His version of Ellington's 'Cotton Tail' is one of the most famous recordings in jazz.

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. Tenor saxophonist Ben Webster borrowed a raspy, aggressive tone from Coleman Hawkins on blues numbers, and invoked Johnny Hodges' sentimentality on ballads. Heavily influenced by Sidney Bechet, Hodges' tone wailed with a fast vibrato and a bright timbre.īen Webster (March 27th, 1909 - September 20th, 1973) He played the blues and ballads with unrivaled tenderness. Hodges was an alto saxophonist best known for leading Duke Ellington's Orchestra for 38 years. His application of advanced harmonic knowledge to improvisation helped pave the way for bebop. He was a star of the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra during the swing era in the 1920s and '30s. One of the first virtuosos on the tenor saxophone, Coleman Hawkins became renowned for his aggressive tone and melodic creativity. His dry tone and calm, introspective style influenced many later saxophonists.Ĭoleman Hawkins (November 21st, 1904 - May 19th, 1969) 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. Alongside trumpeter Bix Beiderbecke, Trumbauer presented a refined alternative to the 'hot jazz' of the first few decades of the 1900s. He played the soprano sax and, with his voice-like tone and bluesy style of improvisation, he boosted the involvement of the saxophone in early jazz styles.įrankie Trumbauer (May 30th, 1901 - June 11th, 1956) Sidney Bechet (May 14th, 1897 - May 14th, 1959)Ī contemporary of Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet was perhaps the first to develop a virtuosic approach to the saxophone. Here is a brief history of the progression of jazz saxophone playing styles, structured around the stories of jazz figureheads. Now, it is a staple instrument in jazz and also has a role in music genres ranging from classical to pop. Used in military bands in the 1800s, it took a while for the saxophone to be taken seriously by musicians. Because of its metal, conical body, the saxophone was capable of playing at volumes much higher than other woodwinds. In 1842, he attached a clarinet mouthpiece to a brass creation and named it the saxophone. It all started with Adolphe Sax, a Belgian instrument inventor.

Noblet saxophone history