Pioneers

Benny Krueger (1920-21 recorded with Original Dixieland Jazzband)
Don Redman (recordewd with Fletcher Henderson starting in 1921)
Jimmy Dorsey (1926, first recorded with Red Nichols)


Most Significant Altoists of the Swing Era

Johnny Hodges - Benny Carter - Willie Smith


Other Top Swing Altoists

Charlie Holmes (1929-31 with Luis Russell)
Hilton Jefferson
Pete Brown
Tab Smith
Don Stovall
Russell Procope (with John Kirby Sextet)
Woody Herman


Superior Section Players

Toots Mondello (1934-35 and 1939-40 with Benny Goodman)
Earle Warren (1937-45 with Count Basie)
Marshall Royal (1951-70 with Count Basie)


Early R&B Stars

Louis Jordan - Earl Bostic


Creator of Bop

Charlie Parker


Other Important Bop based Altoists

Sonny StittSonny Criss
Charlie MarianoHerb Geller
Gigi GryceLou Donaldson
Phil WoodsRichie Cole
Cannonball AdderleyCharles McPherson


Cool Jazz Innovators

Lee Konitz - Art Pepper - Paul Desmond


Hard Bop to Modern Mainstream

Jackie McLeanSonny Red
Oliver NelsonJames Spaulding
Gary BartzBud Shank
Frank MorganBobby Watson
Paquito D'RiveraKenny Garrett
Antonio HartVincent Herring


Free Jazz/Avatgarde Innovators

Ornette Coleman - Eric Dolphy - Anthony Braxton


Other Top Avantgarde Altoists

Jimmy Lyons (with Cecil Taylor 1960-86)
Ken McIntyre
Marion Brown
John Tchicai (later switched to tenor)
Roscoe Mitchell (founder of Art Ensemble Of Chicago)
Joseph Jarman (founder of Art Ensemble Of Chicago)
Sonny Simmons
Henry Threadgill
Julius Hemphill
Marshall Allen (with Sun Ra 1951-93)
Oliver Lake
Arthur Blythe
John Zorn
Tim Berne
Free Funk Players
Steve Coleman
Greg Osby


Crossover

Hank Crawford
David Sanborn
Sadao Watanabe
Marc Russo (of Yellowjackets)