Forum of the Saxes

CMelodyMan · Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 11:51 pm Post subject: Best jazz tenor sound

IYHO, who has the best jazz tenor sound? I think John Coltrane does.

JPSaxMan · Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2005 12:20 am Post subject:

Blah, John Coltrane. Not only do I not like his music, but his tenor sound sounds just...agh, don't even know how to describe it. When he played along side Sonny Rollins, I like Sonny's sound better. But my director has an awesome sound I'm aiming for. Bright and mellow yet warm. Coltrane's sound was always edgy. Never smooth. And although some don't like Kenny G for the style of music he plays he has a great tenor sound IMO...then again that varies with his setting. Cool

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saxismyaxe · Joined: 07 Aug 2005 Posts: 19 Location: Dallas Tx/Murray Ky

It's hard to beat Dexter Gordon for a terrific, room filling and exciting Tenor sound. Wonderful ballad work too.
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JPSaxMan · Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 7:47 am Post subject:

Yea, Dexter is another good example of a tenor sound! Cool

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Bariman · Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 10:06 am Post subject:

Gordon gets my vote too. Even though we're on different instuments, I still value his example tone-wise.

Bariman
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darby dylan · Joined: 30 Jul 2005 Posts: 63

i find the one who has the nicest sound is sonny rollins.
i went to see him in concert and i found it was great.

MACTENOR · Joined: 15 Sep 2005 Posts: 7 Location: OHIO

One of the best tenor sounds came from Don Byas, a saxophonist from yesteryear. BTW does anyone know what horn he played?
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CMelodyMan · Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2005 12:56 pm Post subject:

Not sure what horn he played, but yes, Don Byas was definately a great saxophonist. I love his solo on All the Things You Are
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reisio · Joined: 05 Oct 2005 Posts: 177 Location: Florida

Impossible to decide. :p

MACTENOR · Joined: 15 Sep 2005 Posts: 7 Location: OHIO

I found out that he played a Dolnet.
Regards Mactenor
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Gandalfe · Joined: 19 Sep 2005 Posts: 33 Location: Seattle, WA

Then there's Sonny Stitt and Stan Getz. The choices are endless.
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Matt AV · Joined: 14 Oct 2005 Posts: 34 Location: Pondicherry, India

It's definitely not an easy choice but players I really like the sound of would include Branford Marsalis, Mark Turner and a German saxophonist I recently discovered called Frank Spaniol.

Jacob · Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2005 11:57 pm Post subject:

I never get tired of Trane's tone on the Kind of Blue album with Miles and the gang. I liked his tone the best during the Blue Note era when he did Blue Train. Though, the more you get into the later eras of jazz, you grow accustomed to his tone during the quartet years with Elvin, Garrison, and McCoy.

For ballads, my favorite tenor player is Coleman Hawkins. So much feeling out of so few notes. Everyone should own at least a couple of his albums. Ben Webster, too.

As far as modern players are concerned, Craig Handy (he normally plays alto, but I love his tenor tone) and Wayne Escoffery get my votes.

There really isn't one player's tone that I like. I even like Wayne Shorter's tone sometimes, but like anyone else, no one player rules out another. It really depends what type of music is being played.

Oh, and you can't forget the Texas tenor players like Booker Irvin and Dewey Redman (Joshua Redman's dad if you didn't know already).