- Ben Webster
Benjamin Francis Webster (March 27 1909-September 20 1973) was an influential American jazz tenor saxophonist. Webster, born in Kansas City, Missouri, was considered one of the three most important "swing tenors" along with Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young. He had a tough, raspy, and brutal tone on stomps (with his own distinctive growls), yet on ballads he would play with warmth and sentiment. Stylistically he was heavily indebted to Hawkins, particularly for his low, … - Benny Waters
Benny Waters (born Benjamin Waters on January 23, 1902 near Baltimore, Maryland; died August 11, 1998 in Columbia, Maryland) was a jazz saxophonist and clarinetist known, in part, for the longevity of his career. He began on organ, then switched to clarinet and later added saxophone. He joined his first band in 1918. He later attended the New England Conservatory of Music where he gave lessons to Harry Carney. He later went on to work with King Oliver, Fletcher Henderson, … - Benny Carter
Bennett Lester Carter (August 8 1907 - July 12 2003) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. He was a major figure in jazz from the 1930s to the 1990s, and was recognised as such by other jazz musicians who called him "King". Carter was admired for his ability to write saxophone solos, which are sections of music that the entire section plays as one unit in the manner of a solo. - Lester Young
Lester Willis Young (August 27, 1909 - March 15, 1959), nicknamed "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and clarinetist. He is remembered as one of the finest, most influential players on his instrument and for inventing or establishing much of the hipster ethos which came to be associated with jazz. - Johnny Hodges
John Cornelius "Johnny" Hodges (25 July, 1907-11 May, 1970) was an American alto saxophonist and lead player of Duke Ellington's saxophone section, born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He spent 38 years with Ellington, leaving to lead his own band from 1951 to 1955. Hodges started playing with Lloyd Scott, Sidney Bechet, Lucky Roberts and Chick Webb. When Ellington wanted to expand his band in 1928, Ellington's clarinet player Barney Bigard recommended Hodges, … - Woody Herman
Woodrow Charles Herman (May 16 1913 - October 29 1987), better known as Woody Herman, was an American jazz clarinetist, alto and soprano saxophonist, singer, and big band leader. - Ozzie Nelson
Oswald George "Ozzie" Nelson (March 20, 1906 - June 3, 1975) was an American entertainer who originated and starred in "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" radio and television series with his wife and two sons. The second son of Swedish parents, he was born in Jersey City, New Jersey and raised in the affluent suburb of Ridgefield Park, where the street of the high school he attended is now named after him. - Scott Hamilton
Scott Hamilton (born in Providence, Rhode Island) is a jazz tenor saxophonist associated with swing (music) and mainstream jazz. He emerged in the 1970s and at the time he was considered to be one of the few musicians of real talent who carried the tradition of the classic jazz tenor saxophone in the style of Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins as well as Zoot Sims and Don Byas forward. He began playing in various rhythm & blues outfits in Providence (Rhode Island), … - Illinois Jacquet
Jean-Baptiste Illinois Jacquet (October 31, 1922-July 22, 2004) was a jazz tenor saxophonist most famous for his solo on "Flying Home". He is better known simply as Illinois Jacquet. Although he was a pioneer of the honking tenor sax that became a regular feature of jazz playing and a hallmark of rock and roll, he was a skilled and melodic improviser, both on up-tempo tunes and ballads. - Flip Phillips
Flip Phillips (February 26, 1915-August 17, 2001) was a jazz tenor saxophone and clarinet player. He is best remembered for his work with Jazz at the Philharmonic from 1946 to 1957. Over a long career, he played on many albums, retired to Florida for fifteen years, came back to music, and recorded a CD for Verve Records when he was in his 80s. Phillips performed in a variety of genres, not just jazz. - Jimmy Dorsey
James "Jimmy" Dorsey was a prominent jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, trumpeter and big band leader. Jimmy Dorsey was born in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, the son of a music teacher and older brother of Tommy Dorsey who also became a prominent musician. He played trumpet in his youth, appearing on stage in a Vaudeville act as early as 1913. He switched to alto saxophone in 1915, and then learned to double on clarinet. - Dexter Gordon
Dexter Gordon was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, and an Academy Award-nominated actor. He is considered one of the first bebop tenor players. A famous photograph by Herman Leonard of Gordon smoking a cigarette during a set at the Royal Roost in New York City in 1948 is one of the more iconic images in the history of jazz. - Don Redman
Donald Matthew Redman (July 29, 1900, Piedmont, West Virginia - November 30, 1964, New York) was an American jazz musician, arranger, and composer. Redman was born in Piedmont, West Virginia. His father was a music teacher, his mother was a singer. Don began playing the trumpet at the age of 3, joined his first band at 6 and by age 12 he was proficient on all wind instruments ranging from trumpet to oboe as well as piano. - George Holmes Tate
