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Pick your 3 favourite sax players

129K views 361 replies 290 participants last post by  SMOOTHJAZZ 
#1 ·
Ok so I'm trying to get a feel for which players people like and if there is a specific time period or style of music people prefer in this community. So I have devised perhaps a foolproof way of doing so: Pick your 3 favourite sax players of all time, IN ORDER, no ties (eg Frank Foster and Joe Lovano tied for 1st) and the players do not have to necessarily be jazz musicians. Please limit yourself to only 3 and if you feel like it explain why. I will start:

1) Charlie Parker
2) John Coltrane
3) Pharoah Sanders


I picked Bird first because in my opinion he is the only true genius to emerge from jazz, he made jazz modern and just about everyone playing now is a grandchild of Bird whether they realize it or not. And on a personal note, he was the first hero in my life. I never had any heroes growing up (of course I had role models) and convinced me I would be a sax player for life.

Coltrane came second because he could not usurp Charlie from the top spot (this is what I mean by no ties). He was an intense brilliant innovator who made me switch to tenor for awhile. I could go on about Trane (and Bird) but now I must come to my third choice.

Pharoah Sanders is third mainly because I consider his sound beautiful and the logical conclusion of the Coltrane sound. I saw a concert of his in 1994 at the Jazz fest here in Toronto and he had everyone in a trance. It was the greatest concert I have ever attended (even beating out the Michael Jackson victory tour back when I was a kid).
 
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#91 ·
Just limiting it to Jazz:

Altos: Jackie, James Spaulding, Dolphy, Steve Potts, Bird, Ornette and many more
Soprano: Steve Lacy
Bass Clarinet: Dolphy, Ken McIntyre
Tenor: Sonny, Dex, Prez, Sonny, Trane, Bean, George Adams, Wayne, Joe H., Booker E., Johnny Griffin, Charlie Rouse, Archie shepp, & more
Trumpet: Freddie, Lee, Woody Shaw, Bill Hardman, Blue Mitchell, Brownie, Booker Little, Wallace Roney
Bone: Curtis Fuller, Grachan Moncur III, Jimmy Knepper
Piano: McCoy, Monk, Bobby Timmons, Horace Silver, Herbie, Don Pullen, Horace Parlan, Lennie Tristano, Jackie Byard, Art Tatum, many, many more
Bass: Paul Chambers, Ron Carter, Jimmy Garrison, Charlie Haden, Mingus, Jean-Jacques Avenel, Scott LaFaro, NHOP
Hammond B-3: Larry Young
Vibes: Bobby Hutcherson, Lionel Hampton
Drums: Elvin Jones, Art Blakey, Max Roach, Philly Jo Jones, Tony Williams, Billy Higgins, Roy Haynes, Pete LaRoca, Danny Richmond
Guitar: Grant Green
Vocals: Billy Eckstein, Johnny Hartman, Joe Henderson, King Pleasure, Billie, Annie Ross, Betty Carter, Nina Simone, Abbey Lincoln, Anita O'Day
Composer: Mingus, Gil Evans, Duke, Billy Strayhorn, Monk, Freddie Hubbard, Benny Golson, Wayne Shorter, Jackie, George Russell
Genius: Charles Mingus, Monk, Art Blakey
 
#96 ·
It's tough call, but I like to pick my favorites based on overall style and period of playing: Sam The Man Taylor must be on the list for R&B as well as Sam Butera, who was already mentioned (fortunately) on a previous list. I was also surpised Lucky Thompon and Johnny Griffith did not recieve more notice.

However, we have fine younger (living) players that are phenomal such as Chris Potter, Grant Stewart, Josha Redman, etc. that continue to build on Dex and Trane as the real foundation to modern playing. We are blessed with many great players that excel in certain styles, technique and sound quality. I do not think I could pick a desert island list limited to a few players let alone three. But Brecker would be on the list for sure.
 
#104 ·
1. Mats Gustafsson (just got into him)
2. Albert Ayler
3. Earl Bostic (seems out of place with the other two, but he's so incredibly virtuosic; he used all the same techniques as the other two, he just used them to play in rather than out.)
 
#110 ·
Impossible to select only 3 but lately I'm very taken with Bob Berg, Paul Gonsalves, Steve Potts and Candy Dulfer....see that's four already and I didn't even mention my all-time faves like Jackie McLean, Dolphy, Trane, Steve Lacy and James Spaulding....repeat: It's impossible!
 
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