There are numerous amazing saxophone players with unique sound and technique in various music genres.
They have created unforgettable songs and sax melodies that influenced multiple generations.
So, it’s important to know who are these saxophone players and how great they are for the music.
Who’s The Best Saxophone Player?
Here are my favorite saxophone players who have influenced me and had an impact on many musicians around the world.
1. John Coltrane
John William Coltrane is the best saxophone player, at least for me because he had the most influence on my playing style. He has some of the tastiest saxophone solos and lines. He played a significant role in the development of bebop and hard bop styles, and he was one of the pioneers of free jazz. As Coltrane’s career advanced, his music took on a more spiritual direction, evident in his widely praised album “A Love Supreme” and other works.
2. Charlie Parker
Another amazing and favorite sax player among musicians is Charlie Parker, an influential soloist. He was an exceptional talent who brought groundbreaking rhythmic and harmonic concepts to jazz including quick-passing chords, innovative versions of altered chords, and chord substitutions. Parker mainly played the alto saxophone and had a versatile tone that could be both clear and powerful, as well as gentle and melancholic.
3. Dexter Gordon
Dexter Gordon was a superb saxophone player and played some of the best saxophone songs. Gordon was often described as having a big and roomy sound, and he had a habit of playing slightly behind the beat. He was famous for incorporating musical quotes into his solos, drawing from a wide range of sources including “Happy Birthday” and popular melodies from Wagner’s operas.
4. Sonny Rollins
Sonny Rollins is one of the best saxophone players who mainly plays tenor sax and is an influential jazz saxophonist. He had initially been attracted to the jump and R&B sounds of performers like Louis Jordan but soon became drawn into the mainstream tenor saxophone tradition. In a seven-decade career, he has recorded over sixty albums as a leader.
5. Stan Getz
Stan Getz was an amazing American jazz sax player. He rose to fame in the late 1940s and became well-known for his smooth and melodic sound on the tenor saxophone. For me, he is one of the most exceptional tenor saxophonists in history. Getz was an active member of bebop and cool jazz groups. He popularized Bossa Nova to the American audience with his hit song “The Girl from Ipanema” in 1964.
Conclusion
Of course, this list is not complete but these are some of the best sax players I have listened to and learned from. All of them have unique sounds and approaches to instruments and music and that’s why they are amazing.