George Holmes "Buddy" Tate (born February 22, 1913 in Sherman, Texas and died February 10, 2001 in Chandler, Arizona) was a jazz saxophonist and clarinetist who played tenor saxophone. He has been counted as one of the great tenor saxophonists of his generation and was inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame. He began on alto saxophone, but quickly switched to tenor making a name for himself in bands like Andy Kirk's. - Charlie Barnet
Charles Daly Barnet was an American jazz saxophonist and bandleader. Barnet was born in New York City. His parents divorced when he was two, and he was raised by his mother and her grandparents. His grandfather was Charles Frederick Daly, a vice-president for the New York Central Railroad, banker, and businessman. Barnet attended various boarding schools, both in the New York and Chicago areas. He learned to play piano and saxophone as a child. - Don Byas
Carlos Wesley (Don) Byas (October 21, 1912-August 24, 1972) was an African American jazz tenor saxophonist born in Muskogee, Oklahoma in the United States. Although his long residence in Europe kept him out of the public eye in the United States, he is often considered to be one of the great jazz musicians on his instrument. - Omer Simeon
Omer Victor Simeon (21 July, 1902 - 17 September, 1959) was an American jazz clarinetist. He also played soprano, alto, and baritone saxophone and bass clarinet. Omer Simeon was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, the son of a cigar maker. His family moved to Chicago, Illinois. He learned clarinet from the New Orleans master Lorenzo Tio, Jr., and started playing professionally in 1920. He worked in Chicago and Milwaukee, Wisconsin with various bands, … - Jimmy Hamilton
Jimmy Hamilton (25 May 1917 - 20 September 1994) was an American jazz clarinettist, tenor saxophonist, arranger, composer, and music educator, best known for his twenty-five years with Duke Ellington. Hamilton was born in Dillon, South Carolina, and grew up in Philadelphia. Having originally learnt to play piano and brass instruments, in the 1930s he started playing the latter in local bands, before switching to clarinet and saxophone. - Ken Peplowski
Ken Peplowski (b. May 23, 1959) is a jazz clarinetist born in Cleveland, Ohio, known primarily for playing in the swing music idiom. He is sometimes compared to Benny Goodman in terms of tone and virtuosity. For over a decade, Peplowski recorded for Concord Records; his most recent albums have appeared on the "Nagel-Heyer Records" record label. In 2007 Peplowski was named jazz advisor of Oregon Festival of American Music and music director of Jazz Party at The Shedd, … - Harry Carney
Harry Howell Carney (1910 - 1974) was a swing baritone saxophonist, and bass clarinetist best known for his 45-year tenure in Duke Ellington's band. Carney started off in Ellington's band playing alto, but soon switched to the baritone. His strong, steady saxophone often serves as the anchor of Duke's music. He also played bass clarinet on occasion. - Earl Bostic
Earl Bostic (April 25, 1913 - October 28, 1965) was an American jazz and rhythm and blues alto saxophonist. Bostic was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He turned professional at age 18 when he joined Terrence Holder's band. He made his first recording with Lionel Hampton in 1942 where he played along with Red Allen, J.C. Higginbotham, Sid Catlett, Teddy Wilson and Hampton. Before that he performed with Fate Marable on New Orleans riverboats. - Tony Pastor
Antonio Pastor (May 28, 1837-August 26, 1908) was a variety performer and theatre owner who became one of the founding forces behind American vaudeville in the mid-to-late nineteenth century. The strongest elements of his entertainments were an almost jingoistic brand of United States patriotism and a strong commitment to attracting a mixed-gender audience, the latter being something revolutionary in the male-oriented variety halls of the mid-century. - Paul Gonsalves
Paul Gonsalves (July 12, 1920, Brockton, Massachusetts - May 15, 1974, London, England), an American jazz tenor saxophonist of Cape Verdean (mixed Portuguese-black African) blood, was considered one of the best and most tasteful players on his instrument. But no review of his musicianship is ever left untouched by the performance that made his name in the first place---the near-riot he caused at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival, with an arresting, 27-chorus solo, … - Frank Foster
Frank Foster (b. 23 September 1928) is an American tenor and soprano saxophonist, arranger, and composer, who is best known for his work in different periods with the Count Basie orchestra, as well as under his own name. His playing style has been influenced by that of John Coltrane, but has remained very much his own. Foster was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and educated at Wilberforce University. In 1949 he played in Detroit with local musicians such as Wardell Gray, … - Otto Hardwick
Otto Hardwick (May 31 1904 - August 5 1970) was a saxophone player. He got his start with Duke Ellington in 1919. - Edgar Sampson
Edgar Melvin Sampson (October 311907-1973) was a composer, arranger, saxophonist, and violinist. Born in New York City, he started playing violin at age six and picked up the saxophone in high school. Sampson started his professional career in 1924 with a violin piano duo with Joe Colman. Through the rest of the twenties and early thirties he played with many bands including Duke Ellington, Rex Stewart and Fletcher Henderson. In 1933 he joined the Chick Webb band. - Houston Person
