10 Truly Brilliant Sax Players You've Never Heard Of | bernie's bootlegs

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: Who was your favorite? Who did I leave out? Let me know!
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[@mdickinson]

Really appreciate you posting these videos! It would have been really helpful to have a list of artists and start times in the the video description. Here it is: Ferdinand Povel 0:01 John Wojciechowski 1:32 Jon Irabagon 3:30 Alex Lore 5:29 Mac Mommas 7:28 Ben Schachter 9:32 Dayna Stephens 11:32 Ben Van Gelder 13:36 Tivon Pennicott 16:09 Max Ionata 18:09 The amazing and (relatively) unknown player you're missing is Wayne Escoffery! Or is he now too well known to be on a "you've never heard of" list? :-)

[@shaonantriggersu4886]

I think Esccoffery is famous enough in NY scene

[@Osnosis]

Marc Mommas…played with Armen Donelian a lot.

[@demonslayed8895]

By far my favorite on this list is Max Ionata. The best phrasing and solo so far.

[@DomPusey]

Thanks for all the videos, Bernie! These guys are all killing and I'll be checking out more of the ones I didn't know.

[@nemo227]

I give this video a thumbs up on the basis of the title. There really are great musicians who never achieve world fame (and perhaps don't desire world fame). There are millions of people who achieve excellence in all areas: music, medicine, plumbing, parenthood, cooking, etc. but they don't need the adulation from people they don't know. However, it is exciting to discover "hidden" treasures such as bernie's bootlegs & more has presented for us. Thank you Bernie.

[@johnasti7429]

Much respect to all these men. They have dedicated their lives to playing the horn and it shows. My favorites, Ferdinand Povel I've known since Maynard Ferguson's " Live at Jimmy's" and Peter Hobultezheimer's "Jazz Gala Concert" where he plays one of the most beautiful alto solos ever!!! His tone and phrasing are in incredible. John Wojo has amazed me for years. He's got a fat sound with great ideas and great time. Jon Irabagon is another amazing play who I mostly heard on tenor but he kills the Alto to. Lastly Max Ionata who plays the most incredible lines and doesn't waste a note combined with great phrasing and a great sound. Thanks for putting this together Bernie....Great job...totally enjoyed iistening to it.

[@jamescronin1486]

I had the pleasure of hearing Ben Schacter in person and have a couple of his CDs. His sense of rhythm is incredible.

[@jeffreystark75]

Ferdinand Povel played in Maynard Ferguson's band back in the 'Live at Jimmy's' album days around 1973.He is 76 years old.A great sax players that deserves more recognition.

[@lesgoe8908]

Ben Schachter leaps off the tape. Great language, rhythmic flexability, horn command -- wish I could have heard the end of his solo!

[@unacarafea567]

If you are a saxophonist, you've heard of most of these guys. Max Ionata is very well known among musicians in general. There are hundreds of unknown incredible saxophonists. Check them out at a club near you. Totally worth it.

[@dieterammann4]

Nice collection!

[@sebastiansprotte2551]

Yeaah! Just clicked on the vid, and i noticed, the first of them was the professor of my professor Finn Wiesner in Dresden :D a very good player too by the way ;)

[@DanForshaw]

Tivon is getting noticed now - I heard him with Gregory Porter last year @ Glastonbury and everyone was talking about him..superb player & great guy.

[@paulriccisound]

My favorite underrated tenor player is Harold Vick

[@kevave54]

I love Pennicot, first heard him with Gregory Porter. And our great Dutch alto player Ben van Gelder, who is really not that unknown among dutch modern jazz lovers...The grand old man of the modal tenor playing in the Netherlands is ofcourse Ferdinand Povel, also pretty famous around here.

[@arlenehilton7584]

Don't forget Larry McKenna from Philly, played with the Woody Herman Band. Passed away in 2023.

[@leeh2289]

Povel is the stunning tenor heard on Got The Spirit from Maynard Ferguson’s Live At Jimmy’s Thanks for posting,

[@rutht8418]

J.R. Monterose and Nick Brignola get my vote to be added. Good Players here, thank you!

