The very first jazz musician I ever heard was legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday and after hearing God Bless the Child I was immediately hooked on Jazz! I was 17 years old.
Every chance I got, I’d buy Billie Holiday albums – all on Vinyl!
I would play her albums over and over again. I had many favourites (they’re still favourites) songs like:
Strange Fruit, Gloomy Sunday, T’ain’t Nobody’s Bizness If I Do, My Man, The very thought of you, All of me, Lady sings the blues, Pennies from Heaven, If You Were Mine, I’m a Fool to Want You, Why Was I Born, These Foolish Things, I Can’t Give You Anything But Love, Them there eyes, et cetera, et cetera.
Then I started buying albums of other jazz greats including:
Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Count Bassie, Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Dave Brubeck Quartet and many more.
By the time I turned 25 years old, I had a pretty impressive collection of jazz albums including albums from new and budding jazz greats. What I have today is a library of music!
Here’s a list of my favourite saxophone players:
- David Sanborn
- Gover Washington
- Gerald Albright
- Wilton Felder
- John Klemmer
- Ronnie Laws
- Boney James
- Marion Meadows
- Stan Getz
- Kenny G
- Walter Beasley
- Najee
- George Howard
- John Coltrane
- Michael Brecker
- Stanley Turrentine
- Kirk Whalum
- Art Pepper
- Kenny Garrett
- Dexter Gordon
- Brandford Marsalis
Keyboard Players I love:
- Bob James
- Joe Sample
- Marcus Johnson
- Count Basie
- George Duke
- Stevie Wonder
- Chick Corea
- Ray Charles
- Herbie Hancock
- Frank McComb
- Joe Zawinul
- Neil Larsen
My Favourite Drummers:
- Harvey Mason
- Steve Gadd
- Steve Smith
- Dave Weckl
- Lenny White
- Sly Dunbar
- Manu Katche
- Billy Cobham
- Jeff Porcaro
- Al Jackson Jnr
- Tony Williams
- Dave Lombardo
My Favourite Guitarists:
- Carlos Santana
- Jimi Hendrix
- George Benson
- Steve Vai
- Eric Clapton
- Joe Satriani
- John Fogerty
- BB King
- Albert Collins
- Stevie Ray Vaughan
- Jeff Beck
- Pat Metheny
- Jeff Healey
- Robert Cray
- Larry Carlton
- Lee Ritenour
- Howard “Buzz” Feiten
Trumpet Players I love!
- Miles Davis
- Louis Armstrong
- Dizzy Gillespie
- Wynton Marsalis
- Randy Brecker
- Freddie Hubbard
- Chuck Mangione
- Wayne Henderson
- Rick Braun
- Herb Albert
Bass Players I love!
- Stanley Clarke
- Abraham Laboriel
- Louis Johnson
- Marcus Miller
- Jaco Pastorius
- Nathan East
- Victor Wooton
- Mark King
- James Jamerson
Favourite Jazz Bands
- Funk Brothers
- Crusaders
- Dave Brubeck Quartet
- Fourplay
- Count Basie Orchestra
- Weather Report
- Pat Metheny Group
- Steely Dan
- Manhattan Jazz Quintet
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