Houston Person (born November 10th, 1934) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist and record producer. Although he has performed in the hard bop and swing genres, he is most experienced in and best known for his work in soul jazz. Person is also known for his distinctive sassy sound and his expressive style of playing. He received the Eubie Blake Jazz Award in 1982. Contrary to popular belief, he was never married to the late singer Etta Jones, … - Georgie Auld
Georgie Auld (born May 19, 1919 in Toronto; died January 8, 1990 in Palm Springs, California) was a jazz tenor saxophonist, clarinetist and bandleader. Auld lived in the United States from the late 1920s onward, and was most noteworthy for his work with Bunny Berigan, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, Erroll Garner, Dizzy Gillespie, Al Porcino, Billy Eckstine, Tiny Kahn, Frank Rosolino, and many others. Primarily a swing saxophonist, he did many big band stints in his career, … - John Laporta
John LaPorta was a Philadelphia-born jazz clarinetist and saxophonist. LaPorta's sound has been compared to that of fellow jazz experimenter Jimmy Giuffre. He is usually considered a member of the "Cool" school in jazz and his improvisations identify him as a well-schooled, thoughtful player. LaPorta began studying clarinet at the age of nine and studied methods at the Mastbaum School in Philadelphia, where one of his classmates was fellow clarinettist Buddy DeFranco. - Russell Procope
Russell Procope (11 August 1908-21 January 1981), an American clarinettist and alto saxophonist, was known best for his long tenure in the reed section of Duke Ellington's orchestra, where he was one of its two signature clarinet soloists. - Vido Musso
Vido William Musso (7 January 1913 - 9 January 1982) was an Italian-born jazz tenor saxophonist, clarinetist and bandleader born in Carini, Sicily, best-known for his many contributions to the big bands of Benny Goodman, Gene Krupa, Tommy Dorsey, Harry James, Stan Kenton and Woody Herman. His family moved to the United States in 1920. He began on clarinet before switching to tenor sax. He is most associated with Stan Kenton who he first worked with in 1930. - Loren Schoenberg
Loren Schoenberg (born July 23, 1958 in Fair Lawn, New Jersey) is a jazz historian, writer of liner notes, and tenor saxophonist. He began playing tenor saxophone in 1974 and by the late 1970s he was playing professionally Benny Goodman. In 1980 he formed his own band, his music might be most associated with the swing (genre). He is a co-winner of the Grammy Award for Best Album Notes. - Sam Donahue
Sam Donahue (18 March, 1918-22 March, 1974) was an American swing music jazz tenor saxophonist, trumpeter and musical arranger born in Detroit, Michigan, probably better known for his work with Gene Krupa, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Billy May, and many others. - Ahmad Alaadeen
Ahmad Alaadeen (born in July 24, 1934) is a jazz saxophonist from Kansas City who has a career spanning over 5 decades. His latest recording is "New Africa Suite". (Also see: ASR Records) - Hal Kemp
Hal Kemp was a Jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, bandleader, composer, and arranger. He was born in Marion, Alabama and died in Madera, California following an auto accident. Art Jarrett took on leadership of Kemp's orchestra in 1941. - Seldon Powell
Seldon Powell (15 November, 1928-25 January, 1997) was an American soul jazz, swing and R&B tenor saxophonist and flautist born in Lawrenceville, Virginia, probably better known for his early work with musicians like Lucky Millinder, Neal Hefti or Louis Bellson. During the 1960s he ventured into the soul jazz idiom and worked with musicians like Clark Terry and Buddy Rich. - Jesper Thilo
Jesper Thilo (born November 28, 1941) is a Danish jazz tenor and alto saxophonist and clarinettist born in Copenhagen, perhaps best-known for his work with Ernie Wilkins from in the 1980s called "Ernie Wilkins's Almost Big Band". Thilo also appears on the Miles Davis album "Aura" recorded in 1985. In 1991 he worked with Hank Jones in a quintet on an album that was released on Storyville Records. - Fess Williams
Stanley Williams (10 April 1894 - 17 December 1975) (better known as "Fess" Williams) was an American jazz musician. - Charlie Ventura
Charlie Ventura (born Charles Venturo on December 2, 1916 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; died January 17, 1992 in Pleasantville, New Jersey) was a tenor saxophonist and bandleader. He had his first successes working with Gene Krupa. In 1945 he won the Down Beat readers' poll in the tenor saxophone division. In the late 1940s he ran a few successful ensembles and went on to be known for "bop for the people." That stated he began in swing. - Heinie Beau
Heinie Beau (March 8, 1911 (Calvary, Wisconsin) - April 19, 1987) was an American jazz composer, arranger, saxophonist and clarinetist, most notable for his swing clarinet work and recordings done with Tommy Dorsey, Peggy Lee, Frank Sinatra and Red Nichols. Living in Hollywood, CA Beau worked as an arranger and musician on television, radio and recordings. Beau had also recorded extensively in Europe, touring areas such as London.
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