Who Are Your Favorites of Today's Players?

[Gary Sisco]

Ok, let's try to get some jazz talk going here again, perhaps with this old standby, by instruments.

I'll start with my favorites of the current tenor saxophonists, to get things started:

Ellery Eskelin
Joe McPhee
David Murray
Joe Lovano (not necessarily all of his recordings but as a player)
Andrew Lamb
Chris Potter
Joe Maneri (he has a lovely sound, no matter how far out he goes)
Ken Vandermark (who also makes my baritone favorites list)
Paul Dunmall
Ari Brown

[stonemonkts]

Dave Burrell
Myra Melford
Ben Allison
Misha Mengelberg
Anthony Coleman
Cooper-Moore
Bill Charlap
Dennis Gonzalez
Ellery Eskelin
Frank Kimbrough
Joelle Leandre
Otomo Yoshihide
Ran Blake
Warren Vache
Brad Mehldau
Michael Moore (clarinet)
Irene Schweizer
Respect Sextet
Exploding Customer
Tony Malaby
Matt Wilson
Joe Lovano
Greg Osby

Those are the players, leaders, and/or groups making jazz today who I follow and enjoy the most.

Unfortunately, I suspect we won't be hearing from my favorite of all, Paul Bley. I think he's sort of retired now.

[stonemonkts]

Off the top of my list (which was made in no apparent order), Burrell is a player who straddles many styles, sometimes all at once. I love his early stuff with David Murray, but he really shines in a solo setting, or a small group with him as leader.

Myra Melford's compositions are very engaging, as is her playing. I enjoy her small and large scale works.

That reminds me, I forgot to mention Carla Bley, whose skills as a composer/arranger are as stellar as anyone in jazz today.

[stonemonkts]

I also really like Tom Varner. I tend to dig players who can go in and out.

His "Window Up Above" CD is an amazing release.

[Dr Dave]

Hank Jones!
Johnny Griffin!
Mulgrew Miller
Mike LeDonne
Joanne Brackeen
Renee Rosnes
David Ass Ware (what's he up to these days?)
Roy Hargrove (a "Young Lion" who turned out to be a Real Lion)
Ted Nash
Sylvia Cuenca
Sonny Fortune
Kenny Garrett

I could go on for a long, long time...

[Pete C]

Originally Posted by Dr Dave

I could go on for a long, long time...

Yeah, you forgot Gary Bartz.

[hornplayer]

My favorites on Tenor Sax today?
Houston Person
Joshua Redman
Ravi Coltrane
Eric Schneider

The rest????
Cedar Walton
Mulgrew Miller
Benny Green
Russell Malone
Ron Carter
Christian McBride
Corky McClerkin
Curtis Prince
Roy Hargrove
John Faddis
Robin Eubanks
Lewis Nash
Greg Hutchinson
Marshall Sealy
Renee Rosnes
Norman Simmons
Antonio Hart
Gary Bartz

There may be more, but that's all I can identify right now.

[ericdevin]

In no order, musicians who make me believe that "free" jazz is still alive, plus some more conventional players mixed in:
Joe McPhee
Fred Anderson
Ari Brown (nice call here Gary)
Ellery Eskelin
Peter Brotzmann
Cooper-Moore
Dave Burrell
Cecil Taylor
Hugh Ragin
Wadada Leo Smith
Matana Roberts
Ken Vandermark
Roy Campbell
Sabir Mateen
Steve Swell
Sunny Murray
William Parker
Hamid Drake
Billy Bang
Leroy Jenkins
Bill Dixon
Dennis Gonzalez
Nate Wooley
Ras Moshe
Bill Frisell
Andrew Bemkey
Daniel Carter
David S. Ware
Dave Douglas
Uri Caine
Don Byron
Jason Moran
Nasheet Waits
Evan Parker
Jemeel Moondoc
John Zorn's Masada String Trio
Paul Flaherty
Chris Corsano
Roscoe Mitchell
Paal Nilssen-Love
Susie Ibarra
Tim Berne
William Hooker
Tony Malaby
Han Bennink
Myra Melford
Barry Guy
Paul Lytton
Philipp Wachsmann

Eric

[Cymbal groove]

In no particular order: Grant Stewart
Andy Watson
Phil Flanigan
Neal Miner
Tom Melito
Eric Alexander
John Marshall
Gary Pribeck
Dino Losito
Steve Ash
Ralph Lalama
Sacha Perry
Paul Hofmann
Bob and John Sneider
Peter Bernstein
Larry Goldings
Joe Magnarelli
Vincent Herring
David Hazeltine

[gonzo]

i really really dig craig taborn,matt garrison, david binney, steve coleman, vijay iyer, rudresh mahanthappa,meshell ndegeocello, eric harland....and so many to mention.

[Gary Sisco]

Easier, I think, to focus if you go by instrument.

