Why do Jazz musicians have such cool names?

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John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Cannonball Adderley, Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk, Eric Dolphy, Donald Byrd.

These are seriously cool names. Granted, there are some 'Andrew Hills', but the trend is clear.

(extremely slow day at work)

― Debito (Debito), Thursday, 27 November 2003 05:02 (twenty-two years ago)

larry stabbins!

― fiddo centington (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 27 November 2003 05:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Sonny Stitt

Why so many Sonnys?

― Debito (Debito), Thursday, 27 November 2003 05:08 (twenty-two years ago)

How could I forget 'Pharoah Sanders.'

What I wouldn't do to be called Pharoah Sanders. Though it really wouldn't suit me.

― Debito (Debito), Thursday, 27 November 2003 05:10 (twenty-two years ago)

You would only have to decide to be called pharoah, them convince everyone to call you pharoah. You dan't have to actually be named pharoah.

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Thursday, 27 November 2003 05:24 (twenty-two years ago)

i suggest business cards.

― fiddo centington (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 27 November 2003 05:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Hello my name is

Pharoah

― Debito (Debito), Thursday, 27 November 2003 05:37 (twenty-two years ago)

errmm Bill Evans

― mentalist (mentalist), Thursday, 27 November 2003 05:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Flava Flav!

― spittle (spittle), Thursday, 27 November 2003 07:01 (twenty-two years ago)

i suggest business cards.

And a dashiki.

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Thursday, 27 November 2003 07:24 (twenty-two years ago)

it really is pointless-sucking-up-to-jazz-guys week, isn't it?

― el sabor de gene (yournullfame), Thursday, 27 November 2003 08:11 (twenty-two years ago)

You can't suck up to the dead!

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Thursday, 27 November 2003 08:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes, well Bill Evans is the exception that proves the rule.

Anyways, I'm now called Pharoah. Proceed accordingly.

― Debito (Debito), Thursday, 27 November 2003 08:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Sun Ra/Herman Blount

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Thursday, 27 November 2003 08:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Damn, makes me wish I started up The Old Fart Jazz Explosion!!! when I was a young(er) man!!!!!

― Old Fart!!! (oldfart_sd), Thursday, 27 November 2003 13:20 (twenty-two years ago)

Ornette Coleman

- what sort of a name is Ornette??!??!

See also: Grachan Moncur

― The Spotlight Kid (kid), Thursday, 27 November 2003 13:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Herman Blount

― dave q, Thursday, 27 November 2003 14:23 (twenty-two years ago)

I suppose I'm wondering if these are their real names. Do jazzmen ever take on new names for jazz cred? Is Pharoah Sanders' actual christian name Bob Smith? Do the parents of these men have a premonition that their little baby will grow up to be a jazz legend and name them accordingly?

These are important questions!

― Debito (Debito), Thursday, 27 November 2003 14:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Pretty Purdie.

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Thursday, 27 November 2003 14:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Herman Blount is so astoundingly cool a name it's mentioned twice, go it

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Thursday, 27 November 2003 14:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Pharoah Sanders = Ferrell Sanders

I'm pretty certain Sun Ra encouraged him to call himself Pharoah

― The Spotlight Kid (kid), Thursday, 27 November 2003 14:26 (twenty-two years ago)

(embarassed) sorry...

― dave q, Thursday, 27 November 2003 14:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Herman Poole Blount = Sonny Blount/ Sonny Bhlount/ Le Son y'Ra/ Sun Ra.

All great names

― The Spotlight Kid (kid), Thursday, 27 November 2003 14:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Charles Parker's a pretty dull name... I liked seeing it come up twice! It looks cooler on its own, actually. No name can compare w/Sun Ra, obv. Blount was another "Sonny", too, I think.

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Thursday, 27 November 2003 14:29 (twenty-two years ago)

x-post, no shit

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Thursday, 27 November 2003 14:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Classic: Herbie Hancock's Mwandishi band to thread.
Dud: Sun Ra once had a guitarist called "Disco Kid."

― doug watson (solid air), Thursday, 27 November 2003 14:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Where does the name "Coltrane" originate? Mingus is obviously "Menzies", Ming-us being the proper Scottish pronunciation of "Menzies".

― The Spotlight Kid (kid), Thursday, 27 November 2003 14:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Béla Fleck

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Thursday, 27 November 2003 15:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Albert Ayler for chrissakes..

― thomas de'aguirre (biteylove), Thursday, 27 November 2003 15:41 (twenty-two years ago)

dizzy gillespie

― robin (robin), Thursday, 27 November 2003 17:19 (twenty-two years ago)

chet baker
fats waller
duke ellington
count basie

and my favourite....max roach

― paulhw (paulhw), Thursday, 27 November 2003 20:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Don Cherry

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Thursday, 27 November 2003 23:02 (twenty-two years ago)

best jazz name ever though: bix beiderbecke

― amateur!st (amateurist), Thursday, 27 November 2003 23:04 (twenty-two years ago)

if that was my name and i had business cards i'd print a pronounciation guide on the back

― amateur!st (amateurist), Thursday, 27 November 2003 23:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Coeman Hawkins must be the coolest name evah. even cheesy jazz musicians have cool names: wynton marsalis, harry connick jr, kenny g (no, wait...)

― Jay Kid (Jay K), Friday, 28 November 2003 12:09 (twenty-two years ago)

you'd have to have a terrific surname to make up for "kenny"

― amateur!st (amateurist), Friday, 28 November 2003 13:54 (twenty-two years ago)

because jazz is way coller than any other form of music.... therefore you need a proper name to perform it....

― Vaudevillian007, Saturday, 29 November 2003 19:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Billy Bang
Harold Land (what a great last name, you know)
Marzette Watts
Lionel Hampton
Sonny Sharrock

― musicmope (musicmope), Saturday, 29 November 2003 20:18 (twenty-two years ago)

And Phineas Neborn, Jr. !

― D. Strauss (musicmope), Saturday, 29 November 2003 20:19 (twenty-two years ago)

That's Newborn...

― musicmope (musicmope), Saturday, 29 November 2003 20:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Red Garland...piano fatty

― cs appleby (cs appleby), Saturday, 29 November 2003 20:36 (twenty-two years ago)

What, no Spanky DeBrest?

I've always like Horace Silver, too.

― Vic Funk, Saturday, 29 November 2003 20:39 (twenty-two years ago)

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