Frap: Good choices, all. Here are some recordings that I think deserve to be added to your fine list:
1. Charlie Parker: "The Complete Dial Recordings"; "Charlie Parker With Strings"; and the concert at Massey Hall (with Dizzy Gillespie and Max Roach).
2. John Coltrane: with Miles Davis on: "Kind of Blue"; and "Miles Davis & John Coltrane in Stockholm" (1960, Dragon).
3. Sonny Rollins: "Tenor Madness"; "Sonny Rollins Plus 4"; "Way Out West" (all 3 from the 1950's); "The Bridge" (1962).
4. Stan Getz: "Stan Getz & J.J. Johnson at the Opera House" (1957, Verve); "Jazz Samba" (1963, with Charlie Byrd); "Focus" (Verve); and "People Time" (with Kenny Barron, early 1990's).
5. Dexter Gordon: "Go" and "Our Man In Paris" (early 1960's, Blue Note); some of the recordings he did in in the 1970's for Steeplechase Records (Danish label); and his "comeback" recordings at the Village Vanguard in 1976-77 (Columbia).
6. Johnny Griffin: "The Little Giant" (Riverside).
7. Cannonball Adderley: "Cannonball Adderley Quintet in San Francisco" (1959, Riverside).
8. Clifford Jordan: "Blowin' In" (1957, Blue Note).
9. Art Pepper: "Among Friends" (Discovery); "Straight Life" (Contemporary); and "Art Pepper with the Milcho Leviev Quarter - Live at Ronny Scott's" (Mole Jazz, late 1970's).
10. Ben Webster: "Art Tatum and Ben Webster" (Pablo, about 1956-57).
Last, I'd add several of the fine recordings done by Charles Lloyd in the 1990's (ECM label): "Fish Out of Water"; "Voice In The Night"; and "The Water Is Wide".
Thanks, everybody, for your participation. This has been a good thread, and I've enjoyed sharing some ideas with you. |
What about Kenny G??
Only kidding. I remember buying his first LP..yes LP. This had to be 20 years ago and in the liner notes he was being touted as the next Sonny Stitt.The Lp and he flat out sucked. He is a flyweight among heavyweights, timing is everything. Can you imagine G on stage at a JATP? |
Sd, wonderful work, very thorough, as for the "hardcore" picks, mine go like this;
1) Coltrane>>> All on Atlantic, Prestige and Impulse, but not "A Love Supreme" or Impulse after that time period.
2)Cannonball Adderly, Somethin Else, In Chicago
3)Junior Cook>> Somethings Cookin
4)Lou Donaldson>> Blues Walk, Lush Life
5)Johnny Griffin>> Return of the Griffin, You Leave me breathless, To the Ladies, The Congregation
6)Dexter Gordon>> One Flight Up, Bouncin with Dex
7)Colman Hawkins>> The Hawk Flies High, Hawk in Germany
8)Joe Henderson>> Live at the Vanguard, Relaxin at Camarillo, Mirror Mirror, Our Thing, Inner Urge, Foresight
9)Clifford Jordon>>Highest Mountain
10)Yusef Lateef>>Eastern Sounds
11)Branford Marsalis>> Royal Garden Blues, Renaissance
12)Hank Mobley>> Dippin, Soul Station, Work Out
13)Oliver Nelson>> Blues and the Abstract Truth, Straght Ahead, Screamin the Blues
14)Charlie Parker>> Charlie at Storyville, All sides on Savoy Records !!!!
15)Sonny Rollins>> Live at Vanguard, On Impulse, Plays for Bird
16)Wayne Shorter>> Juju, Adams Apple, Speak No Evil, Night Dreamer, The Soothsayer, The All Seeing Eye
17)Stanley Turrentine>> Mr Natural, Don't Mess With Mr.T, West Side Highwy,
18) Stan Getz>> Voyage,
19) Art Pepper>> Meets the Rythem Section, Smack Up, Gettin Together
The above artists and disks are what I consider the finest in the Jazz sax category, Hope this helps......Frank |
After I got home and read my post, I noted an error: I listed Lester Young under alto sax, and again under tenor. He should have been listed only under tenor.
In response to "Wirehead": I don't know of any recordings that actually feature bass sax, since the instrument has a very large bore and is a bitch to play. Hence, when the bass sax is heard, it's normally in a group and is featured as a supporting instrument.
