Who's the best saxophonist you've ever heard play live?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by KevinP, Jul 3, 2018.

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  1. PNeski@aol.com

    [email protected] Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York
    Benny Carter,Stan Getz,Zoot Sims come to mind
     
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  2. rogertheshrubber

    rogertheshrubber Senior Member

    Location:
    Freehold, NJ, USA!
    Yup - down home Memphis buddies!
     
  3. marka

    marka Forum Resident

    I’ve really enjoyed seeing Wayne Shorter, Michael Brecker, Lew Tabackin, Bennie Maupin and several others listed.

    But nobody has mentioned Jay Migliori yet, or Grover Washington, Jr. , both of whom have given amazing performances when I’ve seen them.
     
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  4. PonceDeLeroy

    PonceDeLeroy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Maryland
    Joe Henderson playing Jobim at New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival
     
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  5. Terrapin Station

    Terrapin Station Master Guns

    Location:
    NYC Man/Joy-Z City
    Michael Brecker is probably my favorite saxophonist overall, and I was fortunate enough to experience his playing in person many times.
     
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  6. BwanaBob

    BwanaBob Forum Resident

    Location:
    Maryland, USA
    Haven't seen many, so the answer is Junior Walker.
     
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  7. Probably Billy Harper - who has consistently been the most exciting player nearly every time I've heard him (mainly with The Cookers), on about 4 occasions.

    And I say that having seen Joe Henderson live twice (who I own 85% of his entire catalog, sideman dates included), and Wayne Shorter twice too (I have practically all his pre-Weather Report output, and a good smattering of later stuff). And Jackie McLean, Sonny Rollins, Chris Potter, Steve Coleman, Greg Osby, Kenny Garrett, and too many more to mention.

    One very honorable mention, though, is Gary Thomas on tenor -- whose playing I just adore. He came out of the M-BASE camp (with Coleman and Osby). I've had the good fortune of hearing him live ~6 times, nearly always as a sideman on someone else's gig -- and his playing blows me away every single time. Incredibly underrated player, and maybe one of the best 5 tenor players of the last 25 years.
     
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  8. ostrichfarm

    ostrichfarm Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York
    I've seen some amazing saxophonists through the years -- Sonny Fortune, Charles Gayle, Dave Liebman, Branford Marsalis, Sonny Rollins, Phil Woods, others I'm forgetting. But the one I remember being blown away by was Charles McPherson, at a little hole-in-the-wall club in Washington DC. At least within the context of straightahead jazz, his playing was just on another level from anything I'd ever heard live.
     
  9. Purple Jim

    Purple Jim Senior Member

    Location:
    Bretagne
    Kenny Garrett with Miles Davis at Vienne Jazz Festival 1991:

     
  10. GreggF

    GreggF Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey
    Toss up between Jimmy Halperin and Mel Collins.
     
  11. bRETT

    bRETT Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
    Surprised he hasn't been named yet, but: Lee Allen. Numerous times with the Blasters.

    Runner-up: Herb Hardesty, who I saw with Fats and Dr. John.
     
  12. Aghast of Ithaca

    Aghast of Ithaca Forum Resident

    Location:
    Angleterre
    I'm sick with envy at some of you. The best I've seen is probably Lora Logic.
     
  13. Jlbrach

    Jlbrach Forum Resident

    Location:
    NYC
    sonny rollins,wayne shorter and joe lovano
     
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  14. elvotix

    elvotix Forum Resident

    Location:
    Marlton, NJ
    Ornette Coleman, John Gilmore, and Marshall Allen. Saw Ornette several times. Living in Philly allowed me to see the great John Gilmore and Marshall Allen many many times with the Sun Ra Arkestra.
     
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  15. Book of Saturday

    Book of Saturday Forum Resident

    Location:
    Virginia
    That's my answer, as well. A couple of times with Sting, touring for Dream of the Blue Turtles and a couple of years later for Nothing Like The Sun. Got a chance to talk to him for a couple of minutes that first time. Discussed our mutual love of Wayne Shorter.
     
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  16. coniferouspine

    coniferouspine Forum Resident

    Pharoah Sanders. Charles Lloyd for best overall tone. Sonny Rollins in one of his funky Afro Caribbean phases, which was not really classic JAZZ but still sounded great, it was so much FUN. I also saw John Gilmore, John Zorn, Ornette and also Caspar Brotzmann but Pharoah blew my mind. Heard many many others but those stand out...oh and lucky enough a few times to hear Bobby Keys blowing on "Brown Sugar!"
     
    Last edited: Jul 5, 2018
  17. MarkAJ

    MarkAJ Forum Resident

    This thread reminds me that I saw Charles Lloyd back in his mid'60s Forest Flower days. He blew my mind, as we used to say, but at the time I hadn't heard enough jazz to have a context for him. I've never again seen him live. I love his recordings.
     
  18. jimac51

    jimac51 A mythical beast.

    Location:
    Allentown,pa.
    I have not heard as much jazz in person as I have on record,but have seen Cannonball Adderley & Phil Woods multiple times. One Adderley show had me just under George Duke's keyboards. A couple of Phil Woods gigs were up front and personal. One special big band rehearsal/benefit he did at Brownie's at the Delaware Water Gap. Phil came onstage wearing a sweatshirt with a red circle slashing out Kenny G's name. So there is some true quality in my limited quantity that many folks never experienced.
     
  19. Dave513

    Dave513 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Albuquerque, NM
    Donny McCaslin (with his band)
    Branford Marsalis (with Sting)
    JD Allen
    Ernest Dawkins (underrated Chicago player)
     
  20. Dennis Metz

    Dennis Metz Born In A Motor City south of Detroit

    Location:
    Fonthill, Ontario
    Sonny Rollins in the 70s:cheers:
     
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  21. puelche

    puelche Forum Resident

    Location:
    Santiago de Chile
    Peter Brötzmann, last year in Valparaíso. Incredible experience!
     
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  22. Kassonica

    Kassonica Forum Resident

    Wayne shorter.
     
  23. mw1917

    mw1917 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Albany, NY
    In no particular order: Charles Gayle, Marshall Allen, Hugh Glover, Joe McPhee, Marco Eneidi, J.D. Parran.
     
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  24. Miha Podlogar

    Miha Podlogar Well-Known Member

    Dexter Gordon !
     
  25. lrpm

    lrpm Forum Resident

    Location:
    Barcelona, Spain
    Joshua Redman
     
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