[nickcarraway]

I'd put Hawkins at #1.

[Beowulf9]

Art Pepper should be on that list.

[dfwgator]

[drewh]

me likes some Coltrane...

[Fungi]

“Parker is surely our Mozart, the single greatest musical mind in American history.” Not quite. Music is subjective and “greatness” is in the eye of the beholder.

[bigbob]

so they throw in a shout-out to him, but a list with out King Curtis on it isn’t a list.

[Fresh Wind]

The list is meaningless without Kenny G. /s

[DeFault User]

I’m a Philistine, but I prefer those who were part of big selling acts, such as Sam Butera with Louis Prima and Richie Cannata with Billy Joel.

[cotton1706]

No Frankie Trumbauer?

[mkmensinger]

I think I’d put Paul Desmond somewhere on that list. I agree with Parker at #1. I have a couple of his old records.

[rlmorel]

I’m with you...

1.) Coleman Hawkins

2.) Ben Webster

3.) John Coltrane

4.) Gerry Mulligan

5.) Stan Getz

6.) Lester Young

Note I don’t think my listing is “the greatest” except to me. These are guys whose sound I love. I am just not a big Charlie Parker fan, his sound doesn’t generally grab me.

LOL, I can hear two notes of Ben Webster or Coleman Hawkins and identify them immediately! Ben Webster has the most unique phrasing (to me)

[Fiddlstix]

How About Al Cohn?

[teletech]

Paul Desmond missing too.

[Dick Bachert]

Paul Desmond!

[lee martell]

Believe it or not, David Bowie should be on that list too.
Bowie’s stage presence was so bizarre during the Glam-Rock (Ziggy Stardust, Jean Genie) and Disco-Rock (Young Americans, Modern Love) phases, that many tend to overlook his contributions via sax. David was also a sax player for Jimi Hendrix.

[.45 Long Colt]

No David Sanborn?

And for all the Benny Hill fans, I’ll mention Boots Randolph, too.

[shibumi]

Maybe nobody's favorite but mine, but mine nonetheless -

*Pedal UP!*

(And Paul Desmond #2.)

[Victor]

As a saxophonist myself, I agree with most of these except Clarence Clemmons.

Sorry, Bruce supporters/writers of this article...King Curtis he ain't. Very overrated.

Phil Woods was probably one of the greatest alto sax players of all time and should be on this list.

Paul Desmond should be on this list, as well as Ernie Watts.

Thankfully, Kenny G is not on the list...

[So Circumstanced]

Lisa Simpson

[jeffc]

Years ago I saw a movie called Vamping starring Patrick Duffy as a down-and-out sax player. He plays this amazing solo (OK, he sax-synchs it).

I've tried to find the instrumental, but have had no luck. Bobby Millitello is supposedly the one who actually recorded the sax playing. Anyone know anything about it?

[mumblypeg]

Good names on that list. Got most all in my stacks. Gerry Mulligan sounds bland to me, though. Love Miles, Stan Getz and Coleman Hawkins. Somebody up thread mentioned Gato and John Klemmer. Yeah.