many of us owe 'sdcampbell' many thanks for his generous contributions, thank you sir. my growing jazz collection is based primarily on his past recommendations & threads... my fav for sax is Stan Getz, Jazz Samba |
Michael Hornstein, check out: Let it Go, or his recordings on Mypace.com, or on enja records.... |
for easy blowing sax I have to go with paul desmond, for hard playing sax although john coltrane gets all the noteriety I have to go with dexter gordon. |
Hey, I like Dolphy playing Bass Clarinet non "Serene," as well as several other selections! |
Parker, Ornathology(Crumby recording,be forewarned)
Rollins, Horn Culture
Coltrane, Giant Steps,My Favorite Things |
Eric Dolphy playing with Coltrane on any number of albums are by far the best you can find. The most searing notes, heated discussions on the horn and real passion of a man. Dolphy pushed Coltrane and vica versa to the peak of creativity. Brilliant...Village Vanguard. Any of Dolphy's solo albums are also worth getting...of course Coltrane albums, particularly with his quartet are amazing. |
Check out Mindi Abair!! She's great. They've been playing the song "Lucy's" on a local radio station here in Chicago (WNUA 95.5) and it's fantastic. Very smooooooth... :) |
Charles Lloyd's releases on ECM over the last few years are really good. The latest is the double CD called "Lift Every Voice", a very fine effort. |
For a terrific "new" sax jazz artist try Joe Lovano! |
Tim Warfield is another good one |
Chris Potter is great
Gratitude is an album where you can see him embellishing his sax influences in an original and captivating way. Potter also played on Steely Dan's Two Against Nature |
A couple of younger sax players:
- Chris Potter: with his own groups or with the Dave Holland Quintet, I really dig this guy, he has a very musical style and mixes it up a bit with alto, soprano and tenor, as well as flute and bass clarinet, as well as exploring different stylings in the jazz idiom;
- Christine Jensen: a fine young alto player from Canada, has a couple of albums on the Montreal-based Effendi label (www.effendi.com), my brother has played bass on both so I'm biased, and the music is occasionally challenging, but quite satisfying overall;
and another who's been around for a while:
- Dave Tuner: Canadian alto player, recordings on Justin Time label, straight ahead jazz, with some latin influence in recent years. |
Then there's also Don Byas. Shame he died so young. |
Sonny Rollins, Art Pepper, Stan Getz ..... there are so many great sax players. Each for their own particular style and or skills. I love them all. However, I always find myself returning to Ben Webster. Particularily 'At the Renissance'. This loose, relaxed extremely open recording remains a staple on my playlist. Ben's 'Soulville' is also quite fantasic. A great late night groove is gauranteed. |
CP .... I didn't have a particular date in mind, but probably anything of the late 70s onward, though to me the 50s and 60s was the heyday. As I said I'm not well versed in jazz, but then again nothing I've heard on borrowed CDs or FM has made me want to explore any further .. it just sounds like a blur of notes ... fast for the sake of showing off. |
Seandtaylor...
By "modern jazz," do you mean anything "since the 60s?" If so, that would toss out a good bit of John Coltrane, a good bit of Sonny Stitt....
Last time I was in the Village, I went to Small's (you NYC inhabitants will know the place). The young kids playing jazz there on some nights are just incredible. They earn nothing (or next to nothing), but are playing for the love of it. And it is incredibly good music, deeply heartfelt, and as far as I can tell, respectful of the long history of jazz.
After a couple of shows one evening at Small's, I walked over to the Blue Note Cafe....now, that's "corporate" jazz, for lack of a better term, and was all about technique. |
Sd ... your comment that jazz is dying. I can only give a personal perspective, and I really have a limited exposure to jazz, but to my ears since the 60s jazz has just sounded more and more like musicians showing off technical prowess, rather than creating music. Almost all modern jazz I've heard turns me off completely ... it's musician's music (hey, and I'm a tenor sax player so I do appreciate the technical brilliance).
Give me Dexter Gordon, Gerry Mulligan, or Sonny Rollins .. to me that was inventive music. Hey, I even like the Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller big band stuff ... so musical, with bands working as a superb team. But more up to date stuff just sounds like Joe Satriani has taken up the sax.
Perhaps it's related to how people are learning jazz now, per your comments, perhaps I'm just a jazz luddite.
