Great Players Who sparked your love of Sax music

flamingoer · Sep 20, 2018

Is it my imagination, or worse, lack of attention, but, apart from 'Ozmoses', I seem to have missed
any mention of the great lyricists Paul Desmond (any one of many Stardusts just for starters)
and of course Stan Getz ? Just wondered.......

Halfers · Sep 20, 2018

flamingoer said:
Is it my imagination, or worse, lack of attention, but, apart from 'Ozmoses', I seem to have missed
any mention of the great lyricists Paul Desmond (any one of many Stardusts just for starters)
and of course Stan Getz ? Just wondered.......

Lack of attention, I'm afraid 🙂 If you use the search tool at the top of the page, you can search this thread. Lots of mentions for both. 😛

ozmoses · Sep 20, 2018

flamingoer said:
Is it my imagination, or worse, lack of attention, but, apart from 'Ozmoses', I seem to have missed
any mention of the great lyricists Paul Desmond (any one of many Stardusts just for starters)
and of course Stan Getz ? Just wondered.......

Actually, several references to Getz and Desmond have been made. I forgot to mention Phil Woods, Charlie Parker, and Cannonball Adderley. We should each put together a list of all of our favorites and consolidate it in to a master list by (soprano, alto, tenor, bari) as it will help us all discover artists that we may not have been familiar with.

flamingoer · Sep 20, 2018

You're right about lack of attention. I was thinking of a totally different thread.
Apologies - no wonder I can't unravel Giant Steps; More concentration I'm afraid.
As I'm here can I contribute Lennie Niehaus , early 50's 'You stepped out of a dream'

GCinCT · Sep 20, 2018

ozmoses said:
Actually, several references to Getz and Desmond have been made. I forgot to mention Phil Woods, Charlie Parker, and Cannonball Adderley. We should each put together a list of all of our favorites and consolidate it in to a master list by (soprano, alto, tenor, bari) as it will help us all discover artists that we may not have been familiar with.

You mentioned my 3 favorite alto players there. 🙂

trimmy · Sep 20, 2018

GCinCT said:
You mentioned my 3 favorite alto players there. 🙂

How on earth can Art Pepper not be in your top three 😱 😉
Sacrilege

GCinCT · Sep 20, 2018

trimmy said:
How on earth can Art Pepper not be in your top three 😱😉
Sacrilege

He's fourth. Is that acceptable? 😉

trimmy · Sep 20, 2018

GCinCT said:
He's fourth. Is that acceptable? 😉

Not at all

GCinCT · Sep 20, 2018

trimmy said:
Not at all

Okay, I will bump him up to 3. It's going to break Phil's heart!

Halfers · Sep 20, 2018

GCinCT said:
Okay, I will bump him up to 3. It's going to break Phil's heart!

Have them both at 3. They can form a duo..

trimmy · Sep 20, 2018

Halfers said:
Have them both at 3. They can form a duo..

Could work, joint 3rd although Art Pepper is my no’1

IGoddard · Jan 13, 2019

I’ve been a huge fan of Billy Joel, he’s an artist that’s always given a lot of time for sax solos in his music. It took me a long time to realise it was the sax heavy songs I loved the most but now I’m here I’m never turning back.

So Richie Cannatta, Phil Woods and Mark Rivera have to be my initial inspiration. Since then, Michael Brecker has really got me loving the Tenor!

Greg Strange · Jan 13, 2019

IGoddard said:
I’ve been a huge fan of Billy Joel, he’s an artist that’s always given a lot of time for sax solos in his music. It took me a long time to realise it was the sax heavy songs I loved the most but now I’m here I’m never turning back.

So Richie Cannatta, Phil Woods and Mark Rivera have to be my initial inspiration. Since then, Michael Brecker has really got me loving the Tenor!

I've always loved this tenor solo by Mike Brecker on Michael Franks' "Sleeping Gypsy" album...listening to this album a couple of days ago reminded me what a great ballad player Mike was...

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilj-3T7O7f8

Greg S.

IGoddard · Jan 14, 2019

Greg Strange said:
I've always loved this tenor solo by Mike Brecker on Michael Franks' "Sleeping Gypsy" album...listening to this album a couple of days ago reminded me what a great ballad player Mike was...

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilj-3T7O7f8

Greg S.

Simply fantastic!

stefank · May 9, 2024

Paul Desmond playing with Brubeck was probably the first time I took particular notice of the saxophone.

JazzFanAZ · Mar 24, 2025

Old thread, new response:

In college I had a friend turn me on to John Klemmer.

I was also fortunate enough to see SpyroGyra in a small local “Jazz bar” (that didn’t last long and went full college boozery within a year). That was back in 1979 when “Morning Dance” came out.

Damn I’m getting old. 😞

Magdi · Mar 24, 2025

For me was careless whisper played by Steve Gregory, the first time that i heared it and loved the sound of the saxophone since then .

Greg Strange · Mar 24, 2025

JazzFanAZ said:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgpA8THgCvg
Old thread, new response:

In college I had a friend turn me on to John Klemmer.

I was also fortunate enough to see SpyroGyra in a small local “Jazz bar” (that didn’t last long and went full college boozery within a year). That was back in 1979 when “Morning Dance” came out.

Damn I’m getting old. 😞

Ah, yes. "Mister Echoplex" has always been a favourite tenor player of mine...John Klemmer with the Dan

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_5MtGCWImE

and solo album...

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgpA8THgCvg

I also have "The John Klemmer Songbook" which has tunes from the "Touch" and Barefoot Ballet" albums...and early 1970s Brilhart Level Air mouthpiece...

Greg S.

JazzFanAZ · Mar 24, 2025

Greg Strange said:
Ah, yes. "Mister Echoplex" has always been a favourite tenor player of mine...John Klemmer with the Dan

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_5MtGCWImE

and solo album...

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgpA8THgCvg

I also have "The John Klemmer Songbook" which has tunes from the "Touch" and Barefoot Ballet" albums...and early 1970s Brilhart Level Air mouthpiece...

Greg S.

Yeah, heard Touch many a time!

There was an album he put out around 1978/79 that was a real disappointment. Don’t recall what it was but after Touch is was a “WTH is this!” moment.

ghostler · Mar 26, 2025

My love for the sax started with my band instructor, Mr. Henry Tamanaha, Waianae High School, Hawaii, who during my junior year initiated stage band in the school programme.

I used a school loaner alto sax, placed in first chair. This was the earliest 1970's. Then my father bought me a Yamaha YAS-61 pro model alto on half price clearance.

My love for music resulted in me enlisting as a clarinet player in 264th Army Band, Honolulu, Hawaii after high school. I doubled on 2nd tenor sax for stage band. We had some fantastic jazz players in that band, which spurred me further.