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I think my favorite sax player is Sonny Stitt, followed closely or tied with Dexter Gordon
. There's definitely far too many good saxophonists to mention. and I haven't heard of everybody you mentioned, but I'll be sure to check them out! I used to not really appreciate 'free jazz' at all... It sounded like a band of epileptic goats with alzheimer's decided to take up instruments. My ear is definitely more mature now, though- and the concept behind the improvised harmony blows my mind every time I think about it.
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In most cases ,not all, avant garde musiciains have paid their dues so to speak by several hours of woodshedding (practising), then playing straight ahead jazz so to speak. I discovered that a few of the major free jazz players have previously released some great be bop/hard bop records like Eric Dolphy, Garbarek and Coltrane and then they veer off into the avant garde. I don't know the reason...perhaps they simply want more artistic freedom ?
I find the Braxton albums are
fun to listen to because he uses mainstream jazz and then switches to avant garde so the listener doesn't know what's coming next !,,,very entertaining to me !
centermez Wrote:I think my favorite sax player is Sonny Stitt, followed closely or tied with Dexter Gordon . There's definitely far too many good saxophonists to mention. and I haven't heard of everybody you mentioned, but I'll be sure to check them out! I used to not really appreciate 'free jazz' at all... It sounded like a band of epileptic goats with alzheimer's decided to take up instruments. My ear is definitely more mature now, though- and the concept behind the improvised harmony blows my mind every time I think about it.
The ultimate connection is between a performer and its' audience!
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Well eventually I think you'd get bored. As challenging as it may sound, playing over chord changes becomes second nature after a while, and then somewhat repetative. Really really good musicians decide that they need music that's even more engaging and challenging, so they do away with chord changes all together... What Avant Garde players are really doing is making their own harmony while they play the song- so instead of there being an existing set of chords that they all play (and improvise) over- everybody plays somewhat together and listens to each other to from a harmonic landscape. That's about as good at music as people have gotten so far. I can't really imagine where Avant Garde Jazz could go from here- but I'll wait to see
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Who the greatest saxophonist of all-time is has always perplexed me.
And it has to be answered in two parts.
The first part is who is my personal favorite sax player. And that is Wayne SHorter.
As who is the overall best, I have to give the nod to Mr. Coltrane.
Both are legends and geniuses in their instrument and work in the jazz industry and movement.
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gonna have to put "a love supreme" to the top of my pile now....thanks guys
"BTO....Bachman,Turner,Overweight
They were big in the 70s....for five minutes,on a Saturday,after lunch..." - Me 2014.
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I would consider Charlie "Bird" Parker as one of the great sax players among several others.
CRAZY-HORSE Wrote:gonna have to put "a love supreme" to the top of my pile now....thanks guys
The ultimate connection is between a performer and its' audience!
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in terms of actual technical ability, Anthiny Braxton is pretty easily the best saxophoist, but when you take in account influence, personal preference, etc, it really gets impossible to gage
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Professor Braxton is incredible as a player and as a composer !!!!!
The ultimate connection is between a performer and its' audience!
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True that, his "For Alto" and "Saxophone Improvisation Series F" are two of the finest in jazz
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I love avant garde jazz and a love supreme is one of my favourites along with neffertiti by Miles Davis .
I love the total abstraction and use of dischords . this music comes from the soul.
