Jazz at the Philharmonic

[1] Over the years, "Jazz at the Philharmonic" featured many of the era's preeminent musicians, including Louie Bellson, Ray Brown, Benny Carter, Nat King Cole, Sonny Criss, Buddy DeFranco, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Roy Eldridge, Herb Ellis, Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, Bill Harris, Coleman Hawkins, J. C. Heard, Billie Holiday, Helen Humes, the Modern Jazz Quartet, Illinois Jacquet, J. J. Johnson, Hank Jones, Jo Jones, Barney Kessel, Kenny Kersey, Gene Krupa, Lou Levy, Meade Lux Lewis, Shelly Manne, Fats Navarro, Charlie Parker, Oscar Peterson, Flip Phillips, Buddy Rich, Charlie Shavers, Willie Smith, Sonny Stitt, Slim Gaillard, Clark Terry, Tommy Turk, T-Bone Walker, Ben Webster, Lee Young, Lester Young, and Trummy Young.

The very first concert was held on Sunday, July 2, 1944, at the Philharmonic Auditorium, Los Angeles, and featured Illinois Jacquet, Jack McVea, J. J. Johnson, Shorty Sherock, Nat King Cole, Les Paul, Johnny Miller, Meade Lux Lewis, Bumps Myers, Joe Sullivan, Buddy Rich, Randall Miller, Bud Hatch, Marie Bryant, Red Callender, Lee Young, and Carolyn Richards.

Illinois Jacquet, Nat King Cole and Les Paul, in particular, created a sensation.

[2] Jazz tenor saxophonist Flip Phillips played at all the JATP concerts from 1946 to 1957.

JATP Tours - USA and Canada (1945–1957): After the JATP concerts in the fall of 1957, "Jazz at the Philharmonic" ceased touring the United States and Canada (with the exception of one final North American Tour in 1967), but continued intermittently mainly in Europe and Japan until 1983, with the last JATP concerts being performed in October, 1983, in Tokyo, Japan.