I’ll start by saying this; I made this list as an introductory listening guide of famous and influential trumpet players. It’s for those who do not routinely listen to trumpet playing but should be. It’s for students of the trumpet who know two or three big names but are interested in more. This list barely scratches the surface of the ridiculous amount of amazing trumpet players out there. Please note that although I categorize players as specializing in one area it does not mean they don’t play music from other genres.

If you play trumpet you need to be listening to the best people in the world. That’s how you give your tone shape, that’s how you begin to understand phrasing (musical sentences) and simply put, that’s how you learn to groove. So pick someone, anyone and dive into the provided YouTube video. Then dig deeper and find your own favorites. Set aside some dedicated listening time, put on your headphones, sit back and enjoy.