[@BlackBearCustomKydex]

Man, they're all great! Here are some suggestions for guys that I think are worth looking into: Nathan Reising Mat Schumer

[@sebastiansprotte2551]

Bernie, do you know Lutz Büchner from germany? He was a great tenor player!

[@warvandal3443]

Sebastian Sprotte and the great Sean Bergin, I think from Netherlands

[@KrisVComm]

Maybe make a list of all 10 with start times in the main comments? Surely would’ve been helpful for quick reference.

[@BerniesBootlegs1]

Check the pinned Comment

[@mrswimmyboy]

16:00 What tune is this?

[@Azman.]

All of them are superb player and has it own sound/ style. Im only know/ heard one of them. Btw, where are all this sax player cane from?! Greetings from Jazzman Kuala Lumpur.

[@BerniesBootlegs1]

Earth

[@Azman.]

😃

[@mikekaupa2949]

thanks

[@leobrahmachari6611]

Alex Lore with a seldom seen Excellent alto sound

[@danielgardner2087]

Do a part 2

[@jasondavisjazz]

Dallas Texas

[@JorisPosthumus]

I know them 80%!

[@CanIUseSpaces]

11:44 - most interesting sound I've ever heard from a carrot

[@marselmusic]

LOL

[@stevenstayloriii6662]

Wtf

[@mugitz123]

I love the variety of tones in these players. Some have super edgy sounds, some have super mellow sounds, and they're all great.

[@JimMetzendorf]

Much respect, Bernie! Your knowledge of players is DEEP!!!

[@BobDoherty]

Max Ionata has such an incredible sound. He's my current favorite player right now.

[@seanlambert2865]

Your channel is literally the best thing I'm subscribed to on KZbin

[@rloomis3]

This is a great example of what makes KZbin such a tremendous resource. I'm happy to say I knew at least a couple of the players here -- but I'm more excited to discover the ones I hadn't heard. Some really cool playing here; thanks for the public service! :)

[@Calliopeassociatio]

I'll put on this list Emanuele Cisi (listen to him if you haven't), but i'm biased! Great video as always, Bernie.

[@marcoluparia]

Ciao tom

[@Herehear49]

Thanks for the outstanding videos!!! A similar theme for under rated trumpet players would be most welcome and appreciated.

[@highmanwich5413]

yo this guy transcribes Sonny Stitt

[@jazzerson7087]

Thanks Bernie, always appreciate people trying to expand my knowledge of jazz! Sometimes you find artists who you'll love for life from this sort of thing!

[@zooberseb9776]

Loved to see Max Ionata on this he definitely deserves that number one spot! Was surprised though I haven't seen Ben Wendel or Seamus Blake though

[@zooberseb9776]

Bernie Sanders Good point every sax player should know them I'm sure a lot do! Most I've talked to aren't very familiar with them although I'm sure I'm a much younger musician in a much smaller circle

[@madmarsupial]

Wendel and Blake both a bit too well known nowadays to be in a "....you've never heard of" compilation I expect.

[@elliemay1748]

Everyone knows Seamus Blake and Ben Wendel...

[@mirokadoic]

Thank you for compiling this video. They all play very good.

[@thebreathalyzer]

Ferdinand Povel has been one of my favorites for about 40 years. Nice to see John W from Chicago included, great player! A couple alto sax clips in here...

[@saxguytony]

Truly amazing is that we all know "local legends" that can hang with any of these guys. I live in Atlanta and I can think of at least 5-10 incredible sax players here in town. In NYC metropolitan area, there's gotta be hundreds! There are SO MANY great players out there...

[@williamdaniels512]

After a while, they all seemed just about equal. This is something im nowhere near capible of , but what makes a player brilliant shouldnt be just finger speed, but the ability to make you feel what they feel

[@PhrygianPhrog]

I agree, double timing should be used sparingly, and if they have an interesting harmonic idea, express it in a fluent melodic way, not just spraff (Scots word there!) a load of notes at the listener. I'm a sax player, and playing fast is not such an amazing feat, to be honest. Good phrasing is though.

