Top Ten Tenor Tones

[Tanager]

Hrm...what about Al Cohn?

[Tom Storer]

I can't believe I forgot Charlie Rouse and Von Freeman.

[Noj]

I've enjoyed music from just about everyone previously mentioned but wouldn't consider myself an expert on tone(?). All of my favorites have already been listed.

I think it is the "tone" I like on King Curtis' "Harlem Nocturne"(?).

I don't think anyone mentioned Yusef Lateef. I love when he played sax as opposed to flute. Anyone else?

[jazzbluescat]

Eric Alexander
Trane
Dewey Redman
Charles Lloyd
Dexter Gordon
[I only have five fingers.]

[Zephyr]

Some tenors I like
(I have ten fingers....)

Hank Mobley
Clifford Jordan
Sonny Rollins
Dexter Gordon
John Coltrane
Von Freeman
Coleman Hawkins
Lucky Thompson
Ben Webster
Johnny Griffin

[Zephyr]

What about... Don Byas?

[jazzbluescat]

Originally posted by Zephyr
What about... Don Byas?

How many fingers does he have?

[sorry ]

[Zephyr]

Originally posted by jazzredcat
How many fingers does he have?

[sorry ]

At this moment......
Sorry for Don ???

[DavidM]

An even dozen.....

John Coltrane
Fred Anderson
John Gilmore
Wayne Shorter
Charles Lloyd
Joe McPhee
San Rivers
Evan Parker
Dewey Redman
Frank Lowe
Edward Wlkerson
Joe Henderson

[Al in NYC]

Rated on tone alone (NOT the same as "favorite" tenors):

Sonny Rollins
Lester Young
Stanley Turrentine
John Coltrane
Ben Webster
Gene Ammons
Tina Brooks
Joe McPhee
Booker Ervin
Pharoh Sanders

(Some who would easily make my favorite tenors list, like Coleman Hawkins, Wayne Shorter, Joe Henderson, and Warne Marsh, don't quite make this list)

[WGS]

Dexter Gordon
Trane (Atlantic and Prestige recordings)
Joe Farrell
Rich Perry
Joe Henderson
Tina Brooks
Don Wilkerson
Eddie Harris
Stan Getz
Bob Berg

[hornplayer]

Eddie Johnson, Eddie Johnson, Eddie Johnson, Eddie Johnson, Eddie Johnson.

[rollhead]

Two not mentioned so far (I think):

George Adams (sorry, I went back and saw that a couple of people mentioned Adams.) Adams had a huge tone, and could do that husky undertone vibrato that I've only heard Webster do

Buddy Tate

Jack McVea

Did anyone mention Illinois Jacquet?

For the record, Gonsalves was a great improviser, but his tone was VERY thin IMHO

[Pete C]

The Getz discussion reminded me of this thread.

[Steve Reynolds]

for unique instant recognizable sound/tone:

Stan Getz
Joe Maneri
Ben Webster
John Coltrane
Evan Parker
Booker Ervin
David Murray
Albert Ayler
Paul Gonsalves
Peter Brotzmann

[KROB]

Jimmy...jimmy... jim..., whats his last name anyone? Heath. Thats it... thanks.

[kenny weir]

Already named, but for me - interms of warmth and sensuality and soul - these are the men pour moi:

Teddy Edwards
Jimmy Forrest
Stan Turrentine
Stan Getz

[crawjo]

My favorites, which I will rank just because nobody else seems to be ranking. These rankings would be different if I did this list five minutes from now, but nonetheless. Also, these are my favorite tones, not necessarily my favorite players, or at least, the order would be different.

1. Albert Ayler
2. Lester Young
3. Wayne Shorter
4. Coleman Hawkins
5. Sonny Rollins
6. John Coltrane
7. Ellery Eskelin
8. David S. Ware
9. Ken Vandermark
10. Joe Henderson

Alto Saxophones

1. Jimmy Lyons
2. Ornette Coleman
3. Charlie Parker
4. Anthony Braxton
5. Marshall Allen
6. John Zorn
7. Roscoe Mitchell
8. Daniel Carter
9. Greg Osby
10. Rob Brown

[Nate Dorward]

>cough< a list with Daniel Carter & John Zorn as great alto tones & no sign of Johnny Hodges, Art Pepper or Jackie McLean. Yikes.

[Frisco]

>cough< a list with Daniel Carter & John Zorn as great alto tones & no sign of Johnny Hodges, Art Pepper or Jackie McLean. Yikes.

Well Nate, perhaps these are the players who Crawjo really enjoys listening to, and has noted them for their tones on alto. If you get a chance to hear Daniel Carter play live a few times you may agree with that one. That man can tear down some walls with an incredible sound on the alto.

[Frisco]

Back to the tenor, after many years of listening, I still can't get over Sonny Rollins' tone on the piece "Lover Man" on the recording Sonny Meets Hawk, with Coleman Hawkins. I've never heard anyone dig down so deep on the tenor as he does on that piece, then Hawk comes back in with this sweet, sweet sound.

[Uli]

Gene Ammons, baby! All 12 of it.

[crawjo]

>cough< a list with Daniel Carter & John Zorn as great alto tones & no sign of Johnny Hodges, Art Pepper or Jackie McLean. Yikes.

Hodges and McLean have never done anything for me. Pepper's music I have yet to explore.

[Pete C]

>cough< a list with Daniel Carter & John Zorn as great alto tones & no sign of Johnny Hodges, Art Pepper or Jackie McLean. Yikes.

I'm coughing too, and nobody's even squeezing my balls.

[Sergio Zamora]

Gene Ammons, baby!

Hells yes

[Sergio Zamora]

Hodges and McLean have never done anything for me...

Yikes!!! I mean, to each his own and what not, but seriously, that's nuts.

[jazzfiend]

Hodges and McLean have never done anything for me. Pepper's music I have yet to explore.

Lord have mercy! Check that waxy buildup, David.

[Nate Dorward]

Well Nate, perhaps these are the players who Crawjo really enjoys listening to, and has noted them for their tones on alto. If you get a chance to hear Daniel Carter play live a few times you may agree with that one. That man can tear down some walls with an incredible sound on the alto.

That may be so but I suspect even Daniel Carter wouldn't place himself over Johnny Hodges, Art Pepper, Jackie McLean, &c.

I just don't get the inclusion of Zorn in lieu of McLean given that his alto sound is basically a cartoon version of Jackie McLean's.

[Pete C]

Crawjo can at least be thankful for Nate's Rob Brown tolerance.

Good player, but top tone? I never noticed anything especially individual about his sound.

[Nate Dorward]

Pete: well, I'm not a huge Rob Brown fan either.... but my point isn't really to do with the merits of the players included on his alto list (all of them players I enjoy to varying degrees) but about the omissions.

The tenor list actually is at least plausible & more balanced though the inclusion of Vandermark is inexcusable given the omission of players like Eddie Lockjaw Davis & Stan Getz. & I suspect Ellery would probably pass on his slot in favour of Gene Ammons....