What's your favorite jazz instrument?

It dawned on me that the link below might a worthy visit for many here.

http://www.whodatsound.com/wdmusicpro/WDRadio/WDR.html

Danny is an online acquaintance of a few of us here that are also on a jazz blog. Heck of drummer who has played with some of the greats, and has some fantastic albums of his own.
These shows have a theme, many of which are based around a particular instrument. He knows his stuff, and doesn't just play the same old same old.
A mighty fine way for a jazz fan to let somebody else do the programming for an hour.
It can be rated R at points, though, so be careful with who you play it in front of. Think a smart ass Deniro type, who isn't afraid to drop a swear if it fits the topic, lol.


Great place for these shows Kris.
 
Alto Sax. Parker, Pepper, Criss, Adderley, Donaldson, McLean, Hodges. Sonny Criss is rarely included in the top tier, but belongs there. If you like alto, give a listen to This Is Criss.
 
The upright bass. There's something about a bassist plumbing just about the lowest depths of the audibule spectrum as perceivable by humans that makes me sit up and take notice. My absolute favorite jazz bassist is the one and only fellow Michiganian Ron Carter. No mere mortal should be able to play an instrument with such a degree of mastery.

Runner-ups:

In the arena of jazz fusion, no other material captivates me like the work of departed Jaco Pastorius. Between his work with the Joe Zawinul-led Weather Report and on Joni Mitchell's The Hissing of Summer Lawns and Hejira, the man was the second coming of the genre with his techniques on the fretless bass.

As of late: the cymbal! I reckon most listeners of the genre listen to the myriad of combinations of stick/brush strikes and and pedal thumps, but as of late, I've been laser-focused on cymbal rides while listening to jazz - with a notable example being Someday My Prince Will Come by the Miles Davis Sextet. Drummers Billy Cobb and Philly Jo Jones did amazing work with the cymbals attached to their kits, with "Pfrancing" and "Teo" as highlights.
 
I started off as a sax guy, but have increasingly leaned toward piano in recent years. A good recording from Bill Evans, Brubeck or one of a handful of others really hits the spot at the end of a long day. That said, a tenor sax is still very much appreciated.
 
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:D I'm slightly biased though.
 
I don't like strings (excluding guitars and some fiddles) in jazz. Charlie Parker did a record or two with strings. I find them unlistenable.
A friend of my dad's referred to those as "Charlie Parker with Strings Without Charlie Parker". I understand that Bird needed the money pretty bad.
 
A friend of my dad's referred to those as "Charlie Parker with Strings Without Charlie Parker". I understand that Bird needed the money pretty bad.

Actually, many musicians acknowledge Bird's recordings with strings to be some of the most beautiful things he ever recorded.
 
Trumpet/Coronet are #1 by me with the Piano pretty close behind. Trombones are nice. Vibes can be very special. Saxes can really rub me the wrong way at times.
 
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