Your email address will not be published. There’s a wide variety of uses for VSTS and I hope this list made it easier for you to find some great options. Noted for his incredible technical prowess, and for his impressive range and versatility, he is often seen as the important link between the legends of the 50s and 60s and the modern jazz saxophone players who emerged in the 80s and 90s. Created in a collaboration between Selmer US and Henri Selmer Paris, this saxophone delivers quality construction and outstanding performance at an affordable price. Hawk, or Bean as he was also sometimes nicknamed, was the father of jazz saxophone: remarkably it was... Lester Young. Coleman sent shockwaves through the jazz world when his quartet arrived in New York in 1959 with a much-discussed residency at the Five Spot. “When I heard Hawk, I learned to play ballads” – Miles Davis. The mid-to-late ‘50s saw him make a brilliant run of albums under his own name, including Saxophone Colossus, Tenor Madness, The Sound of Sonny and Newk’s Time, among others. Henderson showed huge talent as a teenager and was a devoted student of his musical forefathers, including saxophone players Lester Young, Charlie Parker, Stan Getz and others. and with good reason. Rollins’ favorite tenor saxophone was the Selmer Mark VI. JOHN COLTRANE . The saxophone (referred to colloquially as the sax) is a family of woodwind instruments usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece. Ben Webster is one of the most expressive tenor sax players. But this album, with Parker accompanied by a classical string section and jazz rhythm section is essential. He played tenor sax and modeled his playing style after Lester Young, who was his idol. Jupiter JAS1100SG – Best Sax for Advanced Students. He was also present for the birth of modal jazz, appearing on Davis’ seminal Kind of Blue. Manufactured in the vintage tradition, this saxophone offers expressiveness, response and control. Almost entirely abandoning the melody, his two-chorus solo on the 1939 title track is one of the great improvisations in jazz. Any saxophonist or fan of saxophone music has strong ideas about who should be on the list of the most famous saxophone players. Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Accessibility Statement. His 1960s quartet is considered one of the all-time great jazz groups, while his work in his final years embraced the new free jazz movement and took on a deeply spiritual direction. Young played a Conn M sax during much of his career. Getz was known as ‘The Sound’ for his famously lyrical tenor saxophone tone. new destination. Rollins is famously self-critical and between 1959 and 1961, feeling that his playing didn’t live up to the hype he was receiving in the press, he took a sabbatical from recording and performance, practising for up to 16 hours a day under the Williamsburg Bridge in New York. It will take you clear up to the intermediate or initial professional level. In 1957 Getz recorded a swinging selection of standards as guest soloist with Oscar Peterson’s intimate drummer-less trio. Let our team of jazz professionals send informative jazz-related content to your inbox each week... We respect your privacy. We’ll be expanding it soon but, in the meantime, we’d highly recommend also checking out the music of Wayne Shorter, Dexter Gordon, Lee Konitz and Art Pepper to name just 4 more! Brecker died from complications of leukaemia in January 2007. In this article we’re checking out some of the great saxophonists –  on both alto and tenor – throughout history. Sadly, he struggled with substance addiction, and was just 34 when he died in 1955. So here’s our list of 10 of the best jazz saxophonists ever, separated into the alto sax players versus the tenor saxophone legends…. Call us today! Looking for ways to grow your career as a jazz musician? Coleman Hawkins’ heavy, muscular tone was very much the … A titanic force behind tenor and soprano saxophones during his four decades on this planet, John... 2. Paul Desmond. When you’re ready to make the jump from student/beginner to intermediate alto saxophone player you need an instrument that can provide the great jazz tones you’re looking to produce. His insightful genius resulted in the creation of an entirely new harmonic and melodic language, which became known as bebop. Coltrane’s 1964 masterpiece A Love Supreme features his classic quartet – with McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison and Elvin Jones in the rhythm section – on an intense suite of religion-inspired modal jazz. 34 Best Saxophone Reviews & Best Saxophone Brands 1) Mendini by Cecilio MAS-L+92D+PB Gold Lacquer Alto Saxophone Mendini MAS-L+92D+PB saxophone model by Cecilio is a great instrument for students and a great addition to intermediate and professional players. Probably the best known R & B saxophone player of all time, Louis Jordan was a bandleader of the 30s and 40s who was prominent in the rise of the style known as jump blues or jump jive. One of the most well-known songs from the 1950s, “Rock Around the Clock” by Billy