Jazz for aficionados

"I would go with "Sonny", the masses would say "Kenny".

Not, the JAZZ Masses!! hahahahahaha

Cheers

Sonny is a great choice.

Orpheus10, as you point out West Coast Jazz is difficult to define. But, it does have some general defining characteristics. It can be differentiated from East Coast Jazz and other styles by the fact that West Coast players tended to play with a "cooler" approach; generally speaking, with a lighter and softer tone. There was an emphasis on the composition and arrangements as opposed to the improvisation; and sometimes classical music compositional techniques such as fugues were part of the mix. The fact that there was great demand for arrangers in Hollywood surely helped some of these stay employed.

I already mentioned one of my favorite recordings in this style (the Previn/ Shorty Rogers). I mentioned that one because it is lesser known, as well as being a favorite. I am sure you already now some of these, but a few other favorites are:

Miles Davis "Birth Of The Cool". The title says it all. What can be said about this recording that hasn't already be said. Other than to note that this session is really considered a Gil Evans session; which further highlights the clout that the arranger had.

Dave Brubeck "Time Out". Good example of the use of classical techniques.

Paul Demond/ Gerry Mulligan "Two Of A Mind"

Zoot Sims "Quartets"

"Shelly Manne And His Men Play Peter Gunn" Henry Mancini arranger

"Art Pepper + Eleven"

Vince Guaraldi "Charlie Brown Suite" No kidding, one of my favorites which always puts a smile in my face.

Enjoy.

Rok, I think you inadvertently hit on why it's sometimes difficult to have a discussion about some of this. I never said that I thought Mariano was the best saxophone player. I said he was my FAVORITE ALTO player; and one that is often overlooked. To say that any one player is "the best" is tricky to say the least. Are we talking about who the best "swing" player was? Bebopper, hard-bop, ballad player, post-Coltrane, avant-garde, funk? You get the picture. But, we all have a favorite; that doesn't make him "the best". I suppose that if one also looks at which player was the most influential as a criterion for being the best, then we can narrow the field. Who those would be we all know.

If one takes the term "best saxophone player" at face value, then perhaps I can add a bit of perspective. If you put aside issues of style and ask a bunch of saxophone players who the best saxophone PLAYER was/is from the standpoint of being the player with the greatest command of the instrument; the player who demonstrated the greatest ability to control the instrument in any register and basically make it do whatever he wanted to with a sense of ease, evenness of tone and flawless intonation, the overwhelming majority would say, without hesitation: Michael Brecker. He had it all. Now, one may not like like his funk-infused post-Coltrane style, but that is a different issue.

Two not mentioned yet, would be Bill Holman and Bob Florence. I always found them interesting. I have a newer recording of a big band Bob Florence wrote and played piano in before his death. The Phil Norman Tenant .

May seem like a strange question, but would you label Lee Konitz "West Coast"? He seems actually to defy labels.

Frogman:

We have no disagreement. I was just trying to show the influence of the public in our perception of 'the best'.
I did not mean to imply that you thought mariano was the best. just a favorite. And I understand the mastery of the instrument versus creativity.
Brings to mind Wynton Marsalis. He is truly a master of the trumpet. But, not my favorite player, just my favorite PERSON in Jazz, because of his efforts to preserve and grow the music.

I, for one, do not buy into all this 'the best' stuff. They are all magicians. This is as pertains to players.

I do have a best when it comes to the music. But magic can be found in the most usual places. Even listening to the car radio in traffic. Just a fleeting passage, a few bars / measures.

The trumpet playing on 'the monkey speaks his mind' on the Dr John Cd ' nawlinz, dis, dat or D'udda'. Check it out.

Cheers