Jazz trumpet lineages form through sonic context and shared collaborators

Researchers analyzed a genealogy of 52 prominent jazz trumpet players to determine how artistic influence shapes musical lineages.

By combining discographies, demographic data, and audio analysis of more than 16,000 recordings, the team used exponential random graph models to map the vertical integration of the genre. The study found that influence ties are linked to shared sonic contexts and overlapping collaborators.

While musicians often record with their influences, the researchers noted that players with similar sounds and social circles are often peers or rivals rather than direct lineage links. This distinction exists because musical succession relies on both continuity and stylistic difference. The findings suggest that a cultural field's evolution is not just a map of who played together, but a selective ordering of artistic development.

The researchers provided a methodological strategy to understand how influence ties create vertical structures in creative fields. Future work may use these tools to explore how other genres organize their own histories through these complex social and sonic connections.