The violin has never been a major instrument on the jazz scene, and yet it played a minor role right from the beginning of jazz. A lot of the early jazz bands had a small string section, playing in the background, However it is as a solo instrument that the violin made an impact on the jazz scene. One of the pioneers was Claude Williams, who played with Andy Kirk and his Clouds of Joy back in 1929. Though he stayed in Kansas City for most of his life, he was still recording into the 2000s.
.Another of the early jazz violinists was Eddie South, who played in Europe for many years. Eddie South, was a talented technician and, if not for the racism of the time at the time, would have been a great classical violinist. South, a child prodigy who graduated from Chicago Music College. South was unable to hold a classical position in 1920s Chicago, so Darnell Howard taught him jazz. He worked in Chicago during the mid- to late ’20s with Jimmy Wade’s Syncopators and Charles Elgar. In 1928 he made a trip to Europe, where he studied at the Paris Conservatoire,. He particularly enjoyed his visit to Budapest. Later, he would frequently use gypsy melodies to inspire jazz improvisations. Here he is with his band, The Alabamians, playing Two Guitars.
In the era of early jazz and swing, the violin was often an instrument that carried a hint of an old-fashioned sound—a suggestion of classical music, of the high-society dance orchestra, of the gypsy café music of Europe. But Stuff Smith, considered one of the most important jazz violinists of his time, made music that told a different story: Smith's violin was raucous, rhythmically daring, and bluesy, looking toward the future, not the past. Like most great jazz players, Smith pushed the envelope in his playing, and later in his career, he adapted with little difficulty to the new musical language of bebop. Smith also sang and was the composer of several jazz standards, including his infamous song “If You're a Viper”
Here he is playing and singing it. Listen out for Jonah Jones on trumpet.
Possibly the most famous American jazz violinist was Joe Venuti. Considered the father of jazz violin he pioneered the use of string instruments in jazz along with the guitarist Eddie Lang, a friend since childhood. Through the 1920s and early 1930s, Venuti and Lang made many recordings as leaders and as featured soloists. In 1926, Venuti and Lang started recording for the OKeh label as a duet (after a solitary duet issued on Columbia), followed by "Blue Four" combinations, which are considered milestone jazz recordings.
In France, Stéphane Grappelli was a French jazz violinist. He is best known as the founder of the Quintette du Hot Club de France with guitarist Django Reinhardt in 1934. It was one of the first all-string jazz bands, and started a style of jazz, known as “Gypsy Jazz”, which is still very much in style, He has been called "the grandfather of jazz violinists" and continued playing concerts around the world well into his eighties. Here are two recordings, one of the Quintette and one of him playing solo, much later in his career, with Sacha Distel on guitar.
Ray Nance was a very talented multi-instrumentalist who doubled on violin and trumpet in the Duke Ellington band for many years. His violin is featured on the 1942 version of C-Jam Blues amongst other Ellington recordings.
When he finally left Ellington, he made a number of recordings with his own band, including this duet with pianist Roland Hanna, Ray Nance and Roland Hanna – Take The A Train, which was played at his funeral.
A lesser known violinist is Ray Perry who had a rather short career owing to heart problems. This recording was made by the Lionel Hampton band and features Perry on Electric Violin and Irving Ashby on guitar from 1941.
Later in his life he made a few recordings with his trio. The only one I could find was this one of Summertime.
A little-known French jazz violinist was Michael Warlop, a classically trained musician who preferred to play jazz and recorded with Django Reinhardt. He was the principal violinist with the Raymond Legrand big band. Taken prisoner by the Germans in the war, he was released because of his T.B., He resumed working with LeGrand, but was stopped because of his involvement with the Nazis. He never worked again and died at the age of 37
Svend Asmussen was a Danish violinist, known as "The Fiddling Viking". A Swing-style virtuoso, he played and recorded with many other notable jazz musicians, including Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, and Stephane Grappelli. He played publicly until 2010 when he had a blood clot, his career having spanned eight decades. Asmussen was born in Copenhagen and was raised in a musical family. He started taking violin lessons at the age of seven. At the age of 16, he first heard recordings by jazz violinist Grappelli and began to emulate his style. He started working professionally as a violinist, vibraphonist, and singer at age 17, leaving his formal training behind for good. Early in his career, he worked in Denmark and on cruise ships, with artists such as Josephine Baker. Asmussen was later greatly influenced by Stuff Smith, whom he met in Denmark. He was still active playing the violin at the age of 94.
