Burning Ambulance's 10 Greatest Saxophonists

[BeBop]

http://burningambulance.com/

[BeBop]

Disclaimer: I've only seen the list from my mobile; maybe I missed something here.

And yeah, I know it's "just some blogger" probably trying to satisfy some agenda.

Pres #28.

Edited September 15, 2012 by BeBop

[AllenLowe]

he's got Zorn and Charlie Rouse in there - must be typos.

Edited September 15, 2012 by AllenLowe

[BeBop]

I can't help but think that Dex (#9 for Dex feels a bit high, though not totally off the mark) would be aghast to see Pres at #29 and Hawk barely in top 20.

Edited September 15, 2012 by BeBop

[CraigP]

he's got Zorn and Charlie Rouse in there - must be typos.

That made me laugh.

[colinmce]

I would never make this particular list, but I always like to see other people put their own taste out there rather than the same tired rehash of the objective truth. It made for a good read and he made the right choice at #1.

[jlhoots]

The page loads strangely (at least on my computer) & one can certainly argue about the order.

Nonetheless it is an interesting list.

[BeBop]

"Don't you know, he was the king of saxophones

Yes indeed he was

talkin' 'bout the guy that made it sound so good."

No Hawk, no Sonny R, probably no Dex (though Dex had a heaping helping of Pres too).

So you know where my list starts. The Master.

[romualdo]

Interesting & personal list - leaning toward the avant with a lot of the selections

Hadn't heard of Kaoru Abe before

"he collaborated with some notable skronk-minded improvisers"

sounds like he deserves a listen

[brownie]

OK it's a list.

But I can't take it seriously with Hawk at 14 and Prez at 28.

And no Zoot, no Cohn, no Von and so on...

Edited September 15, 2012 by brownie

[flat5]

Stupid.

[Guy Berger]

I would never make this particular list, but I always like to see other people put their own taste out there rather than the same tired rehash of the objective truth. It made for a good read and he made the right choice at #1.

Agreed. It's a fan's list. That said, if I were to guess this is a guy who has listened to only a little pre-WW2 jazz (obligatory mentions of CH, BW and LY), owns a ton of Blue Note and Impulse reissues covering the 50s and 60s, and whose tastes after that period run mostly to free jazz. You provide that kind of input and you'll get this kind of list.

[BeBop]

I've come to grips with the list. That's kind of a strong characterization: I didn't really lose my grip, but as a saxophone player with appreciation for the history of the instrument (in jazz), I was dismayed. I realize now that what "got" me was the use the term "greatest" as opposed to "the ones I like the best". The former can be debated (without final resolution); the latter can't. If this writer likes David S Ware over Ben Webster, well, I can live with that.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

No Willis Jackson, Sonny Stitt, Don Wilkerson, Bechet, Hodges, Carter and most of all, NO GENE AMMONS!!! Ike Quebec coming at the tail end is actually mighty peculiar.

Also, no baritone players that I noticed.

Sure, it's his list.

MG

[clifford_thornton]

Yeah, problematic to say the least - almost no Europeans, no South Africans...

I was asked to contribute blurbs to a few of the already-chosen individuals, so I did.

I was also asked to order the saxophonists and I refused - so dumb.

[JSngry]

Let that ambulance burn.

[A Lark Ascending]

I realize now that what "got" me was the use the term "greatest" as opposed to "the ones I like the best". The former can be debated (without final resolution); the latter can't.

Happens all the time here. But the assertion of A over B is defended as the expression of 'strong opinions'. And 'strong opinions' always trump reason, careful consideration, balance and humility (take a look at the Hersch thread).

Worrying about where A, B or C fit in the hierarchy always seems silly to me, given the variety of contexts listeners come from. But it is ever popular.

[BeBop]

I realize now that what "got" me was the use the term "greatest" as opposed to "the ones I like the best". The former can be debated (without final resolution); the latter can't.

Happens all the time here. But the assertion of A over B is defended as the expression of 'strong opinions'. And 'strong opinions' always trump reason, careful consideration, balance and humility (take a look at the Hersch thread).

Worrying about where A, B or C fit in the hierarchy always seems silly to me, given the variety of contexts listeners come from. But it is ever popular.

Yeah, the "A over B" thing is what got me. If he/she hadn't picked anyone pre-Ornette, I would have just accepted "greatest" as having been drawn from a narrower universe than I inhabit.

[Noj]

A quantitative tally of qualitative rankings might be the only honest approach. Listen to one's entire collection (!) with a scorecard for every musician and give points for quality songs and solos (!), while all the while referencing composer credits (!) and personnel lists for leader dates and sideman appearances (!), and remembering to judge them all with the same criteria the whole time. Then each scorecard could be measured against the other to determine rankings. Tiebreakers could include a wardrobe grade based on photos or whether or not the musician had a hot wife or bad ass husband. I nominate JSngry to tackle this task first. I trust he'll check back in with his results when he's finished listening to his entire collection several decades from now.

[JSngry]

I'd get so hung up on trying to determine whether or not the clothes on the cover were from the player's personal collection or something provided for the shoot that I'd never finish, much less get started.

I will say this, though - Coleman Hawkins sure wore some badass suits in his day.

[A Lark Ascending]

A quantitative tally of qualitative rankings might be the only honest approach. Listen to one's entire collection (!) with a scorecard for every musician and give points for quality songs and solos (!), while all the while referencing composer credits (!) and personnel lists for leader dates and sideman appearances (!), and remembering to judge them all with the same criteria the whole time. Then each scorecard could be measured against the other to determine rankings. Tiebreakers could include a wardrobe grade based on photos or whether or not the musician had a hot wife or bad ass husband. I nominate JSngry to tackle this task first. I trust he'll check back in with his results when he's finished listening to his entire collection several decades from now.

This is, of course, the data-maniac way that everything can be solved. It's overwhelmed education in the last 15 years.

The list thing is endemic. When magazines are short of things to write about they roll out the '100 Greatest' this and thats. TV is forever having 100 best films/comedies/musicals programmes.

It's a format - if you ignore the rankings it can be quite fun. But the idea that you can rank something as subjective as music (especially when everyone only hears a fraction of what is out there) is plain silly.

If you want to see the silliness at it's worse just take a look at the classical world where asserting the superiority of X's interpretation over Y is de rigeur in order to be accepted into the inner sanctum (though it's actually an easy game to play - go for the older, out of print recordings and you score the highest points).

[JSngry]

A properly worn hat is important too, especially when holding court with the ladies.

Ultimately, it ain't what you wear, but the way that you wear it.

Although as with everything else, you want to always begin with the highest quality ingredients.

[JSngry]

Can't say that I've ever seen Hawk show an affinity for our four-legged frinds, though. As our awareness of the inter-connectivity of all Creation awakens and evolves, so should our ranking of saxophonists.

Sonny Rollins, back in the conversation.

[JSngry]

I gotta give infinite OSST (Oh Shit!!! Style Points) to Don Byas for the Cobra-Head Octave Key. Imagine being pissed of at things in general, drunk as hell, and staring at that thing for motivation/inspiration. You get on SOME kind of list for that, no question.

[clifford_thornton]

Disclaimer: I've only seen the list from my mobile; maybe I missed something here.

And yeah, I know it's "just some blogger" probably trying to satisfy some agenda.

Pres #28.

UGH.

Okay, now reading through the final ordering of this thing and it just makes me angry. I guess that's what Phil wanted - to be an "upsetter."