capp
Terri Lyne Carrington
Michael Carvin
Sid Catlett
Nick Ceroli
Jimmy Chamberlin
Dennis Chambers
Joe Chambers
Leon "Ndugu" Chancler
Gary Chester
Mike Clark
Kenny Clarke
Gerald Cleaver
Alex Cline
Jimmy Cobb
Billy Cobham
Cozy Cole
Denardo Coleman
Rudy Collins
Norman Connors
Frank Cook
Jerome Cooper
Keith Copeland
Jack Costanzo
Irving Cottler
Louis Cottrell, Sr. Herbert Cowans Jimmy Crawford Adam Cruz Andrew Cyrille
D
Billie Davies
Quincy Davis
Steve Davis
Alan Dawson
Ike Day
Donald Dean
Barrett Deems
Jack DeJohnette
Kenny Dennis
Joe DeRenzo
Clem DeRosa
Michael Di Pasqua
Whit Dickey
Bruce Ditmas
Ben Dixon
Baby Dodds
Bobby Donaldson
Eddie Dougherty
Bill Douglass
Bill Dowdy
Josh Dun
Hamid Drake
Al Dreares
Buzzy Drootin
Billy Drummond
Frankie Dunlop
Bobby Durham
E
Arthur Edgehill
Marc Edwards
Bill Elgart
Atilla Engin
Herman "Roscoe" Ernest III
Peter Erskine
Pete Escovedo
Sticks Evans
Sue Evans
F
Joe Farnsworth
Nick Fatool
Morey Feld
Sherman Ferguson
Alvin Fielder
Kansas Fields
Sammy Figueroa
Chuck Flores
Al Foster
Panama Francis
Cie Frazier
Bruz Freeman
Bob French
G
Steve Gadd
Frank Gagliardi
Rich Galichon
Joe Gallivan
Gene Gammage
Frank Gant
Alvester Garnett
Eddie Gladden
Bill Goodwin
Danny Gottlieb
Eric Gravatt
Milford Graves
Sonny Greer
Freddie Gruber
Terreon Gully
H
Omar Hakim
Dana Hall
Minor Hall
Tubby Hall
Chico Hamilton
Jeff Hamilton
Ivan Hampden, Jr. Lionel Hampton Jake Hanna Al Harewood Eric Harland Winard Harper Beaver Harris Billy Hart Roy Harte Louis Hayes Roy Haynes Monk Hazel Fats Heard J. C. Heard Albert Heath Mike Heller Gerry Hemingway Arthur Herbert Phil Hey Billy Higgins Andrew Hilaire Jeff Hirshfield Ari Hoenig G.T. Hogan Milt Holland John Hollenbeck Bob Holz William Hooker Stix Hooper Jimmy Hopps Frank Hudec Paul Humphrey Lex Humphries Roger Humphries