[@johnlindstrom9994]

Too much Coltrane influence here. We need some mellow vibrato

[@mambojazz1]

?? Jon Irabagon all the way!! He usually plays tenor though

[@mambojazz1]

If they sound equal then you need to listen to more music. The difference in level is huge

[@ricaard]

Then people will argue about how much space between the notes is too much space, fight over who plays the best slow lines, not enough Coltrane, etc. There is truly no pleasing everyone, so I stopped trying years ago. You're either too fast for someone, or not fast enough for someone else. I now just portray myself, and let you lot quarrel over it.

[@stephenross9892]

thanks for putting this together. Enjoyed these new-to-me talents.

[@melvinpolanski7249]

thanks for the great compilation! I didn't know any of these guys. Really liked Tivon!

[@minioclass2891]

Some excellent saxophonists here! Thanks for posting, long live Jazz!

[@TheLiquidWu]

I think that Krzysztof Urbanski would be great on this list! Appreciate these top tens!

[@ArthurKaletzky]

@rssomayaji9 I third this.

[@andreykiselyov5528]

Funny seeing you here!

[@cerimccoy]

Gotta laugh at the guys playing pool in the background in clip #3: the lot of working musicians. World class! Love this channel

[@fakkmorradi]

"Do You Know Ben Van Gelder?"

[@yoskid3646]

I love it very much...thanks for posting...

[@samondaatje3604]

These top tens are great!

[@michaelamendola1713]

So many beautiful players, thanks man!!

[@davidcomidi5516]

So many greats that we don't know , well done !

[@MayaWalker]

So glad I stumbled on to your channel!

[@alexcondejazz]

Nice videos! Thanks for sharing 🐾

[@BerniesBootlegs1]

You're welcome!

[@thebreathalyzer]

Ferdinand Povel has been one of my favorites for about 40 years. Nice to see John W from Chicago included, great player! A couple alto sax clips in here...

[@stevenragsdale3909]

Killer video! I would have to mention Jeff Ellwood, though.

[@adamkelly5478]

another excellent contribution.

[@SeanLeonDrumz]

Quality upload. Thank you

[@lenablochmusic]

Can't help thinking of what my teacher Lee Konitz said to me at our first meeting: "You've got a lot of quantity, how about quality?" Controversial statement, isn't it? Thanks a lot for a remarkable compilation! Another Lee's quote goes: "A "virtuoso" is someone who attracts attention to himself rather than to music".

[@ArthurKaletzky]

[@rasecbarravino3490]

Do a Top 10 underated alto players video

[@ronfix3703]

Stephen Riley, Jeff Ellwood, Lucas Pino. Great list, Bernie!

[@mdolenac]

I like that people are suggesting the addition of sax players they know, to a list of players that are supposed to be unheard of!

[@codystrainsnjazz]

Great list! I just subscribed. Al McClean of Montreal is my favorite. Great guy and just a monster on any saxophone he picks up.

[@koegon]

Yess!!

[@Sam-hf8nq]

Ferdinand Povel plays on Maynard Ferguson's "Live at Jimmy's" album and just kills it. He has wonderful tone and improvisational ideas.

[@saxfish]

< This collection is most educational, cultural and mind expanding. Thanks for taking the time to roll this up Mr. Sanders ¡! >

[@JBoykin]

Nice work!

[@paxwallacejazz]

I shoulda posted this comment on 10 post Trane saxaphonists. Clearly all these cats can blow but I for one can't even begin to judge anyone based on one solo which is often some cat slide ruleing pentatonic configurations around chromatically anyway the only way to truly judge a musician based on only one hearing is to hear that musician play a ballad. Many can dance on the table with their hair on fire but few can truly play a ballad.

[@billelliott1266]

Total truth!!

