who is the hippest jazz player in the universe?

[OldGuitarPlayer]

[Jabberwocky]

The great Sonny Rollins, long may he live. The equally great Kenny Burrell, long may he live.

[Groyniad]

The great Sonny Rollins, long may he live. The equally great Kenny Burrell, long may he live.

jabber i'm delighted you say this

the great Sonny Rollins has to be my vote

[dortmundjazzguitar]

the great Sonny Rollins has to be my vote

this might be up your alley:

[nick1994]

jabber i'm delighted you say this

the great Sonny Rollins has to be my vote

close but this is hipper

[princeplanet]

But really, was anyone ever hipper than this guy?

[nick1994]

i change my hip vote. if i ever fall over and break a hip ill just replace it with this

[vintagelove]

Since this is a guitar site, my vote goes for Allan Holdsworth.

Monster chops, un-compramised musical vision, paves his own path.

[Groyniad]

close but this is hipper

i think you've nailed it

blue 7 is the hippest thing the hippest player ever played

its my favourite head to quote

wherever you put it - it makes you sound hipper than you did before you played it

thanks

[Groyniad]

But really, was anyone ever hipper than this guy?

glorious - obviously

but too rad to be hip?

(i know hip needs some rad - but this is a bit too rad. it can't be easy, but it can't be too hard either.)

[srlank]

The tune itself is incredibly hip. And as an added bonus, it's got a strong emotional punch!

[Greentone]

Yeah, Blue 7 is one cool, er, hip blues. No doubt. Saxophone Colossus is one cool, er, hip record. No doubt about that, either.

[snoskier63]

So many legit answers, but the most legit...

Guitar: Barney Kessel
Bass: Stanley Clarke
Piano: Oscar Peterson
Organ: Jimmy Smith
Drums: Ignacio Berroa
Trumpet: Miles Davis
Saxophone: Sonny Stitt
Vocalist: Ella Fitzgerald

[wolflen]

George benson..as a studio player on the CTI albums..the riffs were on fire..

[srlank]

Has to be in the running.....whole album.

[Doctor Jeff]

You may be cool, but you'll never be Miles, Cannonball and Coltrane blowing together cool...

[Doctor Jeff]

There might be different ways to be hip...

If it means having a certain style and attitude that is relaxed yet working at the same time, then Wynton and Wes would be right at the top. There are probably quite a few others that would be contenders as well, Paul Chambers and Philly Jo Jones, Frank Sinatra of course, Tony Bennett.

It is interesting how unhip at least to the general public these folks seemed at later times--in the 70's Wes and Wynton were considered hopelessly old-fashioned, Frank was a dinosaur, even the Beatles and Rolling Stones were old-hat. Louis Armstrong was a cartoon figure. Miles took a vacation from trying to be relevant in the later 70's that lasted almost a decade.

In fact, if you had asked this question in 1979, the year I graduated high school, I can guarantee you not one name mentioned above would have made the list.

But what goes around comes around, and there is an inherent coolness in Wes and Wynton and Louis and Lester that rises to the top once the hubbub over the latest new thing dies down.

[lawson-stone]

For serious communal, combinatorial hipness, how about the Frank Sinatra album L.A. Is My Lady?

Take a look at the names in that combo and stand in awe.

The video of the sessions is also some of the best footage ever shot of musicians being totally bada$$ at their craft.

Also evidence that Lionel Hampton should only be allowed to play, not talk.

"... you know... issa'... style... I mean, you know... dat.. style..."

But hey, that's Lionel Hampton talking. He can say anything he wants.

He got dat style.

[rabbit]

Lester Young originated, defined and embodied hip.

Others may have been as hip, Billie Holiday or Pops or Miles for example, but none more hip.

[pingu]

miles

[Binyomin]

Lester Young

Q.E.D.

[A. Kingstone]

Seems to be very Earth-centric replies.

That said, I wouldn't know hip if I stepped in it.

[Philco]

Yes, and of course all the above comments only deal with this Universe. If some other Universes (plural of Universe?) were included you would most definitely see some different names.

[MarkRhodes]

Maybe, John Pizzarelli, he's so hip he plays Mack the Knife at the right time.

I love Blossom Dearie's version where she says, "I even call my girlfriend 'man,' I'm so hip!"

[MarkRhodes]

That said, I wouldn't know hip if I stepped in it.

This is hip. (John Lee Hooker)