You know, I could say the same about classical music ... modern classical just seems to be an exercise in musical mathematics, and has lost the emotion of Beethoven, or Tchaikovsky. |
Pbb:
Your mention of "The Sound of Jazz" is very interesting -- you are one of the very few people I have encountered that knows of this recording done by Leonard Bernstein, done as part of the "Omnibus" TV series in the mid-1950's. I have used this recording in a jazz appreciation class that I used to teach, and it provided a great "bridge" for classical music fans to understand some of the compositional and performance elements of jazz. About two years ago, I talked about "The Sound of Jazz" in this forum, and several people asked me to make CD copies from the LP for them. One of those people was a man from Texas, whose son was about to leave for college where he would have a classical music scholarship. He wrote me several months later to say that his son had learned a lot about jazz from the recording, and planned to take some jazz classes while in college. So, Lennie still continues to influence people years after his passing... |
Coming from Montreal, I am happy to report that the Montreal Jazz Festival is doing better every year. On the other hand the music presented cannot, in very many cases, be even remotely called "jazz". I am not hung up on nomenclature, believe me, but the powers-that-be at the Festival are stretching it every year. Sting has been presented last year as part of the Festival... I know, to use the words of a jazz immortal, there are only two kinds of music: good and bad. However, it's hard to get younger people interested in jazz when it is often so ill defined. The one thing is that when you go back in time, the defining lines are way easier to recognize. One last point, in a very European way, the Festival has always considered that the blues are a part of the greater realm of jazz. Maybe because I like the blues and "roots" music generally, I am very happy that this is the case. I know that when rock was closer to its blues roots, one way for a young person to reach jazz was by way of the blues; the progression being, let's say the Rolling Stones to Muddy Waters, to B. B. King to T-Bone Walker and then to Charlie Christian. I may be dreaming... Correct me if I'm wrong, but there seems to be no handy stepping-stones to jazz nowadays. In my case, if I remember, insofar as records go, inadvertently my older sister introduced me to jazz by getting a copy of "The Sound of Jazz" from the CBS record club and declaring it unlistenable before giving it to me. My other sister did the same with Bob Dylan's "Highway 61 Revisited" so hand-me-downs are not always bad! Aside from the fact that I have always been curious and loved all kinds of music, never minding whether it was "in" or "out", being rejected by my seniors couldn't hurt. One point is that it is very hard to impose things like a type of music on young people (or any age group for that matter) especially so if it is seen as complicated, elitist, intellectual. In the past jazz was seen as fun and alive. That's the only hope to bring new blood in. Make it fun and alive, without losing its essential qualities. |
I note that there have been some very recent posts to this old thread, so I guess people are still looking through the archives. In response to Phasecorrect: no, I'm not a music scholar, just someone who has loved jazz for more than 40 years. Many years ago, while in high school in Washington, DC, I did get to know the great jazz and classical guitarist, Charlie Byrd, and jazz has been a part of my life since then. During the mid-1980's, I developed a college course in jazz appreciation as part of a continuing credits program for high school teachers in the Seattle, WA, area, and during that time I really got serious about studying jazz as an art form. Some jazz critics refer to jazz as America's classical music, and that's probably a fair statement.
My real concern is that jazz is becoming a "museum" music. During the early decades of jazz, almost all musicians learned their craft by playing (clubs, orchestras, dances, etc.), whereas today most of the young jazz musicians develop their playing skills in classes (high school, college, music academies). For jazz to flourish again, it needs lots of new blood, more listeners (particularly in the African-American community), and wider air play by radio stations. Unfortunately, I think the reverse pattern is true.
One way to spread the jazz "message" is for people who love the music to share their knowledge with younger listeners, and I've tried to do that here on Audiogon. I appreciate the positive feedback I've gotten from other A-gon members. |
The three best, in my opinion, are:
John Coltrane (e.g., with Johnny Hartman or "Bags and Trane")
Eric Dolphy (e.g., "Out to Lunch")
James Carter (e.g., "Chasin' the Gypsy") |
SDcampbell..are u a music scholar?...you are the man..great response.... |
Lots of greats listed so far, here are a few I haven't seen listed:
Michael Blake
Arthur Blythe
Christer Bothen
Ralph Carney
George Cartwright
Thomas Chapin
Jean Derome
Jindra Dolansky (Uz Jsme Doma)
Marty Ehrlich (is this the same guy Frogman?)
Ellery Eskelin
Marty Fogel
Sonny Fortune
Chico Freeman
John Gilmore
Vinny Golia
Steve Grossman
Tom Guralnick
Rich Halley
Buck Hill
Michael Hornstein
David Jackson
Ed Jackson
Philip Johnston
Naruyoshi Kikuchi (Tipographica)
Frank Lowe
Michael Marcus
Steve Marcus
Kurt McGettrick
Randy McKean
Hafez Modirzadeh
Michael Moore
Bill Plake
Odean Pope
Michel Portal
Yannick Rieu
Sam Rivers
Florian Ross
Dave Slusser
John Tchicai
Kazutoki Umezu
Bobby Zankel
John Zorn (If this choice offends, check out Voodoo or some of the Masada discs).
Sorry if any of these are repeats. Alot of the above players (and probably hundreds more) are highly under appreciated, but (lucky for us) are doing great job of keeping an artform alive and growing.