Haley and His Comets, prominen… We published an in-depth look at the career of this tenor sax great here. Probably one of the most famous and influential saxophone players of all time, John Coltrane changed the direction of jazz with his approach to improvisation and jazz harmony. In a way, rock and roll is a simplified version of jazz, at least harmonically. Rollins has now retired from playing due to medical issues, but continues to give deeply insightful interviews. If you are in the market for a professional saxophone, browse our full saxophone collection. He initially made his mark with mid-‘50s hard bop, as a member of Miles Davis’ First Great Quintet and on his own albums like Blue Train. The music was also a resolutely intellectual affair, partially in response to the more populist Swing era that had dominated American music since the 1930s. Later highlights include the live trio date State of the Tenor and his early ‘90s major label come back albums on Verve, which paid tribute to Billy Strayhorn, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Miles Davis respectively. Coleman was a self-taught and highly unconventional saxophone player. He first found fame in the jazz world as a member of Woody Herman’s ‘Second Herd’ big band in the late 1940s, with his ballad solo on ‘Early Autumn’ becoming a hit. Their group pioneered Soul jazz, a funky variation on hard bop, and would later experiment with funky electric instrumentation. A number of his compositions – often new melodies written over the chord sequences of existing songs – have become part of the standard repertoire. If you would like advice and assistance shopping for instruments and equipment, our music experts are available to understand your needs and your budget. Even though he's now 83, the sounds that Rollins creates through his saxophone are still fresh and relevant - especially some of his earlier compositions. I truly believe that this list we put together is the very best saxophone VSTs currently available. As one of the most sophisticated instruments in jazz, the sax is also smooth, has a lot of soul and has a way of making the sax player appear cool and dare we say it, sexy as well. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Sonny Rollins’s tenor saxophone playing is marked by a supreme swagger and incredible rhythmic confidence. Yamaha Custom Series saxophones have been receiving critical acclaim – check out the Yamaha Custom Z Tenor Saxophone. However, his early efforts with Count Basie, Billie Holiday, Benny Goodman and his own groups contain some of the most joyous saxophone playing ever recorded. FAMOUS (GREAT) SAXOPHONE PLAYERS – CHARLIE PARKER, JOHN COLTRANE & STAN GETZ Let’s take a look at three of the most famous saxophone players in history. His career spanned 5 decades of prolific recording and performing as not only a leader, but also as a sideman on some of the most iconic jazz records with many of the giants of the art form. In the 1960s he collaborated with Brazilian guitarist João Gilberto, spearheading the Bossa Nova craze that took the US by storm and finding huge commercial success with Getz/Gilberto and the single ‘The Girl from Ipanema’ in particular. Consider modern Selmer horns or perhaps one by French manufacturer P. Mauriat. Your email address will not be published. Without the saxophone, a world where John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman would not exist, and that is not a world that many would want to live in. This 1956 set features ‘St Thomas’, Rollins’ best-known composition. Hopefully though, this is a good springboard for you to discover (or rediscover) some of the greatest jazzers of all time. They are the industry leader in modern vintage saxophones, all completely made by hand. But in the mid-1930s, Lester Young replaced Hawk in the tenor chair in Fletcher Henderson’s orchestra, and the younger man’s style caused quite a stir. He is still in fantastic from on his final recordings, the duo sets with Kenny Baron, which were made shortly before his 1991 death from liver cancer. Charlie Parker is hailed by many as being the best jazz saxophonist (ever!) This compilation includes classic work with Basie, plus plenty of tracks from his magical collaboration with Billie Holiday. Art Pepper. The label ‘Discover Jazz’ is attached to articles which have been edited and published by Jazzfuel host Matt Fripp, but have been written in collaboration with various different jazz musicians and industry contributors. The first orchestral music for saxophone was composed by Hector Berlioz in 1844. Introduced in 1945, The Martin saxophone line bears its name beautifully engraved on the bell. He was also present for the birth of bebop, playing on sessions with the likes of Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie and Max Roach. Rollins has been called the greatest living improviser and the "Saxophone Colossus". Tenor saxophone players might want to consider the newly introduced Selmer TS44 Professional Saxophone. Unsubscribe at any time. However, the tenor saxophone player was no slouch when it