p.s. maybe it's helpful to say - don't restrict yourself to alto or even sax players! I play piano and my greatest influences/fav "piano" players are Miles, Coltrane, Wayne, etc :-) not to mention Rachmaninov, Debussy, Ravel etc. read more
See also: Ten essential jazz albums for those who know squat about jazz 10. ORNETTE COLEMAN With his 1959 Atlantic debut, The Shape of Jazz to Come, alto player Ornette Coleman helped usher in free jazz and avant-garde jazz. read more
This list features the best saxophonists of all time, ranked as the best by music lovers. This list includes greats like John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Lester Young, Sonny Rollins, John Zorn, Eric Dolphy, and Joshua Redman. read more