The Original Dixieland Jass Band – a group of five white musicians – is often credited with being the first to record jazz music thanks to their recordings of “Livery Stale Blues” and “Dixie Jass One-Step” at the Victor Talking Machine Company in February 1917 (this type of music was originally called jass before the more familiar spelling we use today was adopted).

However, as curator John Edward Hasse notes in his fascinating Smithsonian Magazine article the credit for first may be misguided. The Black instrumental quartet The Versatile Four and Black composer and bandleader Wilbur Sweatman are also in contention for “first” for their respective recordings from 1916 that incorporate improvisatory jazz elements.

While the matter of first may be up for debate, there is no arguing with the fact that we have enjoyed more than a century of incredible jazz, recorded for convenient listening at home, in the car, or on your subway commute. Our NEA Jazz Masters are among some of the most prolific recording artists in the genre, so in honor of the 40th anniversary of the program, we thought we’d quiz you on some of their discographies!

Can you name the NEA Jazz Master based on some of the albums they’ve been part of as either leader or sidemen? Give it a shot and let us know how well you did @NEAarts on Twitter! (See below for answer key).

1. Beautiful Life, Never Too Far, Good Night, and Good Luck, When You Know, A Little Moonlight
2. We Insist!, It's Time, Drums Unlimited, Deeds, Not Words, Percussion Bittersweet
3. Unheard Bird: The Unissued Takes, Charlie Parker with Strings: Deluxe Edition, Cat, The Ash, Organic Chemistry
4. Kogun, Long Yellow Road, Finesse, Interlude, United Nations, Dedications
5. JuJu, Night Dreamer, Native Dancer, Adam's Apple, The All Seeing Eye
6. Sunshine of Your Love, Like Someone in Love, Lullabies of Birdland, Get Happy!, One O'Clock Jump
7. Dancin' & Prancin', Beautiful, The Master, Thousand Finger Man, Drum Fever
8. Afro, Free Ride, The Real Thing, New Wave, The Cool World 
9. Sky Blue, Evanescence, Coming About, Concert in the Garden, Data Lords
10. Head Hunters, Maiden Voyage, Thrust, Takin' Off, Future Shock

 

 

 

 

ANSWER KEy

1, Diane Reeves

2. Max Roach

3. Phil Schaap (although not a musician, Scaa wrote liner notes for all of these albums and more)!

4. Toshiko Akiyoshi

5. Wayne Shorter

6. Ella Fitzgerald

7. Cándido Camero

8. Dizzy Gillespie

9. Maria Schneider

10. Herbie Hancock