This is by no means an exhaustive list. If you know someone who should be on this list or if you would like to be removed from this list, let me know.
Bass • Composer • Drums/Percussion • Ensembles • Guitar • Lyricist • Piano/Organ • Saxophones/Woodwinds • Strings • Trombone • Trumpet • Vocals • Industry Members
* deceased
Bass
- Leslie Baker
- Kim Clarke
- Ruth Davies
- Brandi Disterheft
- Marika Galea
- Carol Kaye
- Marion Hayden
- Jen Hodge
- Karen Korsmeyer
- Sherry Luchette
- Mary Ann McSweeney
- Lynn Milano
- Linda May Han Oh
- Lucille Dixon Robertson *
- Marlene Rosenberg
- Melissa Slocum
- Esperanza Spalding
- Nedra Wheeler
- Sue Williams
- Tracy Wormworth
Composer
- Shan Baker
- Patricia Barber
- Carla Bley
- Blanche Calloway *
- Cecelia Coleman
- Ida Cox *
- Kira Daglio Fine
- Doris Fisher *
- María Grever *
- Alberta Hunter *
- Irene Higginbotham *
- Ayn Inserto
- Jihye Lee
- Lisa Maxwell
- Bernice Petkere *
- Ann Ronell *
- Erica Seguine
- Maria Schneider
- Dolores Silvers *
- Ann-Sofi Söderqvist
- Dana Suesse *
- Kay Swift *
- Doris Tauber *
- Gaia Wilmer
- Tracy Yang
Drums/Percussion
- Sasha Berliner
- Cindy Blackman
- Carolyn Brandy
- Bernice Brooks
- Terri Lyne Carrington
- Sylvia Cuenca
- Sue Davis
- Dottie Dodgion
- Sheila E.
- Sue Evans
- Kate Gentile
- Paula Hampton
- Marilyn Mazur
- Sherrie Maricle
- Barbara Merjan
- Allison Miller
- Leslie Mok
- Tina Raymond
- Carol Steele
- Carol Tristano
- Jeanette Wrate
Guitar
- Magdalena Abrego
- Gia Arnett
- Sheryl Bailey
- Ann Belmont
- Felicia Collins
- Kat Dyson
- Roberta Fabiano
- Mimi Fox
- Jane Getter
- Mary Halvorson
- Amanda Monaco
- Mary Osborne *
- Emily Remler *
- Leni Stern
- Sue Terwilliger
Lyricist
- Marilyn Bergman
- Betty Comden *
- Dorothy Fields *
- Nancy Hamilton *
- Fran Landesman *
- Carolyn Leigh *
- Dorothy Parker *
Piano/Organ
- Judy Albano
- Geri Allen *
- Toshiko Akiyoshi
- Lynne Arriale
- Lil Hardin Armstrong *
- Lovie Austin *
- Sarina Bachleitner
- Amy Bellamy
- Evelyn Blakey *
- Esther Blue
- Beryl Booker *
- Bess Bonnier *
- Kysia Bostic
- Patti Bown *
- JoAnne Brackeen
- Carol Britto *
- Cleo Brown *
- Valerie Capers
- Judy Carmichael
- Barbara Carroll *
- Sarah Cion
- Gloria Coleman *
- Joyce Collins *
- Alice Coltrane *
- Robin Connell
- Marilyn Crispell
- Connie Crothers *
- Kris Davis
- Beatriz DeMello
- Barbara Dennerlein (organ)
- Dena DeRose
- Joyce DiCamillo
- Boel Dirke
- Dorothy Donegan *
- Amy Duncan *
- Eliane Elias
- Kathi Farmer
- Sharon Freeman
- Marcia “Dardanelle” Marie Hadley *
- Connie Han
- Atsuko Hashimoto (organ)
- Bertha Hope
- Shirley Horn *
- Margaret Johnson *
- Emee Kemp
- Liz Kinnon
- Hiroko Kokubu
- Jill McCarron
- Sarah McLawler (organ)
- Jill McManus
- Marian McPartland *
- Diane Moser
- Amina Claudine Myers (organ)
- Caili O’Doherty
- Dorothy Olson Pauletti
- Anastassiya Petrova
- Trudy Pitts (organ) *
- Carline Ray *
- Renee Rosnes
- Ellen Rowe
- Patrice Rushen
- Daniela Schächter
- Hazel Scott *
- Rhoda Scott (organ)
- Shirley Scott (organ) *
- Nina Sheldon
- Mabel Robinson Simms *
- Nina Simone *
- Marge Singleton *
- Carmen Staaf
- Helen Sung
- Francesca Tanksley
- Norma Teagarden *
- Sumi Tonooka
- Akiko Tsuruga (organ)
- Hiromi Uehara
- Mary Lou Williams *
- Rachel Z
- Aziza Mustafa Zadeh
Saxophones/Woodwinds
- Melissa Aldana
- Paula Atherton
- Karen Atkinson
- Willene Barton *
- Jamie Baum (flute)
- Lakecia Benjamin
- Jane Ira Bloom
- Julie Bluestone
- Andrea Brachfeld (flute)
- Jane Bunnett
- Yamile Burich
- Allison Burik
- Elise Catera (flute)
- Sharel Cassity
- Carol Chaikin
- Anat Cohen
- Sheila Cooper
- Roxy Coss
- Angie Coyle
- Beverly Dahlke-Smith
- Claire Daly
- Tamara Danielsson