I was just getting on a roll with my previous post when I got interrupted and hard to actually get some work done. So, let me pick up the thread and make a few additional comments.
During the 1930's and 1940's, when Swing bands were successful, many of the great sax players were members of the groups led by Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Tommy & Jimmy Dorsey, Jimmy Lunceford, Fletcher Henderson, etc.
Duke Ellington wrote many of his best pieces specifically for the gifted players in his band, so there are many tunes that are associated with his saxophone players that included Johnny Hodges, Ben Webster, Russell Procope, and Paul Gonsalves.
The 1930's and 1940's produced an unusually large number of superb saxophone players, probably because the big bands were very popular and it was thus possible for large groups to stay together for extended periods. There is always some danger in putting together a list of the "top" players from an era, particularly since so many of them are little known today. A list of the "bests" from this era would have to include Chu Berry, Don Byas, Herschel Evans, Illinois Jacquet, Flip Phillips, Tex Beneke, Earl Bostic, Budd Johnson, Jimmy Dorsey, Buddy Tate, and Benny Carter. Benny Carter was alive and still making records well into the 1990's.
In my first post, I mentioned that the respective styles of Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young gave rise to the two "schools" or styles that still define sax players today.
Coleman Hawkins playing style, which has been described as warm, rather dark, full-bodied, and having a medium to fast vibrato, can be contrasted with Lester Young's style which was cool and light-colored, with a slow vibrato. Hawkins influenced players such as Herschel Evans, Chu Berry, Ben Webster, and Sonny Rollins.
Lester Young's style had somewhat great comparative impact, as can be seen from this list of players who adopted Young's style: Charlie Parker; Brew Moore; Paul Quinichette; Bob Cooper; Wardell Gray; Zoot Sims; Lee Konitz; Warne Marsh; Dexter Gordon; Gene Ammons; Sonny Stitt; Stan Getz; Richie Kamuca; Al Cohn; Don Lanphere; Jimmy Giuffre; John Coltrane; and Hank Mobley.
With the advent of the Bop and Hardbop eras (mid-1940's to early 1960's), the tenor sax clearly eclipsed the alto as the "voice" of the small jazz group. For those who want to really immerse themselves in the great music of this period, here's a short list of the best sax players that have not already been mentioned:
Alto:
Jackie McLean; Lou Donaldson; Gigi Gryce.
Tenor:
Jimmy Heath; Frank Foster; Clifford Jordan; Teddy Edwards; Benny Golson; John Gilmore; Oliver Nelson; Junior Cook; Stanley Turrentine; Booker Ervin; Joe Henderson; Harold Land; and Tina Brooks.
Baritone:
Cecil Payne; and Nick Brignola
In the post-bop era, "free" jazz era, the most influential alto sax player of the 1960's was probably Ornette Coleman. Coleman is one of the most prolific post-bop composers, and his works and playing style reflect a fresh, adventurous melodic concept. Some of the sax players that were influenced by Coleman include: Dewey Redman; Henry Threadgill; Carlos Ward; Archie Shepp; Oliver Lake; Jan Garbarek; and Albert Ayler.
The last group of sax players that should be mentioned are those that are associated with jazz-rock fusion. While there is no "superstar" of the sax associated with this period of the 1970's and 1980's, many of the players have become well known: Michael Brecker; Wayne Shorter; David Liebman; Grover Washington; Eddie Harris; David Sanborn; John Klemmer; and Kenny G. (Honesty compels me to say that I do not consider many of these musicians to be "jazz artists" in the strict sense. I do not mean for this to sound intellectually snobby, but much of the music in this style lacks many of the key elements of jazz in the classical sense.)
Well, Sailor630, I hope my two posts get you started (infact, it may cause collective overload). Best wishes -- it's always nice to welcome someone to the beauty of good jazz.
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Well done sdcampbell, that was like taking in a good lecture. What about bass sax, what little I've heard sounds interesting. |
Now, those are recommendations! WOW! |
I am having a slow afternoon at work, so I thought I'd respond to your post. I started listening to jazz seriously about 40 years ago, and have a number of saxophone favorites that I can suggest. First, however, a few introductory comments.
Prior to the early 1930's, the saxophone was not used as a solo instrument, but rather as an ensemble instrument. The saxophone family ranges from soprano sax (highest pitched), alto, tenor, baritone, and bass (lowest pitched). During the early days of jazz, there was also a C-melody sax that was sometimes played, but it dropped from common usage.
