Saxaphone vs. Trumpet...Which do you prefer?


It’s not the first time I’ve thought about it, but it came up again last night as I was listening to Quintessence volume 2, Stan Getz and Chet Baker recorded live. (an amazing disc) I have to say that for myself, I prefer the saxophone because it seems capable of infinite textures and subtle shadings as well as eye opening dynamic shifts. Of course I love the trumpet too; especially in the hands of a player like Chet Baker.


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I love the sound of a full throated Baritone sax. Some artists I enjoy
Ben Webster
Jimmy Forrest
Ike Quebec
Charlie Rouse

Sax because it makes softer, more rounded music.  Trumpets often sound harsh/strident to me.
A lot of the classic Blue Note jazz records from the 50s and 60s had both instruments in the ensemble with the sax on one channel and the trumpet on the other channel- I'm talking about the stereo versions of course.  They sound great together!  A good system test is how well your system can highlight the timbres of both instruments as distinct from each other.  Does your system tend to blend the sounds as a single "horn" sound or can you easily distinguish the tone of the sax and the tone of the trumpet when both are playing together?
Rereading some of the posts and I noticed that I wrote something that is factually incorrect without meaning to. The saxophone is NOT an “American creation”. Its popularity can definitely be said to be an American phenomenon, but its inventor Adolf Sax was Belgian.  Apology for that. 
I concur on the Sax. I have all the original master tape recordings of Stan Getzs' very best work. The number one selling jazz album of all time, as many are aware is "Kind of Blue" by Miles and an album that will stand the sands of time which we never get tired of, due to its hypnotic spell it  puts you in. The number two selling jazz album of all time, "Jazz Samba" by Stan Getz. Stunning piece of work. Miles and Stan were at the top of the heap. Miles was asked in a interview in the early 60's what he thought about Stan Getz..his response was " If only we could play like Stan ".