mikeweil Posted August 16, 2010 Report Share Posted August 16, 2010 (edited) Bird .... James Spaulding Donald Harrison Hugo Read ... and Wolfgang Wittemann, the local hero in whose band I play. Edited August 16, 2010 by mikeweil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hot Ptah Posted August 16, 2010 Report Share Posted August 16, 2010 (edited) My favorites are Johnny Hodges, Charlie Parker, and Eric Dolphy, none of whom I saw live. I have seen the following live: Roscoe Mitchell, Anthony Braxton, Henry Threadgill, Jimmy Lyons, Lee Konitz, Sonny Stitt, John Handy, Marshall Allen, Bobby Watson, Kenny Garrett, Miguel Zenon, Arthur Blythe, Jackie McLean, Charles McPherson, Greg Osby, Sonny Fortune, Paquito D'Rivera, Frank Morgan, Phil Woods, Donald Harrison, Steve Slagle, Vincent Herring, Antonio Hart, Jerry Dodgion, Dick Oatts, Bobby Mellito, Gary Foster, Ernie Watts, Marty Nau, and others I am forgetting. Edited August 18, 2010 by Hot Ptah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clifford_thornton Posted August 17, 2010 Report Share Posted August 17, 2010 A lot of my favorites have been mentioned already. For a long time, Jackie Mc was IT for me and the alto, though now I think I prefer a softer sound on the instrument. That may change, of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hot Ptah Posted August 17, 2010 Report Share Posted August 17, 2010 One thing I forgot to mention earlier. I have seen both Jackie McLean and Paquito D'Rivera play a white plastic alto saxophone which was owned by Charlie Parker (and which is now owned by the Jazz Museum at 18th and Vine in Kansas City). When McLean played it, he was in a trio with Richard Davis and Max Roach. They were playing to publicize the beginning of the planning for the 18th and Vine complex, when it was just starting out, before any construction had happened. McLean complained before he played it that it was in very bad repair and was basically unplayable. Then he played incredibly well on it, just as hard and loud and intense as he had played on his own saxophone a few minutes before. His tone was slightly different on the plastic sax, but it sounded great in his hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clifford_thornton Posted August 17, 2010 Report Share Posted August 17, 2010 Cool story! I saw Jackie play once and enjoyed it quite a bit. He always seemed like a cool dude. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllenLowe Posted August 17, 2010 Report Share Posted August 17, 2010 (edited) Jackie was a good guy, though his career got torpedoed due to bad management. I spent some time with him when I did a series of gigs with Walter Bishop in Hartford, as Jackie came by every night. I always felt that he was scandalously under-eulogized when he died, but too many people just never saw him play. most interesting thing he ever told me was that, in the 1950s when he was strung out, Cecil Taylor came knocking on his door and wanted to work together. "I sent him away because I felt so lousy, and it was the biggest mistake I ever made. I should have remembered what Bird told me, which was that you listen to everybody." Edited August 17, 2010 by AllenLowe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceH Posted August 18, 2010 Report Share Posted August 18, 2010 (edited) I was going to say, "I saw nobody," but come to think of it, I saw Benny Carter live, as well as Phil Woods and Bud Shank. Sonny Rollins, too. Not many though. (ALMOST saw Benny Golson a few years back, but missed him.) Edited August 18, 2010 by BruceH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillF Posted August 18, 2010 Report Share Posted August 18, 2010 I was going to say, "I saw nobody," but come to think of it, I saw Benny Carter live, as well as Phil Woods and Bud Shank. Sonny Rollins, too. Not many though. (ALMOST saw Benny Golson a few years back, but missed him.) Rollins on alto!!! Wow!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidewinder Posted August 18, 2010 Report Share Posted August 18, 2010 Jackie was a good guy, though his career got torpedoed due to bad management. I spent some time with him when I did a series of gigs with Walter Bishop in Hartford, as Jackie came by every night. I always felt that he was scandalously under-eulogized when he died, but too many people just never saw him play. A couple of late gigs by him in Canada and the US were under-attended - but those who were there gave him a generous reception, which hopefully helped. Yes, scandalous that he didn't get more recognition by the masses. A very dignified chap, I thought, appreciative of the audience feedback. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted August 18, 2010 Report Share Posted August 18, 2010 Saw Lee Konitz live twice - both times a thrill! Also Oliver Lake (three times) and Roscoe Mitchell in a terrific solo performance (mostly alto, some soprano, too). Allen, great story about Jackie! Might have been interesting, certainly more so than CT/Coltrane (which again might have been interesting somewhat later - or earlier? - in the game) and might have pushed Jackie into directions... more progressive? