Who's your favorite Alto Sax Player?

[mikeweil]

Bird ....

James Spaulding

Donald Harrison

Hugo Read

... and Wolfgang Wittemann, the local hero in whose band I play.

Edited August 16, 2010 by mikeweil

[Hot Ptah]

My favorites are Johnny Hodges, Charlie Parker, and Eric Dolphy, none of whom I saw live.

I have seen the following live: Roscoe Mitchell, Anthony Braxton, Henry Threadgill, Jimmy Lyons, Lee Konitz, Sonny Stitt, John Handy, Marshall Allen, Bobby Watson, Kenny Garrett, Miguel Zenon, Arthur Blythe, Jackie McLean, Charles McPherson, Greg Osby, Sonny Fortune, Paquito D'Rivera, Frank Morgan, Phil Woods, Donald Harrison, Steve Slagle, Vincent Herring, Antonio Hart, Jerry Dodgion, Dick Oatts, Bobby Mellito, Gary Foster, Ernie Watts, Marty Nau, and others I am forgetting.

Edited August 18, 2010 by Hot Ptah

[clifford_thornton]

A lot of my favorites have been mentioned already. For a long time, Jackie Mc was IT for me and the alto, though now I think I prefer a softer sound on the instrument. That may change, of course.

[Hot Ptah]

One thing I forgot to mention earlier. I have seen both Jackie McLean and Paquito D'Rivera play a white plastic alto saxophone which was owned by Charlie Parker (and which is now owned by the Jazz Museum at 18th and Vine in Kansas City).

When McLean played it, he was in a trio with Richard Davis and Max Roach. They were playing to publicize the beginning of the planning for the 18th and Vine complex, when it was just starting out, before any construction had happened. McLean complained before he played it that it was in very bad repair and was basically unplayable. Then he played incredibly well on it, just as hard and loud and intense as he had played on his own saxophone a few minutes before. His tone was slightly different on the plastic sax, but it sounded great in his hands.

[clifford_thornton]

Cool story!

I saw Jackie play once and enjoyed it quite a bit. He always seemed like a cool dude.

[AllenLowe]

Jackie was a good guy, though his career got torpedoed due to bad management. I spent some time with him when I did a series of gigs with Walter Bishop in Hartford, as Jackie came by every night. I always felt that he was scandalously under-eulogized when he died, but too many people just never saw him play.

most interesting thing he ever told me was that, in the 1950s when he was strung out, Cecil Taylor came knocking on his door and wanted to work together.

"I sent him away because I felt so lousy, and it was the biggest mistake I ever made. I should have remembered what Bird told me, which was that you listen to everybody."

Edited August 17, 2010 by AllenLowe

[BruceH]

I was going to say, "I saw nobody," but come to think of it, I saw Benny Carter live, as well as Phil Woods and Bud Shank. Sonny Rollins, too. Not many though.

(ALMOST saw Benny Golson a few years back, but missed him.)

Edited August 18, 2010 by BruceH

[BillF]

I was going to say, "I saw nobody," but come to think of it, I saw Benny Carter live, as well as Phil Woods and Bud Shank. Sonny Rollins, too. Not many though.

(ALMOST saw Benny Golson a few years back, but missed him.)

Rollins on alto!!! Wow!!!

[sidewinder]

Jackie was a good guy, though his career got torpedoed due to bad management. I spent some time with him when I did a series of gigs with Walter Bishop in Hartford, as Jackie came by every night. I always felt that he was scandalously under-eulogized when he died, but too many people just never saw him play.

A couple of late gigs by him in Canada and the US were under-attended - but those who were there gave him a generous reception, which hopefully helped. Yes, scandalous that he didn't get more recognition by the masses. A very dignified chap, I thought, appreciative of the audience feedback.

[king ubu]

Saw Lee Konitz live twice - both times a thrill!

Also Oliver Lake (three times) and Roscoe Mitchell in a terrific solo performance (mostly alto, some soprano, too).

Allen, great story about Jackie! Might have been interesting, certainly more so than CT/Coltrane (which again might have been interesting somewhat later - or earlier? - in the game) and might have pushed Jackie into directions... more progressive?

[Guest Bill Barton]

Hmmmm... Can't believe that I somehow left Marion Brown off my original list. Maybe because I think of him as "more than an alto player?"