[@marselmusic]

So true

[@59trader43]

Works the other way around too but not as much get your point..many tenors now forgot about the ballad..dex,Trane,tubby etc

[@Narayan2711]

All good! Personal favorites: John Wojciechowski and Dayna Stephens and the communication between Ari Hoenig and Michel Pilc! That drummer is just mind blowing!

[@poolandmusic]

Tivon Pennicott! Yes and that's how a Rit-section is to play. They are really in the space as one. For me that is what jazz is all about. Nice discovery!

[@johnsharpe734]

Wonderful group of guys......unsung heros of course....

[@jefbrown2676]

My vote.. Lawrence Clark. That fellow is out of this world. Nice video, thank you.

[@paulwagner4028]

Wojo is so damn good, it's great to see him on the list! Chicago represent! Thanks Bernie!

[@allbusinessmarketingllc3579]

Ferdinand by far, the most underrated. What a player!!!

[@gangstakittie7699]

John irabagon plays everything so well. He played tenor and soprano for a jlco set

[@PabloVestory]

Clubs so small that the bartender has to wait for the players to get off the way, BUT have his Grandpiano. I wish there would be a lot more of that in this world

[@madbebopper]

Sorry but the only one I actually dug at all (obviously my favorite) was by far the most mature and melodic and swinging one of all ..... MAX IONATA. Fantastic player!!

[@NickLeeP]

Agreed. Phenomenal!

[@thebreathalyzer]

Max is great but what about Ferdinand Povel? Check him out on MF Horn 4+5 Live at Jimmy's or Meeting the Tenors with Doug Raney. totally badass.

[@59trader43]

Yep true

[@gilleslefilou6277]

Yes but Max is not among us, he is an alien

[@jzzft11]

He was the one who instantly stood out to me too

[@dr.a4707]

Thanks much for this terrific sampling of several very impressive performances by somewhat lesser known saxophonists. All of these players truly are brilliant in their technical skills and execution. At the risk of dropping a turd in the punch bowl, as a fellow jazz musician and multi-instrumentalist, it seems the players who often get the most inside buzz these days are those who go outside... and the further outside the better (at least for some). The game seems to be to play such technically demanding music and at such break-neck tempos that it impresses other jazz musicians. For many aficionados, as long as there are a bazillion notes being played and the music is atonal and polyrhythmic, this is presumed to be the epitome of advanced musicianship. Well, in my book (and in that of many other fine musicians and serious listeners) that ain't necessarily so. Pyrotechnics can often undermine musicality. In the sax world, icons like Paul Desmond and Stan Getz established their mastery with much more melodic and harmonic presentations of their greatness. Often, playing far less says much, much more (think Miles Davis, Chet Baker, Wes Montgomery, BB King, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn). Today, contemporary sax giants like Chris Potter and Bob Shepard are kept successfully busy in studios and stage performances around the world -- typically playing more inside than most of the saxophonists showcased in this video. The distinction I am making here is more than just stylistic differences within a musical genre... but rather has much more to do with the yardstick by which we measure greatness. Just some food for thought. If my comments here initiate other responses, then let the dialogue begin.

[@rodmact6548]

Dr. A you saved me a lot of typing. Right on! :)

[@dr.a4707]

Thanks Rod... your supportive comment is much appreciated. Hopefully my remarks will offer a few folks some cause for pause. Regards, Dr. A

[@rodmact6548]

The damage to jazz has everything to do with what was called "accessibility" back when jazz started going really outside alienating countless former and potential new fans. Way back in the '40s, bop blew a lot of people away at first but was utterly honest and heartfelt, and was built on sufficient musicality to build a vast new base of fans. But then came the soulless striving for anything new, not only to sound different from what had gone before but to impress with pyrotechnics. When you ignore musicality and melody, the essence of music, the reason for its continued existence, you sabotage and kill the very thing you claim to love. Melody is "musical sounds in agreeable succession or arrangement" and the key word here is "agreeable." The vast majority of pyrotechnic no-melody outsiders have killed jazz by ignoring the widespread disagreement seen in disappearing audiences. As Dr. A points out, there's been plenty of players who took the art form to new places without blowing off the very fans you're playing for.

