Blog » Great Unknowns on the Saxophone

Reading Time: 2 minutesJanuary 23, 2019

GREAT “UNKNOWNS” ON THE SAXOPHONE

In this article I will post some Youtube tracks and links to the sites of various sax players that might not be very known to the general (mainstream) audience, but are just as great as some of the well known saxophonists and I think deserve to be heard. I presume most Jazz saxophonists and real Jazz enthusiasts know about them, this article is not for them, but for those who are still relatively “new” to Jazz. I won’t write reviews or something, just listen to the tracks, and visit their websites for more information if you like what you hear.

I will update this article every time I remember or come across another great sax player I really like … 


JOEL FRAHM
(United States)

Official website: www.joelfrahm.com

Track: “What’s Your Beat?” from the album “Live at Smalls” with Kurt Rosenwinkel (guitar), Joe Martin (bass) and Otis Brown III (drums). Recorded on 28 February / 1 March 2011 Live at SMALLS Jazz Club, Greenwich Village, NYC.


BENJAMIN HERMAN
(The Netherlands)

Official website: www.benjaminherman.nl

Track: “Namely You” (a composition by Gene de Paul & Johnny Mercer) from the album “Café Solo” with Ernst Glerum (Double bass) and Joost Patocka (Drums).


MIGUEL ZENÓN
(Puerto Rico)

Official website: www.miguelzenon.com

Track: “Silencio” from the album “Alma Adentro: The Puerto Rican Songbook” (2011) with Luis Perdomo (Piano)
Hans Glawischnig (Bass), Henry Cole (Drums), Guillermo Klein (Conductor, Woodwind Arranger), Nathalie Joachim, Domenica Fossati, Julietta Curenton (Flute), Romie de Guise-Langlois, Carol McGonnell (Clarinet & Bass Clarinet), James Austin Smith (Oboe), Brad Balliett (Bassoon), Keve Wilson (English Horn), Jennifer Kessler, David Byrd-Marrow (French Horn).

TONY MALABY
(United States)

Official website: www.tonymalaby.net

Track: “Dorotea la Cautiva” from the album “Adobe” (2004) with Drew Gress (bass) and Paul Motian (drums).


DONNY MCCASLIN
(United States)

Official website: www.donnymccaslin.com

Track: “Stadium Jazz” from the album “Casting for Gravity” with David Binney (vocals, synthesizer), Jason Lindner (piano, electric piano, synthesizer), Tim Lefebvre (electric bass) and Mark Guiliana (drums).


SEAMUS BLAKE
(Canada)

Official website: www.seamusblake.com

Track: “Beleza Que Vem” from the album “Bellwether” (2010), with Lage Lund (guitar) David Kikoski (piano) Matt Clohesy (bass) and Bill Stewart (drums).


MARK TUNER
(United States)

Official website: www.markturnerjazz.com

Track: “317 East 32nd Streetcomposed by Lennie Tristano, from the album “Mark Turner, with Joshua Redman (tenor sax), Edward Simon (piano), Christopher Thomas (bass) and Brian Blade (drums).


DAYNA STEPHENS
(United States)

Official website: www.daynastephenssound.com

Track: “Peace” from the album “Peace” with Brad Mehldau (piano), Larry Grenadier (bass) and Eric Harland (drums).


JOHN WOJCIECHOWSKI
(United States)

Official website: www.jwojojazz.com

Track: “Lion and The Lamb” from the album “Lexicon” (2009) with Dave Miller (Guitar), Dennis Carroll (Bass) and Dana Hill (Drums).


BEN VAN DER DUNGEN
(The Netherlands)

Official website: www.benvandendungen.nl

Track: “So In Love” from the album “Ciao City with Miguel Rodriguez (piano), Marius Beets (bass) and Gijs Dijkhuizen (drums).


LOGAN RICHARDSON
(United States)

Official website: loganrichardson.global

Track: “Slow” is a single track from Logan Richardson’s new Blue Note Records album release “Shift”, with guitarist Pat Metheny, pianist Jason Moran, bassist Harish Raghavan, and drummer Nasheet Waits.


BEN WENDEL
(Canada/United States)

Official website: www.benwendel.com

Ben Wendel “What Was” Live at Jazz Gallery, New York, with Pianist Tigran Hamasyan, Guitarist Gilad Hekselman, Keyboardist Adam Benjamin, Bassist Ben Street and Drummer Nate Wood.


TOMMY SMITH
(Scotland/United Kingdom)

Official website: www.tommy-smith.co.uk

The Peacockslive at Bratislava Jazz Festival, October 2000, with Gareth Williams (piano).


SHABAKA HUTCHINGS
(England)

Official website: www.shabakahutchings.com

Mzwandile” is a track from the album release “Wisdom of the elders“, with Shabaka Hutchings (Tenor Sax), Siyabonga Mthembu (Vocals), Nduduzo Makhathini (Rhodes), Ariel Zomonsky (Bass), Gontse Makhene (Percussion) and Tumi Mogorosi (Drums).


LOGAN RICHARDSON
(United States)

Official website: www.loganrichardson.global

Slow” is a track from Logan Richardson’s Blue Note Records album release “Shift“, with pianist Jason Moran, bassist Harish Raghavan, and drummer Nasheet Waits.


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