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The Sax Innovators

1/17/2014

4 Comments

 
I was approached at one of our recent concerts by a young man whose exposure to Jazz has mainly come from listening to “Smooth Jazz” radio. He had played saxophone in his high school band and was curious about the saxophone innovators of modern jazz and asked me to recommend some saxophone players for him to listen to. This reminded me how little exposure, outside of a college music appreciation class, today’s audiences get to our music.

There is a huge list of masterful jazz saxophonists today and throughout jazz history. So, I’m limiting my list to just those players believed by most jazz saxophonists and historians to have the greatest influence on their peers and, in some cases, had a far reaching affect on the music.

The decade of the 1930’s brought the innovative and contrasting styles and sounds of tenor saxophonists, Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young. The big sound and extroverted style of Coleman Hawkins offered a dynamic contrast to the more subtle, melodic style of Lester Young. Their influences can still be heard in the recordings of Sonny Rollins and Stan Getz. Alto saxophonist, Charlie Parker, not only affected the styles of his peers but changed the direction of jazz, impacting the entire musical vocabulary. Tenor saxophonist, John Coltrane, whose personal style and approach went through several evolutions, has also had a great impact on modern jazz. These masters, along with saxophonist, Wayne Shorter and Michael Brecker have had profound and far reaching affects on the music we listen today.

Please feel free to tell us about your favorite players and/or recordings!!!!

Dan Bonsanti

4 Comments
earl
1/21/2014 09:29:30 pm

Lately I've been partaking in listening and savoring Charlie Parker. What an innovator Charlie was. Colorful, deliberate and masterful. The Picasso of the saxaphone.

The Breckers Brothers 'Out Of The Loop' cd blows me away every time I hear it ! Creative compositions and masterful playing. Michael Brecker has taken the sax and expressed it in a way that has brought to the jazz enthusiasts new ears to hear with. Michael was an innovator !

Also Dan Gailey Jazz Orchestra,...take a listen to 'What Did You Dream ?'

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Dan Bonsanti
1/21/2014 11:23:51 pm

Great recordings Earl! Check out "Joe Henderson Big Band" available through downloads - Joe was a masterful saxophonist and composer. A beautiful mix of Sonny Rollins' rhythmical variety, melodic development, and articulation with Coltrane's harmonic sophistication. His "Power to the People" album has always been one of my favorites as well.

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Roaming Rhonda link
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