What saxophone player to listen to…….
The right players vs the wrong players?
Not exactly.
Got a question from Robert the other day.
What the best to CD to play for ideas for improvising….bird.? Can you make some thing out of a arpeggio so cool…Neal…any one… Improvising is hard, i have a tone and free playing reed.
My response:
Not necessarily bird, but if he’s your favorite player, sure. Even if he’s not your favorite player, you could probably learn a lot from him. Listen to what you like and try and play it. Could be saxophone players or other musicians. There’s a lot of music out there!
Robert: I got bird c.d, that’s the only player i know..New to sax..Never been in to buying c.d…Got and names to listen to , so start me off, from the top of your head..?
Neal: My favorite is Stanley Turrentine, I like Cannonball Adderley, Joe Henderson, Stan Getz, Sonny Stitt. Check out this post and the comments: Greatest Saxophone Player? Should give your some ideas of sax players to listen to, especially if you’re not sure where to start.
Dave Koz is personally my favorite player, Sanborn is okay, but Dave Koz is my favorite, I suggest him.
Thanks Calvin, what are your favorite recordings by Dave Koz?
Dave’s Christmas albums aren’t half bad
Sonny Stitt is a must. Great bluesy sound, with many Bird-like inflections. I also like Art Pepper, who is more of a West-Coast Jazz player. He has such a clear and relaxing tone that is uniquely his. If you’re searching for new players, consider listening to a radio station (Itunes has a great list) and write down songs and players that intrigue you. Then go and check em out.
I also listen to a lot of Paquito D’Rivera, Cannonball Adderley, Bob Mintzer (listen to his playing with the ‘Yellowjackets’), Joshua Redman, Charlie Mariano, Herb Geller, Kirk Whalum, Yuri Yunakov and Stan Getz.
On a personal level, if someone’s sound/ideas do not touch you, switch the dial. If you hear something you like, right it down, make a loop out of it, and play the heck out of it till it becomes yours.
Have your ears wide open, and listen to as much as you can, from many different styles. I gave you a small list of some players that really have something to say about their craft. Check them out, and never have your ears closed to new sounds.
Ok.. sax players to check out. Of course Coleman Hawkins, he started it all off. Lester, then Coltrane, Rollins, Dexter, shorter, pesanborn, and all those clones like koz etc. Have avoided bird, coz unless you are either a freak or an anorak, keep away. Listen in awe and delight in the genius, but mere mortals we are.
Brecker needs a mention for moving technical stuff forward, but for tone go back to the hawk, trane and Dexter. For the ” flying stuff” criss and pepper
Thanks Daryll