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More Jazz Giants Trivia Quiz

OK, cats, here's some more jazz trivia for ya!

A multiple-choice quiz by tjoebigham. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
tjoebigham

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
25,380

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
15

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
9 / 15

Plays
1649

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 15

1. Which violinist was known for his jazz prowess and was the first to play jazz? Hint

Svend Amundsen

Itzak Perlman

Stephane Grappelli

Stuff Smith

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Question 2 of 15

2. What jazz singer was nicknamed 'Mr. Five By Five', after a popular song? Hint

Jimmy Rushing

Little Eva

Roy Eldridge

Little Richard

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Question 3 of 15

3. Name the Harlem nightspot where many of jazz's great figures got their start. Hint

The Flamingo

Cotton Club

The Onyx

The Woodside

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Question 4 of 15

4. Who was the lyricist for many of Fats Waller's hits? Hint

Johnny Mercer

Duke Ellington

Andy Razaf

Richard Rodgers

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Question 5 of 15

5. Who was Benny Goodman's vibraphonist?

Answer: (Two Words)

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Question 6 of 15

6. Complete this title: _______________ with Nellie. Hint

Fugue

Harmony

Crepuscule

Duet

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Question 7 of 15

7. What was Monk's middle name? Hint

Luther

Isosceles

Sphere

Thaddeus

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Question 8 of 15

8. Who was the girl singer on Gene Krupa's band? Hint

Billie Holliday

Dorothy Dandridge

Ivie Anderson

Anita O'Day

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Question 9 of 15

9. Name the controversial song Billie Holiday introduced. Hint

Mangoes

Yes We Have No Bananas

Strange Fruit

Tangerine

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Question 10 of 15

10. What was the nickname of stride pianist Willie Smith? Hint

The Lion

Smitty

Big Willie Style

The Cat

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Question 11 of 15

11. Name Count Basie's best known hit. Hint

Misty

An American In Paris

The Last Time I Saw Paris

April In Paris

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Question 12 of 15

12. Name the boogie-woogie pianist whose style influence early rock. Hint

Art Tatum

Fats Waller

Meade Lux Lewis

Thelonious Monk

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Question 13 of 15

13. Which blind pianist did Fats Waller call God? Hint

Hoagy Carmicheal

Art Tatum

Count Basie

Duke Ellington

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Question 14 of 15

14. What is the nationality of Oscar Peterson? Hint

American

Nairobi

English

Canadian

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Question 15 of 15

15. Which of Billie Holiday's songs became a rock hit in the US in the 60's? Hint

Them There Eyes

Lover Man

Crazy He Calls Me

God Bless The Child

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Which violinist was known for his jazz prowess and was the first to play jazz?

Answer: Stuff Smith

Perlman is a classical {violinist;} Amundsen and Grappelli only follow in the footsteps of Smith, one of the very first to play violin in jazz style.

2. What jazz singer was nicknamed 'Mr. Five By Five', after a popular song?

Answer: Jimmy Rushing

The last two are rock {artists;} Eldridge was a trumpeter. Rushing got the nickname from his size and width, adapted from the popular song.

3. Name the Harlem nightspot where many of jazz's great figures got their start.

Answer: Cotton Club

If you saw Coppola's The Cotton Club, you've seen some of the jazz greats of the 20's and 30's and how they performed.

4. Who was the lyricist for many of Fats Waller's hits?

Answer: Andy Razaf

Razaf wrote the words for, among others, 'Ain't Misbehaving' and 'Honeysuckle Rose'.

5. Who was Benny Goodman's vibraphonist?

Answer: Lionel Hampton

Hampton later formed his own band.

6. Complete this title: _______________ with Nellie.

Answer: Crepuscule

One of Thelonius Monk's best-known works for piano.

7. What was Monk's middle name?

Answer: Sphere

Believe it or not!

8. Who was the girl singer on Gene Krupa's band?

Answer: Anita O'Day

O'Day is a legend among female jazz singers.

9. Name the controversial song Billie Holiday introduced.

Answer: Strange Fruit

There is now a book about the song and how Holiday introduced it. Back in the 30's, a song about Negro lynchings was a tough sell indeed!

10. What was the nickname of stride pianist Willie Smith?

Answer: The Lion

Smith(no relation to the actor) was one of the founders of stride piano, a forerunner to jazz.

11. Name Count Basie's best known hit.

Answer: April In Paris

Basie and his band even played it in Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles!

12. Name the boogie-woogie pianist whose style influence early rock.

Answer: Meade Lux Lewis

Lewis' style influenced rhythm and blues, and also Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard, among others.

13. Which blind pianist did Fats Waller call God?

Answer: Art Tatum

'I may be at the piano, but God is in the house' Waller said in a famous quote when the blind jazz pianist was at one of the former's shows.

14. What is the nationality of Oscar Peterson?

Answer: Canadian

Many Canadian blacks were descended from runaway slaves, as was Peterson(and pianist-composer R. Nathaniel Dett).

15. Which of Billie Holiday's songs became a rock hit in the US in the 60's?

Answer: God Bless The Child

It was Blood, Sweat and Tears that sang Holiday's classic in the rock era.

Source: Author tjoebigham

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor ertrum before going online.
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