I was listening to some Johnny Hodges on the way home from work, and was struck again by how much I would love to be able to play like he did. He almost made the sax 'speak', it was so expressive.

So who has the sound you would give your eye teeth for?

Ooh - difficult one!

Not too long ago I'd have answered straight away with Dexter Gordon, and I still love that big fat sound. Last year I was listening to Charles Lloyd quite a bit, and I like his sound too - it can be almost plaintive at times, but I don't think it's the sound I want for myself. Similarly I love Stan Getz sound, but it's not mine. Last week I saw Bob Mintzer at Ronnie's and I was quite struck with his sound, solid, focussed yet flexible and very definitely contemporary - I'd be more thah happy if I could sound like that. But I think if I had to choose just one it would have to be Sonny Rollins - strong, percussive, sweet, joyful and it's got soul - everything you could want it to be.

Good choice with Johnny Hodges btw, I've not spent so much time thinking about sound on alto (and it shows in my playing), but Cannonball Adderley is one of my favourites.

So hard to choose! I've struggled to narrow it down to two players for each instrument but for clarinet, it has to be Buddy DeFranco and Benny Goodman.

For tenor sax, currently John Coltrane and Michael Brecker. I still have a lot of listening to do with sax and the more I listen, the more my idea of an ideal sound changes. I'm starting to lean towards a more contemporary sound with sax and yes, I too would be very happy if I sounded anything like Bob Mintzer!

Fats Waller

Benny Goodman. No contest...

Stanley Turrentine

Peanuts Hucko on Autumn Leaves - don't know much about jazz but this gets me every time.

I'd have the sweet chops of Tommy Dorsey, the ballad interpretation of Mark Nightingale, the hipness of Fred Wesley, the relaxed conversational style of Carl Fontana, the fast chops of Bob McChesney, the downright terrifyingness of Elliot Mason. I could go on...

Not much to ask?

I'm with Barry-clari on this one: Benny Goodman - no hesitation.

Bill Evans

to the forum, Dharma

Miles Davis! (With Wayne Bergeron's lead chops thrown in for good measure )

monk

Darn there's some good choices coming out!

I'm still firmly on The Prof as first choice, but in a previous life, I played a fine guitar. In my youthful exuberance, I believed I could listen to, and with some work, play along with just about anything. Then one day I heard "Friday Night in San Francisco Live", and suddenly Stevie Vai and Yngwie Malmsteen no longer seemed "all that".

So, had I been asked this 20 years ago, my answer would have been John McGloughlin.

Oer..............tricky one, as a trombone player I should pick J J Johnson but I really want to play like Thelonious Monk, I just love his far out compositions and whimsical approach to improvisation.

Perhaps its the Pork Pie hat?