The first truly great saxophonist was either Sidney Bechet or Coleman Hawkins, depending on your point of view and timeframe. Bechet initially played the clarinet, but later adopted the soprano sax and played it almost exclusively. Bechet was an extraordinarily gifted musician, but he did not have a broad American following. It was not until he went to France in the 1930's that he was acknowledged for his genius.
During the 1930's, Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young established the two stylistic schools of playing which still prevail today. Both played tenor, but Hawkins had a rougher, grittier tone that featured a lot of vibrato, whereas Young had a much lighter, airier tone that featured very little vibrato. From these two masters have derived virtually every modern sax player. The following list, broken down by type of sax, should help get your started:
Soprano sax:
1. Sidney Bechet
2. John Coltrane
3. Wayne Shorter
4. Steve Lacy
Alto sax:
1. Lester Young
2. Charlie Parker
3. Johnny Hodges
4. Art Pepper
5. Lee Konitz
6. Warne Marsh
7. Paul Desmond
8. Julian "Cannonball" Adderley
9. Eric Dolphy
10. Phil Woods
11. Bud Shank
12. Frank Morgan
13. Kenny Garrett
Tenor sax:
1. Coleman Hawkins
2. Lester Young
3. Ben Webster
4. Sonny Rollins
5. John Coltrane
6. Johnny Griffin
7. Dexter Gordon
8. Stan Getz
9. Sonny Stitt
10. Zoot Sims
11. Wayne Shorter
12. David Murray
13. Charles Lloyd
14. Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Baritone sax:
1. Harry Carney
2. Gerry Mulligan
3. Pepper Adams
4. Ronnie Cuber
Not all of these artists may play in a style that you initially enjoy -- but they do provide a range of sounds and styles, and over time you will develop a deeper appreciation of their abilities. Good listening to you! |
I'd like to add another Sonny Rollins, "The Blue Note Years". This is a '89 compilation of some his best work from '57 and '58. One of my favorites. |
Coletrane with Johhny Hartman, Desmond-Pure Desmond. |
I agree with several posts, here's my list:
1. Sonny Rollins, Saxaphone Collossus DCC Vinyl
2. Ben Webster, at the Renaissance APO Vinyl
3. Coltrane, Blue Train Mofi Gold CD
4. Domnerus, Antiphone Blues FIM Gold CD
5. Moondog, Sax Pax for a Sax (this is a weird one, but if you love the sax, this is a great recording.)
Sailor: I, and perhaps others, would appreciate if you get any of these (or already own some), put in your comments once you've listened to them. It's good to see what suggestions have been helpful. Enjoy. |
anything by ben webster; especially "at the renessance" and "coleman hawkins encounters ben webster". ben's tone is one of the most wonderful and emotive sounds in music, and is totally unique to him. he does with a sax what miles does at his peak with his trumpet. a "less is more" approach with the silence between the notes as satisfying as the notes themselves. he started as a piano player and maybe that had something to do with his style. |
Sailor 630, there are so many and everyone has their own favorites, but for my two cents worth I like, among others:
'Crescent' w/John Coltrane
'Live at Ethell's' w/Clifford Jordan
'Just For Yor' w/Harold Ashby
But I could have named dozens more and not have been unhappy.
Good luck and good listening.
AEW |
I also like Sonny Rollins "This Is What I Do". |
Have to agree that Sonny Rollins' "Saxophone Colossus" is outstanding... for something a little different check out Hamiet Bluiett's big, warm bari sax tribute to Nat King Cole called "Makin' Whoopee" by the King/Bluiett Trio (Mapleshade..check out their website..gr8 recording) |
Try "Boss Tenors" with Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt. Sonny is on the left and Ammons on the right speaker. How sweet it is....Another smoker is Hawkins meets Webster, man if they only could perfect cloning to my way of thinking. |
A couple of my favorites: Coltrane--Ballads. Shorter--JuJu. |
Coltrane & Adderley in Chicago. |
Sailor: I'd be interested to hear the responses so I'll kick it off. Right now I've got Sonny Rollins Saxophone Colossus playing (the Fantasy Jazz 20 Bit version). My new modern find was from a member here, James Carter's Chasing the Gypsy. Recorded last year, this guy plays bass sax on some of the album and you'll fear for your speakers life. |