Hey Sd, have you got a favorite Steve Lacy disc? |
I'd like to add Gato Barbieri, Chapter I,II,III and Caliente. |
My favourite is Dexter Gordon's "Our Man in Paris". Sonny Rollins first Blue Note album is a close second (I forget the name ... I think it may just be called Sonny Rollins).
I have never liked Coltrane ... just not my thing.
You've got to have a Gerry Mulligan album also. Bari sax is just a fabulous instrument ... I'm a tenor player, and if a good bari didn't cost more than my car I'd have a bari too. |
There are many candidates here..The big round fat classic sound : Ben Webster,Coleman Hawkins, Scott Hamilton and Gerry Mulligan (he played baritone) lyrically: Stan Getz, Cannonball Adderly, Sonny Rollins, Paul Desmond (he's an alto guy) Then there is Coltrane all around and for some very cool, out stuff you could try Ornette Coleman, Eric Dolphy(alto and excellent bass clarinet and flute as well from him) Most of these guys pretty much played tenor exclusively. Too many to list and once again some great players are left off. |
Frank Morgan..."listen to the dawn" |
Sonny Rollins is my favorite. Super smooth and like butter. I worked in the studio with him for several years. But there are a lot of other great ones. |
Billy Harper's Sessions
Out of print LPs:
Love On The Sudan (Denon)
Knowledge of Self (Denon)
The Believer (Baystate)
Out of print CD:
Soran-Bushi (Denon)
Currently Available CDs:
Destiny Is Yours (Steeplechase)
Black Saint (Black Saint)
With Randy Weston:
Saga (Gitanes/Verve)
Spirits of Our Ancestors
With Woody Shaw:
Love Dance (currently released on CD in combination with another good Woody Shaw session)
With Lee Morgan:
Last Session (Blue Note) |
Forgot Sonny Stitt "Moonlight in Vermont" and Lew Tabackin, with the big band or in a smaller group. |
Check out Harper's work with the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Big Band from the '70's; "Potpourri" in particular. Great addition to the list; thanks 1197. |
Do you mean sound-wise or performance-wise? Sonny Rollins "The Bridge" and Johnny Griffin "Return of the Griffin" come to mind performance-wise. Soundwise, most audiophiles will not like my suggestion: settle for nothing short of the live event. |
Not familiar with Billy Harper, do you have 1 or 2 favorites that you would recommend as starters? |
Billy Harper is an excellent tenor saxophonist who has been around for over 30 years. He comes out of Texas originally and has that big Texas tenor sound a la Booker Ervin. Ecstatic Coltrane and gospel are two of his influences. My wife and I love his music.
He has many fine releases under his own name and on others' sessions, including Lee Morgan, Woody Shaw, and Gil Evans. |
Agree with Drrasta's "Ballads" and as another melodic sample of Coltrane would add my favorite rainy day piece "The Gentle Side of John Coltrane" (Impulse). Even the cd is good. |
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Duh, typical, I forgot one of my FAVORITE musicians of all time, who happens to be a tenor player- DEWEY Redman. Gundam91, please check out the infinite sea of beauty and insight from which came the young, developing Josh Redman. |
I am surprised that no one has mentioned Joshua Redman. I think he is also a very talented Sax player! Just listen to his closing concert at San Francisco Jazz Festival 2001, playing duet with Christian McBride (bass). It wa surreal! This concert ranked right up there with his solo performance last year at the Grace Cathedral. |
"Best" to me is like the term "favorite." For me it changes from day to day, especially with music as there is SO MUCH great music out there. Last night I listened to the LP Gene Ammons "Blue Gene" and LOVED IT. Happy Listening to All! |
My favorite LP is Jam Session #1. This might seem an odd one, but it cooks. In the studio that day playing sax..Charlie Parker, Johnny Hodges,Ben Webster,Benny Carter and Flip Phillips. On trumpet, Charlie Shavers, and the rythm section,Ray Brown, Barney Kessel, Oscar Peterson and J.C. Heard. On side one there's one cut, the sax players take turns playing ballads with everyone else taking shorter solos. Side two is the same thing only their jammin, again one cut. This was recorded in 1951 and the sound is amazing. You'd think it was recorded yesterday. The sax players up front, taking turns trying to outdo each other. To hear these greats, one after another is almost a history lesson. |
yes indeed. I also go for the ECM thing, John Surman, & Jan whats-his-name. |
oops! Not Walt Levinsky (different era altogether). I meant Walt Weiskoff. |
or Eric Alexander, Rich Perry, Walt Levinsky, Gary Smulian, Marty Erlick, Bill Evans............... |
oops, a few glaring oversights came to mind today: Chris Potter, Greg Osby, oh and how could I forget Gary Thomas. |
Jay, good to hear from someone who obviously knows what's what in the saxophone world. It is unfortunate that so many of the really great and interesting young players seldom get heard by so much of the music loving public. Regards. |
Frogman, (remember me from the Coltrane thread? :-)....
yup, agreed, let's also add George Garzone. Bergonzi is a huge personal favorite of mine too. But hey, there are a lot of other lesser known great sax players out there pushing the envelope. Names that come to mind are Chris Speed, Seamus Blake, Rob Stillman, Rob Brown, Peter Epstein, Donny McCaslin, David Binney, Jim Hobbs...
