I was thinking about my ultimate favorite jazz artists, noticing they seem to come in pairs like Shiva and Shakti, embodying opposites of a sort in terms of artistic domains. 

Considered together, each pairing encompasses pleasingly varied worlds of consciousness and invention where one may seek both inspiration and solace. 

There are many other jazz artists I find indispensible, of course, but these are the highest of the high for myself.              

 Interestingly, the trombonists chosen both play valve rather than the more conventional slide trombone.

Three instrumental categories turned out to have only one choice I was honestly able to include or I would have to go beyond pairs and it began getting too sloppy and even dishonest for the other inclusions. 

Please note these are all personal choices based upon my perceptions and experiences with jazz. 

Vocal - Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong

Trumpet - Dizzy Gillespie and Louis Armstrong

Tenor Saxophone - Stan Getz and John Coltrane    

Drums - Alan Dawson and Eliot Zigmund     

Alto Saxophone - Lee Konitz and Jackie McLean    

Piano - Count Basie and Red Garland      

Baritone Saxophone - Harry Carney and Gerry Mulligan

Bass - Richard Davis and Steve Davis

Clarinet - Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw  

Flute - Herbie Mann    

Percussion - Poncho Sanchez and Airto Moreira

Guitar - Charlie Christian and Tal Farlow

Electric Piano - Chick Corea  

Computer (Meruvina) - Michael Robinson Longhi 

Trombone - Bob Brookmeyer and Juan Tizol

Big Band - Count Basie Orchestra and Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra

Among the musicians here, I'm very fortunate to have studied with Lee Konitz  after which we became close friends.

My Dad took me to the Village Gate to hear Dizzy Gillespie when I was a teenager, arriving very early. In my mind's eye, I can still see Dizzy entering the club, and waving back with a welcoming smile and "Hi!" to both of us.

Nazir Ali Jairazbhoy told me how thrilling it was to have Gillespie attend one of the weekly Friday night soirées hosted by Amy Catlin and himself at their home following a UCLA concert where the trumpeter was featured. Nazir had also said Lee Konitz was his favorite jazz artist of all without beforehand knowing of my friendship with Lee.

Under the awning outside a Manhattan jazz club in the early eighties, I was once standing alone together with Stan Getz while he smoked either a joint or a cigarette with great intensity, but by the time I summoned enough courage to say hello, he darted back into the club like an unexpected turn of phrase or even The Flash.

Also amused and happy to realize the only two still alive here are a drummer I was beyond fortunate to record with on piano, Eliot Zigmund, and in lieu of no one else so far in the most recent instrumental area in the continuing evolution of jazz, admittedly pretty awkward but true, myself for computer which I have renamed meruvina for music in general.             

- Michael Robinson Longhi, August 2021 - January 2026, Los Angeles

© 2021- 2026 Michael Robinson All rights reserved

Michael Robinson Longhi is an American composer, performer and musicologist. His over 200 albums include over 150 albums for meruvina and over 50 albums of piano improvisations. Michael has shared his music and ideas about music live with churches, universities, colleges, radio stations, high schools, elementary schools and community centers in the USA and online with the rest of the world.