David Roy Eldridge (January 30, 1911 – February 26, 1989), commonly known as
Roy Eldridge, and nicknamed
"Little Jazz", was an American
jazz trumpet player. His sophisticated use of harmony, including the use of
tritone substitutions, his virtuosic solos exhibiting a departure from the smooth and lyrical style of earlier jazz trumpet innovator
Louis Armstrong, and his strong impact on
Dizzy Gillespie mark him as one of the most influential musicians of the
swing era and a precursor of
bebop.