[@doyneditmas]

You are so fucking right!

[@doyneditmas]

There is a softness and rythm to Stan Getz unmatched in my opinion but like wine its subjective

[@zangsax]

As always, Max sounding so beautiful

[@peanutsfrancavilla8549]

Good job!

[@tbonenfant]

I haven't seen what Povel has been up to since he was part of Maynard Ferguson's band (MF Horn 4 & 5). Nice to hear him again. Thanks.

[@johnsharpe734]

the first guy I liked and, as a tenor player, have learned so much from his performance particularly the continuity.....

[@helgar791]

Dayna has been getting a lot of traction here in NYC. Nice to see Ben Van Gelder with the great Peter Bernstein at my favorite place, Mezzrow, then Tivon Pennicott with Ari Hoenig at Smalls, which is just up the block across the street. Chris Potter and Ari just played a duet there a little while ago.

[@damianodami7582]

Seen max ionata with dado moroni in correggio jazz in may, great saxman, great

[@johnwhite2576]

povel and ionota for sure- (anyone can just play a lot of notes....) but these guys swing and have great sound

[@dontOverthinkIt314]

Marc Mommas slays!

[@gsco82]

Nice list, and you are right on both counts--brilliant and not yet well known. I'm Canadian, and there are a couple of very good saxophonists over here who may not be well known in the US. P. J. Perry plays alto and tends to play be bop in the style of Charlie Parker. Jane Bunnett plays soprano (and flute) and usually plays Cuban and Latin jazz. Give them a listen.

[@ArthurKaletzky]

Grant Stewart, too.

[@rickyjackson3707]

Yo cool video!!! I personally have met #2 and know of one other guy who fits your criteria, you should check out Rocky Yera Tenor sax.

[@cougar1861]

Great channel. Thanks. It would be great if you listed the names of the various "top 10 players" in the video description section.

[@JeudeBop]

Kind Senator, Cool to see the list start with a fellow dutchman! Would you mind posting links to the source footage in these compilation clips? Cheers!

[@andrewtomten7225]

Zane Musa

[@qince15]

Zane Musa RIP.

[@Rayiaea1]

@@qince15 RIP Zane. You were the best!

[@ClarenceWardIII]

Good list

[@jdshutman]

Thanks for sharing - check out Andy Fusco (US) - alto - and Hans van Herck (Belgium) - tenor.

[@JY146]

Hayden Chisholm, Jamie Oehlers, Troy Robets, Mike Rivett, Roger Manins

[@calebwilson7086]

Jamie Oehlers for sure. I'd add Anton delecca and greg osby

[@jeffsimon2347]

Tivon sounding like Shorter here!

[@DanJohnson]

Check out Jon Irabagon's album 'Foxy' - it's a full on ear bashing physical assault (in a good way). I've not heard playing like it.

[@rodmact6548]

Nice to put the video together for those who don't follow jazz too closely, or outside of their own countries. Suggestion: to effectively present new people, include some context - country, date, band members...you know, like any decent jazz channel. Otherwise we gotta go spend a half hour Googling names hoping to find something that you might easily have provided. I found: John Wojciechowski, Jon Irabagon, Alex LoRe, Ben Schachter, Dayna Stephens, Tivon Pennicott - American; Ferdinand Povel, Marc Mommaas, Ben Van Gelder - Netherlands; Max Ionata - Italy. I'd heard some, not all, of these guys, but they all play their asses off. Great selection. Thanks.

[@HGQjazz]

Jon Irabagon crushing it in a pool hall! I love it! Other than Jon, Max Iomata sounds pretty fantastic!

[@zqa12swx]

5:30 what's the video for this one?

[@jacksontru4346]

God damn Dayna's playing is so neat

[@63Baggies]

16:50 Tivon gets a Stevie Wonder harmonica tone out of his horn...bloody hell!!!

[@daysteppin2]

all great but Ben Van Gelder and Tivon really spoke to me in this video. That dude with the orange mouthpiece was stoned lol