(My) Top 10 Sax Players of All Time

[@zangsax]

I love your observations and descriptions . It really shows how you love the instrument and its capability in the artform. Im glad i found your channel, thank you

[@TheSaxophoneOracle]

Thank you very much!

[@presequel]

Fantastic video, love all those players and your thoughts about their playing! I play alto but my fav players are tenor players like Mobley, Rollings and Dexter Gordon :)

[@TheSaxophoneOracle]

Thank you for watching and commenting!

[@donnicholson3200]

Great video. Hard to list only ten players, but somehow I would squeeze Paul Desmond in there - a true original and a master of space and sound. Ultimate cool.

[@TheSaxophoneOracle]

Yeah, Desmond was great!

[@rudielias9523]

Very interesting video. Thanks!! In my top ten list I include Lester Young, John Coltrane and Stan Getz

[@TheSaxophoneOracle]

Those are 3 great choices! Thank you for watching and commenting!

[@shirleyfrancis4515]

Thank you for your post. I like them all too. There are so many tenor players out there I'd be hard pressed to name one favourite, and I've only recent discovered Wardell Gray. As well as the jazz/bebop players I also love the players during the 1950s rock n roll/blues. Little Richard's tenor player on Long Tall Sally is one fine example, though they only played 6, 8 or 12 bars usually to my disappointment.

[@TheSaxophoneOracle]

Yup, Wardell is a good one. For rock and roll, my daughter and I love King Curtis.

[@gib321]

Late to this party but Zoot Sims and Charlie Rouse would be in my top ten along with some in this video.

[@TheSaxophoneOracle]

Never too late to the party.... I'm hoping that over time people will eventually find my older content as they slowly discover my channel. Two great players there! Thanks so much.

[@robstevens9590]

I like your list. I would have included John Coltrane, as listening to him is what inspired me to start playing sax. I was not familiar with Don Byas. -- Of the "newer" musicians: I would include Michael Brecker (also no longer with us), Chris Potter and James Carter.

[@TheSaxophoneOracle]

Hahaha, I've been waiting for someone to bring up the omission of Coltrane... you win! I'm still expecting someone to get really upset by that, but I think my channel is still too under the radar so it may be a while before I get the aggressive push back that is inevitable :) Yeah, those are all great players. My 10 favourites was easy, but a 10 best players list. That'd be hard. Thanks for watching!

[@dennis9242]

While I totally respect all of your choices here, a list of all-time great tenor players in IMHO has to start with Lester Young, Sonny Rollins and Warne Marsh (who is ridiculously underrated). Everyone after those three are really up for debate. Thank you for all of your great insight.

[@KMerrells]

Yeah, my list would vary a bit, but he did say that they were his own personal favourites, not an objective list of the best ones... (shout out to a fellow member of the Warne Marsh appreciation society!) (and he did include Sonny Rollins!)

[@TheSaxophoneOracle]

Yup, those are all great choices!

[@jonathanedwards8696]

Get your head out of the past! All your guys are dead except one. So many great players today; Jan Garbarek and Paul McCandless come to mind. Garbarek is so unique one can tell it's him with one note. And his music is so original. Same with Paul. His group, "Oregon" is the most groundbreaking group to come along in the past 50 years!

[@TheSaxophoneOracle]

I am very familiar with both. They are great players, but nowhere near my top 10. Thank you for watching and commenting!

[@BoninBrighton]

Interesting personal choice obviously but no women at all?

[@TheSaxophoneOracle]

That is correct.