Jazz as a genre evolved throughout years due to the progressive artists that create it, but when deciding on who is the "greatest" of jazz musicians, the most important criteria when deciding should be influence and innovation, as the lasting effects of an artist on their artform is what they should be judged by. With this set criteria, the only artist that can be considered the "greatest" is Miles Davis, as he pioneered many of different techniques and genres of jazz.
The first reason why Miles Davis is the greatest jazz musician is that he changed the basis for improvisation, as he moved from chords to modal scales and tonal centers, which can be seen in his 1958 album Milestones. This innovation became a common feature of popular rock, funk,
The first reason why Miles Davis is the greatest jazz musician is that he changed the basis for improvisation, as he moved from chords to modal scales and tonal centers, which can be seen in his 1958 album Milestones. This innovation became a common feature of popular rock, funk,