Real name: Jean-Baptiste Jacquet

Effective period / Period of releases: 1946 - 2005

Illinois Jacquet (born October 31, 1922, Broussard, Louisiana, USA - died July 22, 2004, Queens, New York City, New York, USA) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, composer and bandleader. He also doubled on bassoon, being one of the few jazz players to master that instrument. At 15, Jacquet began playing with Milt Larkins' Orchestra, & in 1939 Jacquet moved to L.A., California, where he met Nat King Cole and would sometimes sit in with his trio. He played with the big bands of Lionel Hampton (1942), Cab Calloway (1943-1944) and Count Basie (1945-1946). After playing the first "Jazz at the Philharmonic" concert, Jacquet formed his own band (which also included his older brother Russell Jacquet, a trumpet player) recording excellent albums for various labels.