Stan Getz

So unique was Stan Getz's saxophone sound that his solo on "Early Autumn" catapulted him to stardom in 1948 (his tone was so unique that he was nicknamed "The Sound" and even Coltrane wished he could play like him). Getz was at first influenced by Lester Young (and he was deservedly famous for the way he played ballads) but he quickly fell under bop's spell and his disarming versatility that enabled him to shine in Swing, Cool, or Avant-Garde jazz contexts. Just as his popularity was beginning to wane in the early 1960s, he scored massive hits with his Bossa Nova work, introducing the sultry South American-derived rhythms to a global audience. Getz remained on top for the rest of his life.