By Jacob Teichroew, About.com
It all started with Adolphe Sax, a Belgian instrument inventor. In 1842, he attached a clarinet mouthpiece to a brass creation that he named the saxophone. Because of its metal, conical body, the saxophone was capable of playing at volumes much higher than other woodwinds. It was used in military bands in the 1800s, but it took a while for it to be taken seriously by musicians.
Below is a brief history of jazz saxophonists, structured around the stories of the musicians who changed an odd invention into one of the most iconic instruments in jazz. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but a rough sketch of the involvement of the saxophone in jazz.
Sidney Bechet (May 14th, 1897 - May 14th, 1959)
A contemporary of Louis Armstrong, Bechet was perhaps the first to develop a virtuosic approach to the saxophone. He played the soprano sax, and with his voice-like tone and bluesy style of improvisation, he boosted the involvment of the saxophone in early jazz styles.
Frankie Trumbauer (May 30th, 1901 - June 11th, 1956)
Alongside trumpeter Bix Beiderbecke, Trumbauer presented a refined alternative to the “hot jazz” of the first few decades of the 1900s. He rose to fame in the 1920s for recording “Singin’ the Blues” on the C-Melody saxophone (halfway between the tenor and alto) with Beiderbecke. His dry tone and calm, introspective style influenced many later saxophonists.
One of the first virtuosos on the tenor saxophone, Coleman Hawkins became renowned for his aggressive tone and his melodic creativity. He was a star of the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra during the swing era in the 1920s and 30s. His application of advanced harmonic knowledge to improvisation helped pave the way for bebop.
Johnny Hodges (July 5th, 1906 – May 11th, 1970)
An alto saxophonist best known for leading Duke Ellington’s Orchestra for 38 years, Hodges played the blues and ballads with unrivaled tenderness. Heavily influenced by Sidney Bechet, Hodges’ tone wailed with a fast vibrato and a bright timbre.
Ben Webster (March 27th, 1909 – September 20th, 1973)
Tenor saxophonist Ben Webster borrowed a raspy, aggressive tone from Coleman Hawkins on blues numbers, and invoked Johnny Hodges’ sentimentality on ballads. He became a star soloist in Duke Ellington’s Orchestra, and is considered one of the three most influential tenor players of the swing era, along with Hawkins and Lester Young. His version of Ellington’s “Cotton Tail” is one of the most famous recordings in jazz.
Lester Young (August 27th, 1909 – March 15th, 1959)
With his smooth tone and laid-back approach to improvisation, Young presented an alternative to the gruff styles of Webster and Hawkins. His melodic style more reflected that of Frankie Trumbauer, and his “cool” expression lead to the cool jazz movement.
Charlie Parker (August 29th, 1920 – March 12th, 1955)
One of the most Alto saxophonist Charlie Parker is credited with developing the lightning-fast, high energy bebop style alongside trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie. Parker’s incredible technique, along with his grasp of rhythm and harmony, have made him the object of study of virtually every jazz musician at some point in their development.
John Coltrane (September 23rd, 1926 – July 17th, 1967)
Coltrane’s influence is one of the most remarkable in jazz. He began his career modestly, attempting to emulate Charlie Parker. In the 1950s he found wider exposure through his gigs with Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk. It wasn’t until 1959, however, that it seemed that Coltrane was really on to something. His piece “Giant Steps,” on the album of the same name, featured a harmonic structure he had invented, and it sounded like nothing before it. He entered a period marked by a dismissal of linear melodies, fierce technique, and layers of harmony. In the mid 1960s, he abandoned rigid structures for intense, free improvisation.
Warne Marsh (October 26th, 1927 – December 17th, 1987)
Generally under the radar for most of his career, Warne Marsh played with an almost stoic approach. He valued complex linear melodies over riffs and licks, and his dry tone seemed reserved and pensive, unlike the effusive sounds of Coleman Hawkins and Ben Webster. Although he never earned the recognition of some of his like-minded contemporaries such as Lee Konitz or Lennie Tristano (who was also his teacher), Marsh’s influence can be heard in the modern players such as saxophonist Mark Turner and guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel.
Ornette Coleman (b. March 9th, 1930)
Beginning his career playing blues and R&B music, Coleman turned heads in the 1960s with his “harmolodic” approach, a technique with which he sought to equate harmony, melody, rhythm, and form. His playing, which didn’t adhere to conventional harmonic structures, came to be called “free jazz,” and was wildly controversial. Coleman is considered the first avant-garde jazz musician, and since his early days of angering jazz purists, avant-garde improvisation has grown into a substantial and diverse genre.
Schooled by absorbing the music all of the master saxophonists who preceded him, Joe Henderson developed a style that was both steeped in, and independent of tradition. He gained attention for his early hard bop work, including an outstanding solo on Horace Silver’s “Song for My Father.” Over the course of his career, he recorded albums ranging from hard bop to experimental projects, and thereby embodied the expanding and evolving jazz culture.
Michael Brecker (March 29th, 1949 – January 13th, 2007)
Combining jazz and rock with supreme agility and finesse, Brecker rose to fame in the 1970s and 80s. He performed with pop acts Steely Dan, James Taylor, and Paul Simon as well as with jazz figures including Herbie Hancock, Roy Hargrove, Chick Corea, and dozens of others. His flawless technique raised the bar for jazz saxophonists to come, and he helped legitimize the role of rock and pop music in jazz styles.
Kenny Garrett (b. October 9th, 1960)
Garrett rose to fame while playing with Miles Davis’ electric band in the 1980s, during which time he developed a novel approach to the alto saxophone. His solos are bluesy and aggressive, and tend to juxtapose long, wailing notes with clipped, abrasive melodic fragments.
Chris Potter (b. January 1st, 1971)
A child saxophone prodigy, Chris Potter took saxophone technique to a new level. He began his career with trumpeter Red Rodney, and soon became the first choice tenor player for a number of notable bandleaders including Dave Holland, Paul Motian, and Dave Douglas. Having mastered the styles of previous jazz icons, Potter specializes at virtuosic solos built on motives or tone sets. The ease with which he plays in all registers of the saxophone is practically unmatched.
Mark Turner (b. Novermber 10th, 1965)
Heavily influenced by both Coltrane and Warne Marsh, Mark Turner rose to prominence alongside guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel. His dry tone, angular phrases, and frequent use of the uppermost register of the saxophone have allowed him to stand out among contemporary saxophonists. Along with Chris Potter, and Kenny Garrett, Turner is one of the most influential saxophonists in jazz today.
http://jazz.about.com/od/introductiontojazz/a/JazzSaxophoneHistory_2.htm
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