Mt. Rushmore of Jazz?
 

Who are the four faces?

What four faces?

Hmmm... How about Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong and Jelly Roll Morton?

Davis, Coltrane, Mingus and Monk I say. All well known and very talented.

Oh, I see...

Sidney Bechet, Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, and Thelonius Monk



EDIT: as far as bonafide icons are concerned, I'd go with:

Armstrong, Davis, Monk, & Coltrane

Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Charlie Parker - guys who really influenced the musicians who came after them.

Honourable mentions: Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie

:beer:

Nice. I actually went right to the end of the thread so I didn't see your post at first :)

My Mount Rushmore of Jazz would go something like this.

Louis Armstrong to represent New Orleans Jazz
Duke Ellington to represent Swing
Charlie Parker to represent Be-Bop
Miles Davis to represent just about everything that followed

Since they are building a monument to Crazy Horse near Rushmore, I would put a stand alone monument to John Coltrane because he's my favorite.

I think Jedey's selections are great. If I did it for instruments I guess I'd go with

Armstrong - trumpet
Coltrane - sax
Peterson - piano
Reinhardt - guitar