Stan Getz

Stan Getz-  While growing up in the NYC, Stan Getz found a particularly comfortable place playing saxophone to the beats of his inspiration- Lester Young. Stan Getz is the key figure in the movement of Bossa Nova in the 50's and 60's. After playing cool jazz in Europe with Charlie Parker's great ensemble, he got involved in the jazz-samba movement. Despite the short life of the movement it had granted him increasing popularity, riches, and enough Grammy's for the whole family. His skills soon brought him to Stanford's Jazz Workshops, where he remained for a good portion of his life. He died on June 6th, 1991.  His work inspired many artists not only to play, but to stay off drugs.

Eric Dolphy

Eric Dolphy- Helped push the jazz in the 50's. He pioneered interesting noises on the saxaphone. At the time there were few people that had ever dared, but he turned it into an art. He made lifelike noises of animals and humans which nearly made his instrument speak. His improvisational style had heavy use of intervals. His career started off with a bang with the help of the Coltrane. They played together for a few shows, but his biggest was highlighted with the honor of lead alto sax. In a tragic incident the diabetic man ingested accidentally ingested insulin. After being administered to the hospital he was given drugs to cleanse his system. The doctors figured he had overdosed on drugs. Their stereotypical view of substance abusing black jazz musicians wen to far, and got Eric Dolphy accidentally killed. His legacy will forever live on in the heart of jazz.

Lou Marini

Lou Marini (Blue Lou)- He is a personal favorite of mine and an all-time master at blending with bands. He has played with many greats, and gone platinum with most. The Saturday Night Live Band, Blues Brothers, Aretha Franklin, The Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel, B.B. King, Lou Reed, Jimmy Buffet. Frank Zappa, Steely Dan, and even Aerosmith! He's also been the recipient of a Grammy award for his playing and compositions! To this day he is one of the most sought out sideman in the world of music. His style, skill, compassion, and lack of comparison to any other saxaphonists make him the perfect candidate for his 11th position on the list.

Paul Desmond

Paul Desmond- At the top of our list we have the one and only: Paul Desmond. Paul played with a very smooth style that shaped much of the 50's culture. He, paired with Dave Brubeck and his quartet, went on to create many masterpieces. "Take Five" was an instant success(written by the man himself). Paul Desmond wrote the song in 5/4 time and went on to play it with a style that couldn't be cooler. The quarter and him often toured colleges and bars where they found the most attention. Desmond's relaxed style often contrasted the style of Brubeck's piano playing, which tended to be very fast paced. Despite Desmond's individual success and talent he was not known for many other projects.

There are thousands of talented jazz musicians that are enjoyable to listen, but I'm specifically interested in finding the most influential, important, and most loved saxophonists. With so many variables, styles, and conditions in which a person plays sax it can be hard to truly decide on a greatest. The most pivotal saxophonists will be covered over the next twelve weeks. Their contributions to the many movements of the past century will remain the most important. Style and inventiveness will also play a large part in deciding who is the greatest in my book.