Personally, I preferred the lower register instruments: baritone and tenor. The higher ones eventually elicit listening fatigue and become an unpleasant experience. Tenor and baritone sax evoke primordial earth tones, the nascent growling of mother earth, the beating of my mother’s heart while she carried me. It’s fantastic. Favorite tenor saxophonists of mine in the jazz canon: Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon, Joe Henderson, Charles Lloyd. And a few others (Coltrane above).
I agree - tenor and baritone. For tenor I suppose Gene Ammons, Ben Webster and Wardell Gray stand out from the rest for me personally. There were innumerable greats at the instrument. Just name checking a couple whose playing elicits some emotion. YMMV of course. For baritone, looking at Serge Chaloff and Pepper Adams as tops for me. Gerry Mulligan gets an honorable mention for sure.
I’m biased. I used to play tenor in high school band. (I was better at marching than playing, sorry to say.) However, David Bowie used to play a wonderfully raw alto from time to time. I loved it. The unpolished style suited his work.
Love the tenor... personal favourite is Wayne Shorter. Although his work with soprano was also delightful.
Definitely tenor Unless Cannonball is playing.... he makes real magic come from an alto! Some great tenors mentioned so far, but I haven't seen my faves, Joe Henderson and Hank Mobley.
You might have added sopranino or bass saxophone to your poll options. Admittedly, there are/were not too many players of those extreme low or high end instruments. For sopranino I can think of Paul McCandless, Lindsay Cooper, 3/4 of the Rova Saxophone Quartet, Roscoe Mitchell I think. Vinny Golia plays all registers, from the tiny soprillo (smaller than the sopranino) to the giant contrabass. Those instruments are usually more commonly heard in free improv and avant-garde jazz. I really love the bari in ensemble arrangements, but probably prefer tenor or alto as a lead or solo sax.
I tend to prefer tenor and baritone also. But 'Trane started on alto and used soprano sax quite a bit. One of my favorite bits of his is Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise, where he comes barreling in on soprano just after the 3-minute mark on the Village Vanguard '61 box. I also love Eric Dolphy and Art Pepper on alto.
James Carter plays all the saxes. I've seem him at the Newport Jazz Festival three times. His joy is infectious.
Generally tenor but sometimes when I hear Hamiet Bluiett with World Saxophone Quartet do his thing on baritone... oh man!
I love listening to great alto players. Johnny Hodges, Charlie Parker, Eric Dolphy, Sonny Stitt, Art Pepper, Jackie McLean, Herb Geller, Lee Konitz, Sonny Criss, Frank Strozier, Cannonball Adderley, etc.
In terms of playing a sax, I like it like I like my Scotch - straight! A reflection of other woodwind I played before made playing a soprano easier than the larger sax's. However, nothing grates more than hearing Kenny G - keep him away from any sax! In terms of listening, they are all wonderful when played well. I do like the weight a baritone adds to an ensemble, but it's not a favourite as a solo member of the family.
Alto saxophone for me. Bird forever! After him, I love the tenor sounds of Wayner Shorter, Pharoah Sanders, Trane, and Booker Ervin.
⠀ Alto & Baritone are pretty much tied for "favorite" of mine. Tenor would be second chair. I almost never care for the sound of soprano sax although it has been used in a manner consistent with my liking in certain musical settings. Bass and Contrabass saxophone are strictly preferred as unique embellishments in an orchestral or ensemble setting and there in limited capacity rather than as an instrument in exploratory study. ⠀
For me its not the instrument - its the player. There are players that I love who play each of these instruments - Parker, Coltrane, Johnny Hodges, Equally there are players that I am not keen on (sacrilegious as it may be ) such as Sonny Rollins, Coleman Hawkins, Pepper Adams. I suppose I gravitate to the Alto first, then tenor. Not a keen fan of the baritone.