Jean-Luc Ponty)is a French jazz and jazz fusion violinist and composer. He is considered a pioneer of jazz-rock, particularly for his use of the electric violin starting in the 1970s. He rose to prominence for his collaborations with popular musical artists Frank Zappa and Chick Corea.. In addition to his solo work, he has performed with symphony orchestras in France, the United States, Canada, and Japan. At first, the violin proved to be challenging; few at the time viewed the instrument as having a legitimate place in the modern jazz vocabulary. With a powerful sound that eschewed vibrato, Ponty distinguished himself with bebop phrasing and a punchy style influenced more by horn players than by anything previously tried on the violin.
Regina Carter is a master of improvisational jazz violin. Though her work draws upon a wide range of musical influences – including Motown, Afro-Cuban, Swing, Bebop, Folk, and World – she has crafted a signature voice and style. Carter's performances highlight the often overlooked potential of the jazz violin for its lyric, melodic, and percussive potential. Her early training as a classical musician is reflected in the fluidity, grace, and balance of her performance. Carter's repertoire retains a firm connection with the familiar while venturing in new, unexpected directions. Through artistry with an instrument that has been defined predominantly by the classical tradition, Carter is pioneering new possibilities for the violin and jazz.
Hailing from France, Didier Lockwood became a driving force in progressive rock as part of the jazz and rock fusion group Magma in the 1970s. Lockwood used an electric violin and experimented with different electric amplification techniques to create unique melodies and sound quality.
However, his true passion lay in jazz, particularly in the style of jazz fusion. He was greatly influenced by the legendary jazz violinist Stéphane Grappelli, with whom he had the opportunity to collaborate.
Throughout his career, he released over 20 albums as a leader, showcasing his wide-ranging musical interests and exceptional talent. His album Tribute to Stéphane Grappelli is particularly notable, as it demonstrates his deep respect and admiration for his mentor.
Benet McLean initially known best for his outstanding piano playing, released several critically acclaimed albums on piano, garnering praise from the likes of MOJO, Jazzwise, The Guardian, and the BBC. After returning to his first instrument, the violin, he quickly emerged as a dynamic and innovative jazz violinist. His debut solo violin album, Green Park, was released in November 2023 and received universal praise from critics and radio alike.
A gifted composer and arranger, live works with his own band, focusing on violin-infused high-energy grooves interspersed with lyrical ballads, often augmented with pedals and effects. Collaborations have included heading up the string quartet on Partikel’s acclaimed
Zach Brock (born August 2, 1974) is an American jazz violinist and composer. He has been a member of Snarky Puppy since 2007 and has worked with Stanley Clarke, Phil Markowitz, and Dave Liebman, as well as leading his groups.
Brock began performing and recording while still a student at Northwestern. His first recordings were with the band Spazztet, which also featured guitarist Aaron Weistrop.
Around 2008, Brock became a member of two bands with which he continues to be associated. He has recorded with Matt Ulery's Loom, based in Chicago on seven albums. He was on three albums with Snarky Puppy, then working in and from Dallas and on the verge of international stardom. He departed Snarky Puppy in 2011 for other projects, including touring with Stanley Clarke, but he returned to the band in 2016 and continues to be one of Brooklyn-based band's most frequent performers, including on two of the band's award-winning albums.
Snarky Puppy is an American band led by bassist Michael League. Founded in 2004, Snarky Puppy combines a variety of jazz idioms, rock, world music, and funk
That brings us to the end of this short look at the violin in Jazz. There are many other Jazz violinists, and it seems the majority of them play in “Gypsy Jazz”style groups, and only a minority play with regular modern jazz groups.