HEAVENLY HORNMEN : Where Are the Modern Innovators?
Leonard Feather’s list of the Top 10 jazz saxophonists sounds like it was written 30 years ago. His list contains many indisputable greats, but it ignores almost all of the important innovators of recent times (“Heavenly Hornmen: Top 10 All-Time Saxophonists,” Feb. 14).
Any modern list should have included Eric Dolphy. He was a part of some of the best work of Oliver Nelson, George Russell, Charles Mingus and John Coltrane. His 1964 masterpiece “Out to Lunch” is as powerful today as any contemporary music.
Where was the name of Ornette Coleman, leader of the avant-garde movement? He did outstanding work with Don Cherry, Charlie Haden, Paul Bley, Eddie Blackwell and many others. Coleman’s ‘60s Atlantic recordings still sound like the shape of jazz to come.
Gato Barbieri came out of Argentina to join the avant-garde movement. When he began accepting and incorporating music from his native roots into his jazz, he produced some of the finest Latin jazz ever recorded.
All the men on Feather’s list produced some great music, but history grows with time. It seems that Feather has some catching up to do.
SHERMAN LAMBERT
Glendale
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