Top Ten Alto Tones

[Tom Storer]

John L started talking about altos in the Top Ten Tenor Tones thread and got some responses, but I think it deserves its own thread. Hope you don't mind, John!

As for the Top Ten Tenor Tones thread, the focus is on tone alone.

My own, in no particular order:

Lee Konitz
Paul Desmond
Johnny Hodges
Benny Carter
Charlie Parker
Ornette Coleman
Eric Dolphy
Henry Threadgill
Arthur Blythe
Jackie McLean

I also like Oliver Nelson's sound a lot, on both tenor and alto.

Good start! I'll see you on those and add

Tab Smith
Earl Bostic
Gigi Gryce

[Pete C]

Funny, but I don't think of Dolphy as being about tone.

I'll add, as I did before

Thomas Chapin
Jimmy Lyons
Steve Potts

For a younger straight ahead guy, Antonio Hart has put together a nice sound that mixes a little Bostic & Benny Carter with bop & later influences.

Not sure whether I think of Art Pepper as a "tone guy," but when I think of his sound on "Patricia" on "Art Pepper Today" I just might...

[bluenoter]

Funny, but I don't think of Dolphy as being about tone.

His alto solos on ballads and other slow pieces are sufficiently about tone, IMO.

[Tom Storer]

I don't think a saxophonist's being "about tone" is necessary to praise his (or indeed her) tone. I like Dolphy's tone, whether or not he is "about" it.

I forgot to add Gary Bartz. It's wonderful how Top Ten lists can fit more than ten - must be a compressed format or something.

[jamieb]

Definately, Cannonball.

How many great alto players have been greatly influenced by him?

[stonemonkts]

Johnny Hodges
Paul Desmond
Anthony Braxton
Thomas Chapin
Henry Threadgill
Cannonball
Rob Brown
Sonny Criss
John Zorn
James Spaulding

[Captain Hate]

These are some very impressive lists; I particularly appreciate what Pete said about Antonio Hart who, when I saw him with Dave Holland a few years ago, did some major projecting with his alto.

I can't believe nobody mentioned Phil Woods. And I'll also mention David Sanborn who, if you listen to him on some of those Gil Evans live releases, is hard to distinguish in tone from Arthur Blythe.

[gnhrtg]

John Zorn
Kenny Garrett
Cannonball Adderley
Lee Konitz
Arthur Blythe

It's a shame that I can't recall some great alto tones of guys I heard in earlier Blue Note combo releases.

[Mark Kleinhaut]

Bobby Watson!!!!!!!!

[Zephyr]

My top ten on alto....


Gigi Gryce
Sonny Stitt
Charles McPherson
Eric Dolphy
Charlie Parker
Wardell Grey
Jackie McLean
Phil Woods
Gary Bartz
Piet Noordijk

[Tanager]

Daniel Carter, Daniel Carter, Daniel Carter.

[gnhrtg]

Part of the shame has been undone, uh oh: Gigi Gryce

[Pete C]

Zephyr, as far as I know Wardell Gray never played alto.

The conventional wisdom was that Konitz & Desmond were the only altos of the early 50's who weren't sounding like Bird, but Gigi Gryce's sound was quite distinct too.

[Zephyr]

Pete, you're right as always.

To complete my top ten, replace Wardell Gray by my favorite alto-player Abraham Burton.

[Pete C]

Marty Ehrlich has a beautiful alto tone too.

[shrugs]

Mats Gustafsson

when I heard him play a blues in NYC at Tonic, I knew I was in the presence of one of the few living originals on this instrument.

[James Lee]

My hat's off to Zephyr for acknowledging the INCREDIBLE sound of Charles McPherson. Charles is one of those "mouthpiece freaks" - continuously experimenting with different set-ups.

Living in the same town (San Diego) McPherson's brother-in-law Paul Sundfor in another alto player with a lush sound. His recording "Nascency" on the 9 Winds label displays it very nicely; with John Swana, Fred Hersch, Drew Gress and Tom Rainey.

[Pete C]

It's a shame that Sony acquired the Mainstream masters, since they don't seem to be doing much with the catalog. Charles McPherson made several excellent albums for Mainstream in the 70's, especially "Today's Man" with nice charts by Ernie Wilkins.