[Sand]

Paal Nilssen-Love
Susie Ibarra
Tim Berne
Arve Henriksen
Evan Parker
Anders Jormin
Marylin Crispell
Stephan Oliva
Benoit Delbecq
Christian Wallumrød
John Taylor
Kenny Wheeler
Enrico Pieranunzi
Terje Isungset
Tore Brunborg
Sidsel Endresen
Joe McPhee
Mats Eilertsen
Jon Balke
Ellery Eskelin
Dennis Gonzalez
Barry Guy
Ståhls Blå
Marc Ducret
Dino Saluzzi
Bojan Z
David Linx
Paul Motian
Joey Baron
Thomas Strønen
Vigleik Storaas
Markus Stockhausen
Jon Christensen

[Sand]

Marilyn Crispell is equally good

[chaamba]

Some common taste with Gary, on the tenor:
Ellery Eskelin (a great album maker, as someone pointed out here at JC)
Joe Lovano (love his contribution to Yosuke Yamashita's Dazzling days, one of the listens that definitely made me a jazz lover)
Andrew Lamb (Henry Grimes Trio's Sublime communication, wow)
and yes, Joe McPhee
...and David Murray as well


And a few others (alphabetical order) :

Charles Lloyd
Dave Liebman
David S. Ware
James Finn
Pharoah Sanders
Sam Rivers
Wayne Shorter

[Gary Sisco]

I don't always like what he chooses to record but Lovano is the real deal on the tenor saxophone, and one of the very last to have come up the old way, playing in a section in a big band. Jazz for him is also not a learned language, as it is the musical language he came up with, coming up with a player as a father.

[Dr Dave]

Originally Posted by Pete C

Yeah, you forgot Gary Bartz.

And Larry Willis!

[jazzy mary]

Good heavens guys, don't forget Ron Horton!!! And Nasheet Waits (ok, someome mentioned him), Dennis, natch, Frank Kimbrough! Tina Marsh, Kendra Shank, Robert Glasper, Damien Reed, Dwayne Burno, Eric reed,Myron Walden...

[Sand]

Originally Posted by jazzy mary

Good heavens guys, don't forget Ron Horton!!!

He's next to Ron Thorno!

[Peterdubya]

Uri Caine
Roy Hargrove
Bill Frisell
Kennny Garrett
Mulgrew Miller
Jeremy Pelt
Vinnie Golia
Chris Potter
Aaron Goldberg
Branford Marsalis
Terence Blanchard
Don Byron
Billy HArt

I could go on and on and on and on and on

[Robert de St. Loup]

Many of the above, plus/especially:

Brian Lynch!!!!!
Marty Ehrlich
Tom Varner
Greg Osby
Stefon Harris
Ted Nash
Toshiko Akiyoshi
Dave Holland
Sam Rivers

[jazzy mary]

Bobby Hutcherson!

Tom Harrell!

[bluenoter]

Originally Posted by stonemonkts

That reminds me, I forgot to mention Carla Bley, whose skills as a composer/arranger are as stellar as anyone in jazz today.

Then I'll add

Henry Threadgill

and, for now, a few others that haven't been mentioned:

François Carrier
Ornette Coleman--yeah! [smacks head]
Steve Potts

Stefan González
(I enjoy Aaron G.'s work too, but Stefan is getting to be, like, my favorite drummer.)

[Ron Thorne]

Quote:

He's next to Ron Thorno!

I'm with Sand on several choices.

In no particular order, and only a starting point:

Jon Christensen
Paal Nilssen-Love
John Taylor
Kenny Wheeler
Enrico Pieranunzi
Dennis González
Paul Motian
Joey Baron
Roy Haynes
Gary Burton
Ralph Towner
Paul McCandless
Marc Johnson
Dave Holland
Joe Lovano
Cedar Walton
Antonio Hart
Eddie Henderson
Herbie Hancock
Chick Corea
Paquito D'Rivera
Poncho Sanchez
Eddie Palmieri
Danilo Peréz
Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez
Ed Schuller
John Betsch
Marty Cook

[GoodSpeak]

I'm in line with HP and Thorny on their lists.

I would add, however:

Steve Turre
Dave Holland
Terrence Blanchard
Roy Hargrove
Christian McBride
Roy Haynes
David "Fathead" Newman
Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band
Regina Carter
Oscar Breshear
Diana Krall
Dianne Reeves
Bella Fleck
Chico Hamilton
Mike Stern
Tony Bennett
Poncho Sanchez

...and a few others I'm sure I forgot.

[clinthopson]

Clark Terry
Bud Shank
Phil Woods
Curtis Fuller
Pete Chrislieb
Snooky Young
Alan Broadbent
Ron Eschete
Chuck Berghofer
Jeff Hamilton
Tamir Handelman
Claire Daly
Jessica Williams
Pete Cohn
Andy Martin

and about a hunnert others

[Root Doctor]

Lots of favorites already listed, so I'll add:

Ernest Dawkins
Kahil El'Zabar
Warren Smith

[hans]

Originally Posted by stonemonkts

Unfortunately, I suspect we won't be hearing from my favorite of all, Paul Bley. I think he's sort of retired now.

Paul Bley is/was my favorite player too. I really feel bad that I missed his concerts in Belgium in 2004. I still hope to see him once, perhaps anyone here knows how he is doing?

[John L]

Originally Posted by Root Doctor

Kahil El'Zabar

[Pete C]

Originally Posted by hans

Paul Bley is/was my favorite player too. I really feel bad that I missed his concerts in Belgium in 2004. I still hope to see him once, perhaps anyone here knows how he is doing?

I suspect he's somewhat retired. When I saw him with Frank Kimbrough earlier this year he was not in top form. I don't think he's been performing very much in the last couple of years.

[Mark of Cenla]

On tenor sax:

Joshua Redman
Tony Dagradi
Jay Beckenstein
Bob Mintzer
Sonny Rollins