Henderson also added Latin elements to his music and, in the 70s, embarked on a freer, more exploratory mode of jazz. Clinton hosts governors minus Bush". Given his technical skill, the emotional depth of his playing, and his importance in the early development of jazz, Sidney Bechet should definitely be nearer to the top, perhaps in the top ten. Here is playing Spiderman with guitarist KEITH MURCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qt0MTuTvPFc. Unique among the worlds best jazz saxophonists, Rivers was a multi-talented instrumentalist who played bass clarinet, flute, and piano besides excelling on tenor and soprano saxophones. Peter Brtzmann? This North Carolinian, Charlie Parker-influenced tenorist started to make his mark in the 50s, where his bluesy, soulful, and increasingly funkified hard bop style resulted in a slew of notable LPs for the Blue Note label. Though in the early 70s Bartzs style gravitated to a more exploratory kind of jazz, his records became smoother and funkier as the decade progressed. Kenny "International" Walker has played all over the world, . That is the beauty of this music. Sorry folks. He had more influence on more Seriously? Or Pete Christlieb or Phil Woods? In that jazz is art, so very subjective, one persons opinion is just that, their opinion which makes ranking nearly impossible. I am graduating this year and I really want to learn the soprano sax and a sopranino sax as it sounds really beautiful and Kenny G inspires me to learn how to play one, but from what I've researched is both of those saxophones I meantioned is hard to play because any changes to the mouths placement on the reed, how you blow on it, tounge placement, etc, will mess with it but it's not as hard . appreciated. He was particularly fond of Eastern music and, as well as playing tenor saxophone, which he played in a hard bop style, he was a fluent flautist and oboist. If you are in the area, check out the BELMONT BESTIVAL every September. Joe Henderson was probably THE Hard bop/ Blue note Saxophonist of the 60s, no one really came close to him during that period not even Coltrane. Kenny G issued a clarification, "I don't really know anything about the situation and my impromptu visit to the site was just part of an innocent walk around Hong KongI only wanted to share my wish for peace for Hong Kong and for all of China as I feel close to and care about China very much". [13], General Music Project (G. M. Project) Greatest lists are subjective , take them less seriously than some do here There are no greatests there are progenitors and influencesif they inspire no matter who they are, they have done what musicians have done for countless generations. [1] Kenny G is one of the best-selling artists of all time, with global sales totaling more than 75 million records. David Murray? He played in many big bands (including those of Artie Shaw, Stan Kenton, and Buddy Rich) and was always conducive to working on collaborative projects with other saxophonists. His legacy remains one of the most important among the worlds best jazz saxophonists. About this Discussion. Log In. Now that I think of it, that instrument would fit in nicely with this song. He falls back just a little on his own, though his quartet with Tyner and Jones (and mostly Garrison) was superb and certainly one of the most creatively intense jazz has known. The saxophone, like the trumpet, remains an iconic instrument in jazz, and one that, through its indelible musical associations, has become totally synonymous with the genre. [29] He starred in a short as Head of Riot Suppression for a luxury Prison.[30]. uDiscover Music celebrates the 50 best jazz saxophonists of all time. Wish I had met him. Paul Desmond played MANY nice songs other than Take 5 Example: BLUE RONDO A LA TURK with Dave Brubeck. But I must remind you that leaving out a true giant like Hermione Barnsfather is INEXCUSABLE. Kenny G has worked on several film soundtracks, including Dying Young and The Bodyguard. A prolific purple patch at the Impulse! Standing at a towering six feet six inches, it was no wonder that this Californian doctors son was dubbed Long Tall Dexter. Jaws was the best, and there are many here, Pepper, etc, who are no way as good as the list is saying. All 3 were very unique, avant-guarde musicians and saxophonists who changed and expanded the role of jazz sax. Drawing on gospel, blues cries, and marching-band music, Ayler patented a singular saxophone style that was raw, raucous, eerie, and driven by a primal energy. I didnt know who Steve Lacy and Teddy Edwards were ten years ago, and Im still learning. Jimmy Giuffre? The film suggests that Kenny G, who just released his first album in six years, is not only unappreciated but a groundbreaking artist who pursues perfection and innovation in his own sweet way. All of your suggestions are good choices. recently with my Dad (a piano player) but I never imagined it with a saxophone. Yet no one would claim Davis isnt an authentic jazz artist. Besides, there is another purpose that jazz, and all music, serves. I would urge everybody to check out one who didnt get in the little-known Tina Brooks on Blue Note. MANY MUSICIANS HERE HAVE TOLD ME THAT HE WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST SAX AND CLAIRENT PLAYERS THAT THEY HAVE EVER HEARD. At the Playboy Jazz Festival in Chicagos Soldiers Field, I witnessed people by the thousands heading for the exits during the Coltrane set. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQUq6IHlRvE. A key member of the Dave Brubeck Quartet between 1951 and 1957 (he wrote the groups most famous tune, the big crossover hit Take Five), this San Francisco-born alto saxophonists light delivery helped to define the West Coast cool sound. A master of the swinging saxophone. 2) STRAIGHT LIFE-Art Pepper. Also had Art Pepper and Phil Woods. (Check Instagram for this). This list is far from comprehensive or representative. To say he was so great there, given that Rollins, Coltrane and Griffin had been so inspired when they played with Monk, speaks eloquently of Rouses gifts. Mulligan was an astute arranger and skilled innovator too, conceiving a piano-less quartet with Chet Baker, in 1950. And what about possibly the smoothest and technically wondrous Per Christlieb? And thats to say the curators, at some primal level, have equally been influenced, if not a stake in that influence. The 1987 hit-single "Love Power", a Dionne Warwick duet with Jeffrey Osborne that featured G as a guest saxophonist, peaked at No. Lets translate the title: the 50 best who took advantage of the US publicity machine, thus leaving out many deserving players elsewhere, thus a jive endeavor although it got me thinking about the Bird: what did he have that other 49 didnt? He's got a very particular sound,and it was a challenge to try and get that sound on my soprano. While my Father never liked the term smooth jazz, he played everything from be-bop to pop to fusion to r&b to soul to gospel and then some. He is also playing at THE JAZZ ROOM in Waterloo, Ontario in early February of 2020 (The group is called THE CLIFFS OF MOHER). The legendary musician was on a Tampa to L.A. flight Saturday when one . After Coltrane had completed A Love Supreme, he used the brief time left him to test the limits of total freedom, which is total chaos, uproarious cacophony, a void of self-indulgent bloat. Why no British players? His skill and touch have earned him rarefied air. Surprisingly, I saw no mention that Lou Donaldson played alto (thats what he played when I saw him) on many of his albums and live performances. Yet when he died in poverty, in 1894, Sax, who invented several other wind instruments besides the saxophone all of which bore his name would have seen that the saxophone had been adopted mostly by military marching bands, though his hope that it would feature prominently in classical music orchestras was not to be fully realized. The 11 Best Saxophone Players for Hire in West Palm Beach, FL | GigSalad Birthday Party with 5 guests West Palm Beach, Florida Performance location Outdoor (with cover) Song requests We love Kenny G and I would like a few songs played from our wedding which one was A Whole New World from the Aladdin soundtrack. His solo on Bye, Bye Blackbird, on which he doubles the number of choruses by Miles, is at once beautiful beyond words yet heartbreakingly sad when he offers the prize to an indifferent boss (Miles never spoke an encouraging word to him). I count four saxophonists from the pre-swing era, although you bootlickers probably fap off to that meandering shit thats been known as jazz for the past seventy years. His first holiday album, Miracles, sold over 13 million copies, making it the most successful Christmas album to date. Its news to me that the saxophone is a brass instrument. The Kenny G VST Saxophones software is a realistic virtual saxophone instrument that provides you with the same sounds of Kenny G's saxophones, allowing you to sound like the world famous musician himself by playing your own personal instrument. Charlito Brown. It explores racial prejudice and the art vs. commerce debate, and offers some lessons on what it takes for someone to be successful in any field. It should be PAT LABARBERA. ALISON YOUNG and COLEEN ALLEN from Ontario, Canada. "It just worked that way . From Woodville, Mississippi, Young a hipster who spoke in his own jazz speak argot rose to prominence during the swing era of the 30s, playing with Count Basie and Fletcher Henderson. Despite holding the Guinness World Record for best-selling jazz artist, the saxophonist Kenneth Gorelick, who goes by the stage name Kenny G, may be better known as a punchline than as a. These lists are worthless and worthy of simply being ignored. The jazz guitarist has been critical of Kenny G's music. Some of the best scenes show Kenny Gs cockiness. Instead, he elected to plow his own distinctive furrow. Unbelievable, any sax list without grover washington isnt worth the 1s and 0s its printed on. [9], Garrett has been a resident of Glen Ridge, New Jersey. Ive always loved him and listened to him a lot, though thats partly because of Davis and Monk records he is on that have a strong share of his best work. Kenny G has been playing the saxophone for over 40 years. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); About Us Contributors Terms of Service Privacy Policy 2023 uDiscover Music, William P Gottlieb/Ira and Leonore S Gershwin Fund Collection, Music Division, Library Of Congress, Pepper Adams, Baritone Sax & Clark Terry - "Straight, No Chaser" (T. Monk), TV, Sweden, Aug. 1978, Rahsaan Roland Kirk - Volunteered Slavery (Montreux 1972), Arthur Blythe Trio - Chivas Jazz Festival 2003 #7, Out To Lunch (Remastered 1998/Rudy Van Gelder Edition), Dig Dis (Remastered 1999/Rudy Van Gelder Edition), Artemis Honors Wayne Shorter With Stunning New Version Of Penelope, Watch Ella Fitzgerald Weave Vocal Magic On Perdido From Ed Sullivan Show, The Incredible And Influential Jimmy Smith, Norman Granz: The Man Who Helped Create The Music Biz, No Doubt, Beastie Boys, And Aqua: Currently Trending Songs, Fancy: Behind Bobbie Gentrys Womens Lib Statement, Best Blue Note Album Covers: 20 Groundbreaking Artworks. Kenny Gs high school music teacher recalls him as a shy kid with no girlfriend who was super, super smart.. His sound is both lyrical and haunting. Whats funny is that Tex Beneke of the Glenn Miller band won most of the jazz magazine polls. And Hank Mobley is overrated albeit there were some memorable recordings. All of the above. John Carter? Especially the likes of Henderson and McClean. The album was inspired by Cannonball Adderley's bossa nova recordings, Paul Desmond, and Stan Getz. Baritone???? I heard that he moved to New York but have not heard his name in awhile. "[55], Critic Josef Woodard found Kenny G serving "a noble purpose by offering musicians a paradigm of what not to do," in a JazzTimes poll in which, though, players such as Stan Kenton, Maynard Ferguson, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Ornette Coleman were characterized as "over rated. I think that he would say the same thing. [1] His father was a carpenter who played tenor saxophone as a hobby. The film also does a good job explaining why some jazz critics despise him. But this ranked list leaves a lot to be desired, Woods easily eclipses the likes of Ornette Coleman and Hank Crawford, while the high rankings of Earl Bostic (not really a jazz specialist) and Ike Quebec is puzzling. Schooled in Art Blakeys hard bop academy, Shorter then played a significant role as a composer/player in Miles Davis Second Great Quintet between 1962 and 1968. Trane emptied the theater in Madison, Wisconsins UW Student Union. JOHN TANK?! Grover should definitely be on this list!!! So, if he feels like his audience should be more familiar with those people, I cant see anything aesthetically wrong with that." The reeds of the alto saxophone are smaller than those of the tge saxophone. Sonny Stitt and Tubby Hayes were absolute prodigies; nobody, but nobody, played the instrument better. He was also on his high school golf team. The greatest 8, were, and I should know, for look at my email which is not a joke, it is because I play like Jaws, Jaws, Ben, Griffin, Dexter, Zoot, Jacquet, Rabbit, Cannonball, Joe Lovano [2] Early life Pharaoh Sanders at # number 47 really that is a joke dont know who came with this list but no way, GIANLUIGI TROVESI from Italy? Liste to The Train and the River : splendid. The shrieking and screaming was as piercing and insane as anything I had heard. Archie Shepp? Jazz purists criticize Kenny G because they dont think his music reflects any exceptional jazz chops or innovation. Sorry Folks. Though he could swing with aplomb, Gordons forte was ballads, which allowed his rich, emotive tone to convey a poignant lyricism. Idiot. It's . [68] He is an avid golfer and has a handicap of +0.6. Jerry Mulligan and Benny Carter are way too low. He also dismisses the notion that he deliberately set out to create jazz Muzak that would appeal to the masses. Love Lovano, but on a given day, Id rather hear Chris Potter, Joshua Redman or David Sanchez. UmmmWhere the hell is harry carney??????? His smooth, soulful alto saxophone sound, with its wide, emotive vibrato which Ellington once claimed was so beautiful that it brought tears to the eyes was featured on a raft of the Dukes recordings, including A Prelude To A Kiss. Both Charlie Parker and John Coltrane were fans. [65] Kenny G filed for divorce in August 2012. Heath has played with all the jazz greats (from Miles Davis and Milt Jackson to Freddie Hubbard), and continues to perform to this day. [21], Kenny G's second holiday album, Faith, is the best selling holiday album of 1999 in the United States selling 2 million units according to Nielsen/SoundScan. The album included many hits such as "Forever in Love", the recipient of the Grammy Award for the Best Instrumental Composition and which charted in the Billboard Year-End Hot 100. Making his recording debut with Art Blakeys Jazz Messengers in 1965, he was already recording as a leader for Milestone when Miles Davis recruited him in 1970. The 65-year-old saxophone player has been called the best-selling instrumentalist of all time, someone whose songs have formed the sonic backdrop of so many weddings, shopping mall and dental office visits that one music critic said hes part of the musical furniture of American culture., The Jazz Police fans and critics who are self-appointed enforcers of jazz purity have called Kenny Gs music safe sax and compared it to takeout Chinese food (an hour later youre hungry again). It cant simply be that millions of people are just stupid and Pat Metheny is the smart one, says Jason King, a musician and scholar at New York University. Kenneth Bruce Gorelick (born June 5, 1956), known professionally as Kenny G, is an American smooth jazz saxophonist, composer, and producer. This is a lame list. (I was one of several to last it out. He often spoke about how he wasnt in the same league as the others but you have to admit he did a great Chattanooga Choo-choo.. 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