- Caroline Davis
- Claire de Brunner (bassoon)
- Diane DeRosa-Parke
- Fostina Dixon
- Hana Dolgin
- Laura Dreyer
- Candy Dulfer
- Madaline Duran
- Adison Evans
- Jane Fair
- Chloe Feoranzo
- Mary Fettig
- Jean Fineberg
- Tia Fuller
- Nubya Garcia
- Jazmin Ghent
- Maria Grand
- Kathy Halvorson (oboe)
- Sarah Hanahan
- Lihi Haruvi
- Jenny Hill
- Christine Jensen
- Pureum Jin
- Grace Kelly
- Ingrid Laubrock
- Erica Lindsay
- Barbara London
- Virginia Mayhew
- Kit McClure
- Hailey Niswanger
- Kate Olson
- Ann Patterson
- Lisa Parrott
- Tineke Postma
- Vi Redd
- Matana Roberts
- Ali Ryerson
- Lauren Sevian
- Karen Sharp
- Karolina Strassmayer
- Carol Sudhalter
- Yoko Suzuki
- Alexa Tarantino
- Su Terry
- Anita Thomas
- Camille Thurman
- Anna Webber
- Sherry Winston
- Elise Wood
Strings
- Dorothy Ashby (harp)
- Miri-Ben Ari (violin)
- Karen Briggs (violin)
- Regina Carter (violin)
- India Cook (violin)
- Akua Dixon (cello)
- Gayle Dixon (violin) *
- Eileen Folson (cello) *
- Gwen Laster (violin)
- Diane Monroe (violin)
- Audrey Hall Petroff (violin, reeds)
- Maxine Roach (viola) *
- Brandee Younger (harp)
Trombone
- Shannon Barnett
- Lolly Bienenfeld
- Melissa Gardiner
- Jeanne Geiger
- Anita Johnson
- Jenny Kellogg
- Britta Langsjoen
- Melba Liston *
- Aubrey Logan
- Audrey Morrison
- Betty O’Hara *
- Janice Robinson
- Naomi Siegel
- Jasmine Sloane
- Jennifer Wharton
Trumpet
- Jen Allen
- Louise Baranger
- Kim Bonsanti
- Clora Bryant *
- Elaine Burt
- Tanya Darby
- Jean Davis
- Barbara Donald *
- Diane Drake
- Lauren Draper
- Christine Fawson
- Rebecca Coupe Franks
- Laurie Frink
- Ingrid Jensen
- Dolly Jones *
- Kaya Meller
- Andrea Motis
- Stacy Rowles *
- Jane Sager *
- Ellen Seeling
- Bria Skonberg
- Valaida Snow *
- Liesl Whitaker
Vocals
- Cyrille Aimée
- Patti Austin
- Nancie Banks *
- Dee Dee Bridgewater
- Ruth Brown *
- Cobby Brzeski
- Ann Hampton Calloway
- Betty Carter *
- Melanie Charles
- Jeannie Cheatham
- Gloria Cooper
- Isabel Crespo
- Alison Crockett
- Blossom Dearie *
- Meredith D’Ambrosio
- Dominique Eade
- Cecilia Engelhart
- Ella Fitzgerald *
- Nnenna Frelon
- Melody Gardot
- Georgia Gibbs *
- Dardanelle Hadley *
- Lalah Hathaway
- Billie Holiday *
- Lena Horne *
- Ina Ray Hutton *
- Norah Jones
- Sheila Jordan
- Joanne Klein
- Diana Krall
- Julia Lee *
- Peggy Lee *
- Abbey Lincoln *
- Julie London *
- Carmen Lundy
- Susannah McCorkle *
- Carmen McRae *
- Judy Niemack
- Arianna Neikrug
- Amiee Nolte
- Anita O’Day *
- Gretchen Parlato
- Dianne Reeves
- Estelle Reiner *
- Cecile McLorin Salvant
- Dianne Schuur
- Maggie Scott
- Sara Serpa
- Bessie Smith *
- Luciana Souza
- Dakota Stanton
- Veronica Swift
- Cordelia Tapping
- Carolyn Tidwell
- Lisa Thorson
- Ajda Stina Turek
- Sarah Vaughan *
- Lynn Veronneau
- Dinah Washington *
- Ester Wiesnerova
- Cassandra Wilson
- Nancy Wilson *
- Anna Mae Winburn *
- Norma Winstone
Ensembles
- All-American Girl Orchestra (dir. Ada Leonard)
- Artemis
- Boswell Sisters
- Darlings of Rhythm
- The DIVA Jazz Orchestra
- International Sweethearts of Rhythm
- Iowa Women’s Jazz Orchestra
- Ladies Must Swing
- Lioness
- Montclair Women’s Big Band
- Seattle Women’s Jazz Orchestra
- Straight Ahead
Industry Members
- Wendy Cunningham (club owner)
- Robin Burgess (manager)
- Linda Dahl (author)
- Lona Foote (photographer) *
- Linda Goldstein (manager, publicist, producer, singer)
- Lorraine Gordon (club owner) *
- Maxine Gordon (manager)
- Shannon Jeffinger
- Helen Keane (manager) *
- Dorthaan Kirk (radio)
- Carolyn McClair (publicist)
- Sue Mingus (producer, manager)
- Cobi Narita (advocate)
- Sally Placksin
- Rosetta Reitz
- Gwen Thompkins
- Mary Ann Topper (manager)
Sam Spear Music 