[Adderleysfasthands]

i know that you guys are gonna tell me that i shouldnt compare
musicians together, but i am asking who's improvisation appeals to you the most?

for me its the tall great dex gordon, but cannonball, parker and trane are not far behind

 

[Raphyel]

I am really likin Richie Cole...That dude is outrageous. Listen to him with Freddie Hubbard on Shaw Nuff

 

[Raphyel]

I also think Coltrane was more lyrical than Cannonball...., but Coltrane played the changes better than Cannonball in my opinion.

 

[bbbouklas]

from the old cats I really put Bird above all..
from modern players I belive that Osby is way ahead of most of them

 

[Saxplayer67]

Sonny Rollins!

 

[TJS]

I have to agree on the Osby vote but I'm also a big fan of Ornette Coleman. Just so melodic. When I listen to Ornette I really get the feeling that he is improvising from deep down not just regurgitating lick after lick. There are some great players who are more lick based, I just prefer listening to the ones who are not.

 

[Adderleysfasthands]

cannonball may not play changes as amazingly as trane, but he did seem to keep the blues feel in jazz in whatever he played. But yes tranes "giant steps" show how accomplished at improvisation he got, in that song he was hitting around 100 chord changes a minute completely correct

 

[edhara]

I also think Coltrane was more lyrical than Cannonball...., but Coltrane played the changes better than Cannonball in my opinion.

Curious... did you mean Cannonball was more lyrical than Coltrane?

 

[Cannonball & CmelGuy]

'trane

 

[NatureColor]

I was wondering the same thing... in my opinion Cannonball was much mroe lyrical than coltrane... well i guess which song you're comparing to.. My vote goes to bird!

 

[betelsax]

No contest: Sydney Bechet.

 

[Razzy]

Donny McCaslin or Seamus Blake get my vote. Both prolific composers with a highly developed style in their writing and improvising; both highly thematic, developmental and unpredictable yet tasteful in their soloing; and both extremely classy and friendly guys!

 

[Mime]

I'd vote for Brecker\Sanborn. Can't really explain why, just do.

 

[Saxplayer67]

I have to agree on the Osby vote but I'm also a big fan of Ornette Coleman. Just so melodic. When I listen to Ornette I really get the feeling that he is improvising from deep down not just regurgitating lick after lick. There are some great players who are more lick based, I just prefer listening to the ones who are not.

Composer Howard Shore said that for Ornette Coleman's sax solos for the score to David Cronenberg's Naked Lunch (which were played at the recording sessions with the Royal Philharmonic, not overdubbed), Ornette brought astronomical charts and other paraphanalia to the sessions, to help him work out his improvised solos.

 

[JL]

The best improvisor is totally dependent on what you mean by "best." Very, very subjective and impossible to determine with any degree of objectivity. Having said that, NO ONE can touch Charlie Parker!

 

[edhara]

Having said that, NO ONE can touch Charlie Parker!

Except for his wife. I'll bet she touched him a LOT.

 

[PommesFrites]

2 of my favorite improvisors

a vote for Sonny Stitt...

Eric Alexander for current players

 

[hakukani]

Lester Young was certainly an original. I don't think I could ever mistake anyone for him, not even his legion of imitators.

 

[Budget Explosion]

Jazz: Sonny Stitt - I think he blew away the competition in on every recorded sax battle (that I've heard.)

in any genre: Plas Johnson, (King Curtis #2.) Plas Johnson's solos on the T-Bone Walker's T-Bone's Blues album are the most original and melodic and have the best use of "special effects" that I've ever heard.

 

[Grumps]

Jazz: Sonny Stitt - I think he blew away the competition in on every recorded sax battle (that I've heard.)

Even Lady Be Good with Dexter?