The world is full of amazing traditional saxophone songs and it isn’t any wonder that many sax lovers still mainly listen to older albums.  Although saxophone music and jazz in general isn’t the most mainstream genre of music anymore, this doesn’t mean that there isn’t some great saxophone tunes and collections out there.  Here are five of the best saxophone albums of the 21^st century.  If you love sax music, then you definitely need to add these albums to your playlist.

1. Dave Holland Big Band – What Goes Around

The What Goes Around album was released in 2002 and is full of great saxophone sounds.  Dave Holland hadn’t played with a big band type behind him before to this extent and it was definitely a decision he shouldn’t regret.

There is plenty of harmony between the different compositions and the whole album flows together in a very lovely manner.  The songs are mainly just older songs by Holland, but there is one new composition called “Upswing.”  This is a nice addition to the album and it brings the album a bit more colour in terms of the sound.

2. Dave Douglas – Freak In

The Dave Douglas album released in 2003 was quite a challenge to the traditional jazz community.  The album has plenty of jazz influences, but the twist is that it is also heavily influenced by electric sounds. When you listen to the album, it isn’t hard to imagine robots and mechanical things running the world.  You can find out a bit more about Dave Douglas and his influences from this Jazz Times interview.

The saxophone in most of the songs is a great way to add the traditional, subtle jazz elements to the harsher electric sounds.  The saxophone use adds a more conventional flair to the way the album flows.  If you want a sample of the album, then take a listen to the “Eastern Parkway.”

3. Igor Butman – Magic Land

This Russian saxophonist has taken the world by storm and his albums are definitely worth listening to.  The Magic Land album was released in 2008 and it proved to be a great hit around the world.

Butman plays both alto and tenor saxophone, with the album’s songs being influenced by Russian’s cartoons. This gives the whole album a fresh and playful twist.  He is one of the masters of saxophone in the 21^st century and definitely worth listening to.  “Chunga-Changa” is a great Latin flavoured song and one of the best on the album.

4. Edgar Winters – Rebel Road

The 10^th studio album by Edgar Winters was released in 2008 and you should definitely add it to your shopping list.  The album is full of great saxophone inspired tunes and there are plenty of other surprising influences as well.  For example, the song “Rebel Road’ features lead and solo guitar by the amazing Slash.

If you are looking for something comforting yet different, this album is definitely something you should listen to.  You should also get to know Winters’ older music.  This Synthopia article is great for understanding his mindset of combining saxophone and synthetic sounds in the song called “Frankenstein,” for instance.

5. Manu Dibango – Lion of Africa

Sometimes the best saxophone music to listen to is live saxophone music.  You can definitely feel part of the audience with this live recording by Manu Dibango.  This album is a great saxophone inspired album that has plenty of amazing ethnic tunes.  The album is a celebration of Dibango’s 50 years in the industry and you can get a true sense of his passion towards jazz music through this album.

Hopefully, the above top five saxophone albums of the 21^st century will inspire your own playing.  Remember to check our website for great saxophone lessons.  By listening to other great saxophonists, you can improve your own skills as well.