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Split image: On the left, a man in a suit holds a trumpet and looks at the camera. On the right, a man in a hat and suit sits at a grand piano, playing, in a dimly lit setting.

15 Colorized Photos of Iconic Jazz Musicians and Moments

Vintage Photos Music April 26, 2025 by Matt Staff

Last Updated on April 27, 2025 by Colby Droscher

Jazz has always been far more than just music. It’s been a powerful force of cultural expression, rapid innovation, and rebellion. From the smoky clubs out in New Orleans to the ballrooms in Harlem that get packed to the brim, the genre helped shape the American soundscape.

This collection of vintage, colorized photos breathes new life into the legends and moments that made up that beautiful landscape. Take a step back in time and enjoy the vivid effects brought on by colorized photos of iconic Jazz singers and moments.

1. Hazel Dorothy Scott (June 11, 1920 – October 2, 1981) was a Trinidad-born American jazz and classical pianist, singer, and actor

A woman with dark hair styled up, wearing gold earrings and a white top, gazes thoughtfully to the side. The background is softly blurred with green and white tones. — damonbrand

A true legend in the game right here.

2. Buddy DeFranco, 1923-2014

A man in a white button-up shirt plays a clarinet, standing against a plain light background. — htsumod

Buddy knew how to throw down.

3. Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and Frank Sinatra – 1961

Three men in tuxedos sit closely together, laughing and holding cigarettes. The mood is lively and joyful, and they appear to be enjoying each other's company in a formal setting. — givingcolour2history

Oh, the stories that this trio must have.

4. Fats Waller back in the 1930s

A smiling man in a tuxedo plays piano and raises his hand toward the camera. A large vintage microphone is visible in the foreground. The background is divided into yellow and blue sections. — givingcolour2history

He’s looking ready to go.

5. John Coltrane in 1957

A man in a dark shirt holds a saxophone and appears deep in thought, resting his hand on his head, in a studio setting with microphones nearby. — anonymous

John Coltrane with the smoldering gaze here.

6. Jazz Friends at Gottlieb’s, 1947

Five men in vintage-style suits and bowties stand closely together, smiling and posing for the camera. One man in the center wears a light green jacket and blue patterned shirt, while others wear glasses and different accessories. — nependthaec

These guys seem like they knew how to stir up some trouble.

7. Miles Davis holding it down back in the day

A man in a dark suit sits in front of blue curtains, holding a trumpet upright in one hand and looking directly at the camera with a serious expression. — deleted

“Holding it down” might even be its own kind of understatement.

8. Thelonious Monk, famous jazz musician (1950s)

A man in a dark suit and light hat plays a white grand piano on stage under dramatic lighting, with a spotlight shining down from the right. — anonymous

That room must’ve certainly have fallen silent.

9. Jazz Singers Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald circa ’40s-’50s

Two women smile at the camera. The woman on the left wears a purple dress, a floral headpiece, and has a flower in her hair. The woman on the right wears a dark off-shoulder dress and has curly hair. Both appear to be at an event. — sirlikesalot

These two knew how to have a great time.

10. American jazz singer and songwriter Billie Holiday in 1947

A woman with styled hair and floral earrings sings passionately into a vintage microphone. She wears a light pink dress, and green curtains with a zigzag pattern are visible in the background. — analiaw

That voice could break hearts.

11. Legendary jazz bassist Charles Mingus smoking a cigar in front of the American flag

A man wearing a black hat and striped shirt holds a cigar in his mouth and stands beside an upright bass, with a large American flag as the background. — atomicbolt

What a legendary shot.

12. Legendary jazz musician Charlie “Bird” Parker in a Kansas City photo booth, 1940

A man in a suit and striped tie smiles warmly at the camera, holding his hands together in front of him. The image appears to be colorized and has a vintage style. — mristre

Wonder what he was up to that day.

13. Ella Fitzgerald with Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, and Richard Rodgers at the Downbeat Club in New York City, 1948

A jazz singer performs on stage in a dimly lit club, facing an attentive audience of well-dressed men seated at tables with drinks, while a smoky atmosphere fills the crowded room. — myfriendandanam0

This crew seems to be having a great time indeed.

14. Leading jazz pianist, Nat King Cole

A man with short, styled hair wears a light blue and white checkered suit jacket, white shirt, and black tie. He is smiling and looking slightly to the side against a plain light background. — analiawu

Nat King Cole could really rock a suit.

15. Music royalty, Nat King Cole and Ella Fitzgerald

A man in a gray pinstriped suit and red tie stands next to a woman wearing an off-the-shoulder dress and sparkling earrings. Both are smiling against a plain, light background. — colorizedvintage

A couple of true legends right here.

Tags: colorized photos Jazz

About Author

Matt Staff

Matt has spent over the last 8 years as both a writer and editor, working in Seattle and Brooklyn, where he is now based. He loves escaping the tirelessly fast pace of the “Mad Apple” that is NYC by taking walks and runs through parks where he’s able to catch up on the latest tea about society from the city’s ever chatty, always hungry, occasionally maniacal, pigeons. They always have a lot to say. When he’s not taking his urban nature strolls, or dutifully combing the deepest rabbit holes of the internet to find the content that’s worth sinking your mind’s teeth into, he’s likely holed up at a dark-lit dive bar with a new book and/or some friends, or just as easily he could be on the hunt for the next addition to his steadily growing plant family.

These days Matt's caught up in trying to provide folks as many vivid glimpses into the days long since passed as he can, through fun and engaging collections of hand-picked vintage photos.

View all posts by Matt Staff

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