My (probably incomplete) list of alto players heard in performance over the years:

Steve Coleman, Jimmy Lyons (with Cecil Taylor), Phil Woods, Jackie McLean, Ornette Coleman, Jennifer Bell (multiple times), Michael Chorney, Sonny Fortune, Bobby Watson, Oliver Lake (multiple times), Julius Hemphill (multiple times), Marty Ehrlich, Paquito D'Rivera, Marshall Allen (with Sun Ra), Joseph Jarman, Lee Konitz, Michael Moore, John Oswald, Hermine Deurloo, Steve Lehman, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Dave Grippo (multiple times), Kenny Garrett (with Miles Davis), Mark Taylor (multiple times), Roscoe Mitchell, Rahsaan Roland Kirk (stritch), Frank Morgan, Briggan Krauss, Ken McIntyre (with Liberation Music Orchestra), John Nugent, Willem Breuker, Hans Teuber, Steve Wilson, Jean Derome, Carlos Ward, Dan Blunck, Ned Rothenberg, Luc Houtkamp, Wally Shoup (multiple times), Jessica Jones, Yosvany Terry, Amy Denio, Jessica Lurie & Cynthia Mullis.

And those I really, really want to hear in performance:

Matana Roberts, Henry Threadgill, Anthony Braxton, Arthur Blythe, Greg Osby, Bunky Green, François Carrier & Gary Bartz.

Edited August 18, 2010 by Bill Barton

[CJ Shearn]

Bird, Dolphy, LD, James Spaulding, Jackie Mac, Cannon and Kenny Garrett, and once I hear more, Rudresh Mahanthappa.

Edited August 18, 2010 by CJ Shearn

[kh1958]

Now that this is a favorite alto players heard live thread--

Ornette Coleman, Benny Carter, Sonny Fortune, Henry Threadgill, Julius Hemphill, Thomas Chapin, Greg Osby, Frank Morgan, Lee Konitz, Sonny Simmons, Prince Lasha, Marshall Allen, Hank Crawford, John Handy, Charles McPherson, Arthur Blythe, Rudresh Mahanthappa, James Spaulding, Paquito D'Rivera, Phil Woods, Oliver Lake.

Part timers: David Newman, George Coleman, Roscoe Mitchell.

Edited August 18, 2010 by kh1958

[Steve Reynolds]

was Thomas Chapin mentioned anywhere here?

I love many alto players especially Dolphy, Lyons, Lake, Mclean and many of the others

Thomas Chapin was as great as any of them

Sky Piece, baby

and never forget Joe Maneri who is more known for the tenor - but he may have been even more expressive on the alto saxophone.

oh - yes on the post above mine

but it is worrisome that so many other truly lesser talants are mentioned more often

add Julius Hemphill & Michael Moore to the top tier players for me

Edited August 22, 2010 by Steve Reynolds

[AllenLowe]

Chapin was too busy on the horn, but he played well. Nice guy, too. Just not in the upper echelons.

[Brad]

Bird is the word!

[kh1958]

was Thomas Chapin mentioned anywhere here?

I love many alto players especially Dolphy, Lyons, Lake, Mclean and many of the others

Thomas Chapin was as great as any of them

Sky Piece, baby

I certainly agree with you regarding Thomas Chapin.

[Steve Reynolds]

please - too busy on the horn?

didn't play well in the upper echelons of the horn??

try the track A Drunken Monkey on Menagerie Dreams - it is a study of restraint and power.

Sky Piece is filled with restrained yet powerful alto and flute throughout the record.

[John Tapscott]

Charlie Parker, Art Pepper, Phil Woods & early Lee Konitz

[Ibuchreitz]

Just wondering, who's your favorite alto-saxophone player in jazz? This topic is rather pointless, I know, but it'll be interesting to see who has the most followers on Organissimo.

I'd have to go with Charlie Parker, but I must confess that Dolphy is rapidly growing on me. Cannonball is swell but a bit too bluesy for my taste.

With all due respect, I realize that there are many magnificent alto-sax players out there who's not among the three choices given in the poll-options. I don't know them all and writing 40 names would be slightly redundant if my prediction is correct, that a vast majority of pollers would go for the top-three anyway.

Hope you'll participate.

Ibuchreitz

[jeffcrom]

It's like deju vu all over again....

[papsrus]

Do we get to make new picks?

[Ibuchreitz]

Erh...hmm,... There are two possibilities here. I either posted this thread once when I was very drunk and first thought the idea for this poll and later forgot about it! (I usually try not to post on forums while drunk for!!) - OR - somebody posted a poll in the past and I was simply too lazy to search for it enough to find it. This is fun!

What is it?

Hehe, I found my own topic which is on the exact same issue from a few weeks back. That's just swell, seems I've been PUI (posting under the influence) again! God damn it! Do these boards award stupidity, if so what did I win...

[AllenLowe]

maybe we should change it to transvestite hermaphrodite alto clarinet player -

[papsrus]

Just illustrates that some of the most popular topics are started while under the influence.