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bill Barton Posted August 18, 2010 Report Share Posted August 18, 2010 (edited) Hmmmm... Can't believe that I somehow left Marion Brown off my original list. Maybe because I think of him as "more than an alto player?" My (probably incomplete) list of alto players heard in performance over the years: Steve Coleman, Jimmy Lyons (with Cecil Taylor), Phil Woods, Jackie McLean, Ornette Coleman, Jennifer Bell (multiple times), Michael Chorney, Sonny Fortune, Bobby Watson, Oliver Lake (multiple times), Julius Hemphill (multiple times), Marty Ehrlich, Paquito D'Rivera, Marshall Allen (with Sun Ra), Joseph Jarman, Lee Konitz, Michael Moore, John Oswald, Hermine Deurloo, Steve Lehman, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Dave Grippo (multiple times), Kenny Garrett (with Miles Davis), Mark Taylor (multiple times), Roscoe Mitchell, Rahsaan Roland Kirk (stritch), Frank Morgan, Briggan Krauss, Ken McIntyre (with Liberation Music Orchestra), John Nugent, Willem Breuker, Hans Teuber, Steve Wilson, Jean Derome, Carlos Ward, Dan Blunck, Ned Rothenberg, Luc Houtkamp, Wally Shoup (multiple times), Jessica Jones, Yosvany Terry, Amy Denio, Jessica Lurie & Cynthia Mullis. And those I really, really want to hear in performance: Matana Roberts, Henry Threadgill, Anthony Braxton, Arthur Blythe, Greg Osby, Bunky Green, François Carrier & Gary Bartz. Edited August 18, 2010 by Bill Barton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CJ Shearn Posted August 18, 2010 Report Share Posted August 18, 2010 (edited) Bird, Dolphy, LD, James Spaulding, Jackie Mac, Cannon and Kenny Garrett, and once I hear more, Rudresh Mahanthappa. Edited August 18, 2010 by CJ Shearn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kh1958 Posted August 18, 2010 Report Share Posted August 18, 2010 (edited) Now that this is a favorite alto players heard live thread-- Ornette Coleman, Benny Carter, Sonny Fortune, Henry Threadgill, Julius Hemphill, Thomas Chapin, Greg Osby, Frank Morgan, Lee Konitz, Sonny Simmons, Prince Lasha, Marshall Allen, Hank Crawford, John Handy, Charles McPherson, Arthur Blythe, Rudresh Mahanthappa, James Spaulding, Paquito D'Rivera, Phil Woods, Oliver Lake. Part timers: David Newman, George Coleman, Roscoe Mitchell. Edited August 18, 2010 by kh1958 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Reynolds Posted August 22, 2010 Report Share Posted August 22, 2010 (edited) was Thomas Chapin mentioned anywhere here? I love many alto players especially Dolphy, Lyons, Lake, Mclean and many of the others Thomas Chapin was as great as any of them Sky Piece, baby and never forget Joe Maneri who is more known for the tenor - but he may have been even more expressive on the alto saxophone. oh - yes on the post above mine but it is worrisome that so many other truly lesser talants are mentioned more often add Julius Hemphill & Michael Moore to the top tier players for me Edited August 22, 2010 by Steve Reynolds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllenLowe Posted August 22, 2010 Report Share Posted August 22, 2010 Chapin was too busy on the horn, but he played well. Nice guy, too. Just not in the upper echelons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Posted August 22, 2010 Report Share Posted August 22, 2010 Bird is the word! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kh1958 Posted August 22, 2010 Report Share Posted August 22, 2010 was Thomas Chapin mentioned anywhere here? I love many alto players especially Dolphy, Lyons, Lake, Mclean and many of the others Thomas Chapin was as great as any of them Sky Piece, baby I certainly agree with you regarding Thomas Chapin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Reynolds Posted August 23, 2010 Report Share Posted August 23, 2010 please - too busy on the horn? didn't play well in the upper echelons of the horn?? try the track A Drunken Monkey on Menagerie Dreams - it is a study of restraint and power. Sky Piece is filled with restrained yet powerful alto and flute throughout the record. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Tapscott Posted August 23, 2010 Report Share Posted August 23, 2010 Charlie Parker, Art Pepper, Phil Woods & early Lee Konitz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibuchreitz Posted September 2, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2010 Just wondering, who's your favorite alto-saxophone player in jazz? This topic is rather pointless, I know, but it'll be interesting to see who has the most followers on Organissimo. I'd have to go with Charlie Parker, but I must confess that Dolphy is rapidly growing on me. Cannonball is swell but a bit too bluesy for my taste. With all due respect, I realize that there are many magnificent alto-sax players out there who's not among the three choices given in the poll-options. I don't know them all and writing 40 names would be slightly redundant if my prediction is correct, that a vast majority of pollers would go for the top-three anyway. Hope you'll participate. Ibuchreitz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffcrom Posted September 2, 2010 Report Share Posted September 2, 2010 It's like deju vu all over again.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papsrus Posted September 2, 2010 Report Share Posted September 2, 2010 Do we get to make new picks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibuchreitz Posted September 2, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2010 Erh...hmm,... There are two possibilities here. I either posted this thread once when I was very drunk and first thought the idea for this poll and later forgot about it! (I usually try not to post on forums while drunk for!!) - OR - somebody posted a poll in the past and I was simply too lazy to search for it enough to find it. This is fun! What is it?Hehe, I found my own topic which is on the exact same issue from a few weeks back. That's just swell, seems I've been PUI (posting under the influence) again! God damn it! Do these boards award stupidity, if so what did I win... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllenLowe Posted September 2, 2010 Report Share Posted September 2, 2010 maybe we should change it to transvestite hermaphrodite alto clarinet player - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papsrus Posted September 2, 2010 Report Share Posted September 2, 2010 Just illustrates that some of the most popular topics are started while under the influence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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