came to playing in a more traditional, straight-ahead style either, as he proved with a stint in hard bop pianist Horace Silver’s quintet, and appearances on albums by elder statesmen Chet Baker, Ron Carter and Charles Mingus. It features a number of his most memorable compositions, including ‘Lonely Woman’ and ‘Peace’. John Coltrane. This saxophone is considered by far one of the best options for beginners. Branford is not only a saxophonist, but also a composer and bandleader. Ornette’s most important collaborator, Don Cherry, is heard on cornet. Coltrane played and recorded with Miles Davis in the 1950’s then further developed his own modal free style through the 60’s with his … His new free jazz stylings saw him abandoning traditional chord sequences and structures with a technique known as a ‘time-no-changes’, while Ornette has also referred, somewhat mysteriously, to the concept of ‘harmolodics’ in his music. A difficult question without a ‘right’ answer: who are the best jazz saxophone players of all time? 1 Jean Paul USA AS-400 Student Alto. Joshua Redman. Hawk, or Bean as he was also sometimes nicknamed, was the father of jazz saxophone: remarkably it was not really considered a jazz instrument until his emergence in the 1920s. The solo on ‘Just Friends’ is one of his most acclaimed. Parker’s playing was complex and virtuosic, yet bluesy and fabulously swinging. We’ve already published a list of 10 great modern jazz saxophonists (who all came to prominence from the 1980s/’90s onwards), so this ‘all-time’ list focuses on earlier players from jazz’s ‘golden era’. Branford Marsalis. When appropriate, these musicians are quoted and name-checked inside the article itself! It consists of a lot of blues-based progressions, or progressions using I, IV, V, and the occasional vi chord. Getz may be best known for introducing bossa nova to American audiences and for his Grammy award winning “Girl from Ipanema”. He played the Selmer Mark VI tenor saxophone. He is considered an early pioneer of what is called hard-bop. It has a yellow body made of brass and ribbed construction. Not to mention that they’re often great innovators, improvisors and language-changers in the jazz style. A peerless technician, he rarely sounds less than pristine and was always completely fluent, even at extremely fast tempos. All rights reserved. Tinnitus? Coltrane’s music varied, sometimes radically, because of his passion for experimentation. His sideman appearances for the label ranged from the funky hard bop of Horace Silver’s Song For My Father and Lee Morgan’s The Sidewinder, to the modal jazz of McCoy Tyner’s The Real McCoy, to the more Avant garde-flavoured Point of Departure by Andrew Hill. Parker, nicknamed Yardbird, or Bird for short, elevated jazz from entertaining dance music to the highest form of spontaneous artistic expression. No sharing. Using Carney and to a lesser extent Washington as inspiration, baritone players started to experiment with the versatility of this instrument. Alto Reed, the longtime saxophone player for Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band, died Wednesday of complications from colon cancer. In return, the jazz saxophonist joined Davis’ group, recording the seminal albums Milestones and Kind of Blue, both of which were important documents of the new modal jazz approach that was being explored at the time. In the ensuing years, volumes of new music included parts for saxophone, but it really came to the forefront in the United States with the development of new musical styles such as vaudeville, ragtime, and eventually jazz. The following saxophone players are most frequently listed as being among the best: Charlie Parker is often cited as the greatest saxophone player in history. He emerged in the 1960s, becoming almost the in-house sax player for Blue Note Records. This is mainly because of the number of sax brands on the market producing very similar models, meaning it can be hard to find stand out products. They are Charlie “Bird” Parker, John Coltrane and Stan Getz. His solo on the up-tempo ‘I Want To Be Happy’ is simply flawless. His comeback album, The Bridge, is one of his finest and cemented his place as one of the best jazz musicians of all time. 15% off in-cart savings | Winter Accessory Sale, P. Mauriat PMXT-66RX Influence Model Professional Tenor Saxophone. A wide dynamic range and lush sultry tone introduced revolutionary harmonic ideas into the genre, who is the best saxophone player their AS711! Intermediate Eb alto saxophone for beginners and manufactured by one of the great saxophonists – on both alto and –... Stop, Do this ( it 's genius ) 1 helped pioneer inclusion. Drummer-Less trio or all of the best alto saxophone for beginners and by., don Cherry, is heard on cornet after Lester Young, the saxophone had no trouble fitting in. The blues is essential unique voice, his alto playing is somewhat unpolished, but these five. Is the very best saxophone Tips and Techniques / Education, great Recordings, Popular music, Recording is only... 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