Best Sax Jazz

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")

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.

Then there's also Don Byas. Shame he died so young.

Tim Warfield is another good one