Saxophone Forum


by jazzdude1123
(5 posts)
15 years ago

favorite jazz saxophonists

List your favorite jazz saxophonists here!

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  1. by dhouston89
    (4 posts)

    15 years ago

    Re: favorite jazz saxophonists

    I can't help but notice that no one on any of the posts has mentioned this guys. If you don't know them check them out on youtube or buy their albums. Newer guys: Chris Potter Eric Alexander Ralph Bowen Seamus Blake Older: Benny Golson Joe Henderson Booker Ervin

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    1. by cuber
      (653 posts)

      15 years ago

      Re: favorite jazz saxophonists

      chris potter... thats time of my life i wish i had back

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      1. by dhouston89
        (4 posts)

        15 years ago

        Re: favorite jazz saxophonists

        Wish you had back, really? Im not sure who you would have rather been listening to, Chris Potter is a beast.

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        1. by cuber
          (653 posts)

          15 years ago

          Re: favorite jazz saxophonists

          chris potter really isnt my cup of tea. listened to his "village at the vangard" CD... or something like that. in the first 3 bars of his first solo, i noticed hes an impersonator of coletrane. without any of the emotion coletrane had, which wasnt a lot. (other than his "Love supreme" album... eh) Im not a fan of technical players, and chris potter is all technical. i didnt hear any emotion at all. id rather have been listening to people like cannonball, desmon, mulligan, hawkins... ect. he might be a "beast" technically, but technicality can be taught, so im not really impressed AT ALL when i hear it. actually, im more annoyed when i hear someone play completely technically and ignore the emotional side of things.

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        2. by dhouston89
          (4 posts)

          15 years ago

          Re: favorite jazz saxophonists

          Thats fine everyone has there own players they like, and I agree that the guys you mentioned are great, but they are also dead. I really disagree with what you said about him sounding like Coltrane, Potter does have the technique down, but he also plays very melodically. You should listen to the album of Chris Potter and Kenny Werner, it's amazing. Also your preference in sound is mostly older stuff, so yeah it's going to sound different. The newer guys don't want to sound like them, because they are progressing the music. And there is definitely emotion in their playing. It's just going to be represented in a different way then what you might be used to hearing.

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        3. by cuber
          (653 posts)

          15 years ago

          Re: favorite jazz saxophonists

          newer stuff-wise, i tend to listen to guys like Ronnie Cuber, tom scott (had a fusion thing a couple days ago... (shudders)) some of the new new-orleans influenced big band stuff, such as big bad voodoo daddy and squirrel nut zippers, Sonny Rollins, occasionally Ornette Coleman... and some other guys which escape my mind right now. i hear Coletrane. sure, its going to sound different. and newer guys base what they do off of older guys, even if they think they dont. a lot of the newer guys just play technically. The wave of technicallity has led be to wonder if jazz has become over-educated in the last 20 years or so. cause the all of the young guys you see on the cover of downbeat and jazz times are technical players, and i dont hear any emotion in their playing. Emotion in someone's playing is fairly obvious. if im not hearing it... wow. but i dont hear it, and i just dont think its there. whats wrong with dead people?

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        4. by dhouston89
          (4 posts)

          15 years ago

          Re: favorite jazz saxophonists

          Obviously we do have a different view on the newer things. Those are all good though, I just like the things to be found in newer players. Mainly the communication rhythmically and harmonically through the combo. Ronnie Cuber is pretty sweet. I love the older guys, Phil Woods, Cannonball, I like older alto players and newer tenor guys. I agree I hear Coltrane, I do not try to emulate him because I just don't really like it that much, but I do appreciate it. I think that all the newer guys know that they look in the past. I think technique has become important for sure, just because of the competition and the influence of parker and trane. I know one of my professors doesn't like Potter because he is too clean sometimes. There is emotion in their playing, its just harmonically different, then what was before, most of it is not blues based. Just because they don't play "root-bootin" saxophone licks doenst mean its not emotional. No one would keep playing if they had no emotion tied to what they were playing. Nothing wrong with the dead ones, thats for sure. But as a growing player, I listen to everything, and I know that the newer players are the style I should try to mimic to get jobs. I also play contemporary classical music, so I like my Jazz playing to be just as up to date in every aspect. Thanks for responding, without saying stupid stuff, or bashing.

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        5. by LC
          (25 posts)

          14 years ago

          Re: favorite jazz saxophonists

          It is too bad that you don't think Coltrane had much emotion in his playing. I find Trane to be one of most passionate players of all time. I suggest you listen to the player exparessing him or herself through technique. After all Cannonball was one of the most techinically gifted players of all time.

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      2. by DavidFreeman
        (11 posts)

        15 years ago

        Re: favorite jazz saxophonists

        Michael Brecker, David Sanborn, Kenny Garrett

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      3. by chalazon
        (547 posts)

        15 years ago

        Re: favorite jazz saxophonists

        Zoot Sims...yesssss!

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        1. by kelsey
          (930 posts)

          15 years ago

          Re: favorite jazz saxophonists

          Sonny Rollins ...A living legend..............Kelsey
          Barry Kelsey

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          1. by cuber
            (653 posts)

            15 years ago

            Re: favorite jazz saxophonists

            cannonball... yea

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            1. by jazzdude1123
              (5 posts)

              15 years ago

              Re: favorite jazz saxophonists

              wait this is in the personal info thing, sorry a noob mistake

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            2. by cuber
              (653 posts)

              15 years ago

              Re: favorite jazz saxophonists

              eh, not really. there just aint many of us here, ya know?

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          2. by saxandbassplayer
            (42 posts)

            15 years ago

            Re: favorite jazz saxophonists

            I've been on a Dexter Gordon kick lately...

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            1. by jazzdude1123
              (5 posts)

              15 years ago

              Re: favorite jazz saxophonists

              Yeah I have been looking for an alto player to listen to. I am sort of new to the jazz scene and was wandering if there was a musician who is a standard to listen to. alto preferably, because I seem to be able to find tenor players with ease. -Thanks! :-)

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              1. by LC
                (25 posts)

                14 years ago

                Re: favorite jazz saxophonists

                I apologise for the folks who state the obvious. One would have to be retarded to not think of Bird and Cannonball when it comes to alto players. How about Johnny Hodges and Benny Carter for some old school cats. Have you ever heard of Dave Binney or Peter Epstein? I agree that Art Pepper, Lee Konitz, Paul Desmond, and Phil Woods are worth checking out, but again, they are obvious and therefore redundant. If you find it necessary to listen to alto players for inspiration that is fine. However I suggest you listen to great musicians and composers. Do Bach and Beethoven ring a bell? What about Shostakovich? The possibilities are endless.

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              2. by saxandbassplayer
                (42 posts)

                15 years ago

                Re: favorite jazz saxophonists

                Well, the two that scream out in the back of my mind are Charlie Parker and Cannonball Adderley. Some other really good ones throughout the ages are Paul Desmond, Art Pepper, Phil Woods, and Bobby Watson. There are a lot of good ones, but these are my personal favorites.

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                1. by chalazon
                  (547 posts)

                  15 years ago

                  Re: favorite jazz saxophonists

                  Lee Konitz would provide some interest, and let's not forget Sonny Stitt..also, Zoot Sims played a lovely alto sound..in a more modern style, Kenny Garett is most definitely worth checking out, and in the R&B thing, Maceo Parker can't be beat..keep the faith..

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