But getting back on topic, as for great sax "CD's", I'd have to get a little more mainstream in my reccomendations, some of my favorite players who time & time again put out great works are, (in no particular order): Trane, Joe Henderson, Jerry Bergonzi, George Garzone, Joe Lovano, yeah sure Brecker, Ornette Coleman, also a whole host of other "older" lesser known NY guys, as opposed to the younger ones I mentioned above, who are just monster players. |
Sdcampbell, I would respectfully like to comment on your fine posts. I would move the time frame during which the saxophone became more of a solo instrument back by a few years, perhaps even a decade. Coleman Hawkins was recording by the mid-twenties; also, Sidney Bechet recorded with Louis Armstrong as early as 1924. During the '20's and '30's there was in this country a veritable "saxophone craze". A wide range of saxophones in different keys and of different ranges was manufactured: sopraninos in Eb and F, sopranos in Bb and C, altos in Eb and F, C melody, straight (as opposed to curved) altos and tenors(!!!!!), baritones in C and Eb, and quite a few others with other new and "innovative" features. The surviving members of the saxophone family are: sopranino in Eb, soprano in Bb, alto in Eb, tenor in Bb, baritone in Eb, and bass in Bb. The sopranino and bass are seldom heard in a solo context but can be heard on recordings by Anthony Braxton and James Carter. As far as recommended players go, I would add Charlie Mariano, Bob Mover (alto); George Coleman, Frank Wess, Joe Lovano (tenor) and question the inclusion of David Murray; personal opinion, but I just don't get what the hoopla is about. Otherwise, a great list. Your comments about the players associated with jazz-rock fusion concern me however. I think I know where you're coming from here, but I find the inclusion of Kenny G in a list that includes Brecker, Shorter, and Liebman troublesome. If ever there was a "superstar" in this genre, I would say Michael Brecker is it. He is, besides being one of the greatest ever virtuosos on the instrument, one of the best examples of "post-Coltrane" tenor playing. For better or for worse he has been the most influential tenor player of the last twenty years or so. I can't think of any modern player that has so influenced the way that young tenor players sound today. A brilliant improviser in "straight ahead" as well as fusion. Wayne Shorter is certainly much more than a fusion player as his work with Miles in the sixties demonstrates. Liebman, brilliant! Oh yeah, Id like to add Jerry Bergonzi to the list of great tenor players. I guess my point about fusion is that there has been and continues to be some really creative and interesting writing and playing in the general genre "fusion" that is, IMO, worthy of consideration as important contributions to jazz; the dreck that Kenny G and even Klemmer put out is in a different category altogether. Anyway, I have as always, enjoyed and appreciated your posts on one of my favorite subjects. My choice for best Jazz sax recording: John Coltrane "Giant Steps". I can't think of any recorded saxophone solo, with the possible exception of Coleman Hawkins' famous "Body and Soul", that has been as studied, scrutinized and analyzed by players as Trane's solo on the title tune. It truly shook up the saxophone world. Best. |
Mostly bop, but easy to listen to - here are some of my favorites.
Stan Getz
- The Dolphin
- Sweet Rain
- Spring is Here
- Pure Getz
Charlie Rouse
- Takin' Care of Business
- Unsung Hero
Zoot Sims
- Warm Tenor
- Zoot at Ease
- Zoot!
- For Lady Day
- Zoot Sims and the Gershwin Brothers
Art Pepper
- Surf Ride
Stanley Turrentine
- Ballads
- The Best of Stanley Turrentine
Paul Desmond
- Live
- Two of a Mind w/Gerry Mulligan
- Bossa Antigua
- Polka Dots and Moonbeams
- Pure Desmond
Bud Shank
- Brazilliance
- Brazilliance Volume 2
Dexter Gordon
- Ballads |
A few more that haven't been listed. My favorite Lester young record (laughin to keep from cryin) has Lester playing the clarinet only.Johnny Hodges (Blues a-Plenty and everybody knows Johnny Hodges) Another great record is Paul Gonsalves (Ellingtonia Moods & Blues) with Hodges joining in. Gerry Mulligan's "Night Lights" is great late night listening. |
Good addendum SD, but no fair reversing number 2 (ha ha, just kidding)....Frank |
