AudiogoN Forums: Your Top 5 Sax Players?

Your Top 5 Sax Players?

Ok jazz heads I know there are tons of Tenor and Alto players out there that can impress you on any given day, but who would qualify to be on your ALLTIME great list of five? I know it is hard to limit it to just five, but that is just to make you think a little harder on who really gets to your heart and soul the most. Some guys had very short careers and others had very long ones with many great recordings of exceptional merit. Some were better live and others were better in the studio, but what we want to know is who could REALLY play? Here are my five.

1. Stan Getz
2. Sony Rollins
3. John Cotrane
4. Sonny Stitt
5. Ben Webster

Eddinanm3 (Threads | Answers | This Thread)

10-23-05

Responses (1-41 of 41)

Click title to read one, or click date to read all below it.

10-24-05 Cannonbal adderly....eddie harris......junior walker....char ... Jaybo

10-24-05: Cincy_bob
I think that Charlie Parker and Lester Young would have to be on the list. I agree that Coltrane belongs on the list as well. Other candidates would include:

Ben Webster
Stan Getz
Coleman Hawkins
Johnny Hodges
Sonny Rollins
Hank Mobley
Ornette Coleman
Cannonball Adderley
Dexter Gordon
Wayne Shorter
Sonny Stitt

Of course, if you limit your list to five or ten, there are a lot of great sax players who would not make the cut, including Chu Berry, Teddy Edwards, Wardell Gray, Ike Quebec, Don Byas, Harry Carney, Sidney Bichet, Steve Lacy, Paul Desmond, Booker Ervin, Gerry Mulligan, Serge Chaloff, Warne Marsh, Eric Dolphy, Pepper Adams, Roland Kirk, Cecil Taylor, Albert Aylor, Al Cohn, Flip Phillips, Zoot Sims, Johnny Griffin, Illinois Jacquet, Gene Ammons, Sonny Criss, Arnett Cobb, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Lou Donaldson, Stanley Turrentine, Jimmy Giuffre, Sam Rivers...

Cincy_bob (System | Threads | Answers | This Thread)

10-24-05 If we talk about "favorites", then my list include ... Drubin

10-24-05 William jefferson clinton........lol! Sugarbrie

10-24-05 John coltrane albert ayler tim berne david s. ware peter bro ... Ejlif

10-24-05 Just to clarify cincy bobs list, cecil taylor does not play ... Ejlif

10-24-05 Sorry, that was a slip on my part. Cincy_bob

10-24-05 Cincy_bob's list is pretty extensive & he's covered almost a ... Bombaywalla

10-24-05 Lester young, jerry mulligan, charlie parker, james carter, ... Ohteeel

10-24-05 in no particular order... ornette coleman john coltrane ch ... Waltersalas

10-24-05 Michael brecker ornette coleman john zorn evan parker ravi c ... Marakanetz

10-24-05 1. johnny hodges 2. gene ammons 3. stanley turrentine 4. sta ... Shoff

10-24-05 The five rule is masochistic and it makes otherwise highly d ... Duanegoosen

10-24-05 Michael brecker,phil woods,don potter,jan garberek,coltrane. ... Digsmithd

10-25-05 I agree with bombaywalla, that art pepper belongs among the ... Kana813

10-25-05 Stan sulzman,paul mc,candless,stan turin!dgoosen nice choice ... Digsmithd

10-25-05 Wow! not an easy task...but if i had a gun put to my head th ... Siliab

10-25-05 Steve marcus cica 72 with larry coryell call to hiher con,th ... Digsmithd

10-25-05 All time great has to mean those who were most influential, ... Frogman

10-25-05 while i don't have a problem with smooth jazz or david sanb ... Eddinanm3

10-25-05 Woods coltrane adderly young joe henderson josh redman and ... Bojack

10-25-05 What about "bleeding gums murphy" boy can he play ... Rwjp

10-26-05 Eddinanm3, that's the problem with limiting the list to five ... Frogman

10-26-05 Here's 5 who are perhaps underappreciated, compared with the ... Jdoris

10-26-05 There was no shortage of players around to develop strains o ... Duanegoosen

10-26-05 Well, we've pretty well scoured the roster for the 'five top ... Islandear

10-26-05 Paul desmond a source in the smooth jazz genre as we define ... Frogman

10-26-05 Sweet lou donaldson cannonball adderley ike quebec john klem ... Qdrone

10-26-05 Frogman, it's obvious that you like some great stuff and i ... Duanegoosen

10-27-05 I'm glad that kenny g is excepted from everyone's lists. Marakanetz

10-27-05 Yeah kenny g, that begs the question if an artist finds a ni ... Qdrone

10-27-05 Desmond and klemmer blow me away. klemmer's "eruptions ... Duanegoosen

10-27-05 Duanegoosen, point well taken; almost. as i see it, edinanm3 ... Frogman

10-27-05 Yeah but don't forget touch,barefoot ballet and a very under ... Qdrone

10-28-05 Frogman, i like your second list better than your first one, ... Eddinanm3

10-28-05 While desmond has been described here as a proponent of 'smo ... Islandear

10-31-05 My vote goes to: tenor: 1) ben webster 2) lester young 3) jo ... Jhwalker

11-12-05 From the new york times jazz review | david sanborn a cooll ... Frogman

11-12-05 Yes, i saw mr. sanborn about a month and a half ago at jazz ... Eddinanm3

11-12-05 Eddinanm3, i don't disagree with you. there is no question t ... Frogman

11-13-05 John coltrane, eric dolphy, pharoah sanders, ornette coleman ... Colitas