Forgotten Saxophonists on their Centennial: Harold Ashby, Leo Parker, Sahib Shihab & Dave Pell

There are a remarkable number of important jazz artists born 100 years ago, and in this hour we'll celebrate saxophonists who have been largely overlooked.

The tenor saxophonist Harold Ashby is best known for his years in the Ellington saxophone section. Though he recorded as a leader infrequently, he became a major soloist in the orchestra's final years.

Dave Schildkraut was an alto saxophonist whose sound was often compared to Charlie Parker's. Bill Evans said, "As far as I'm concerned, the two most original saxophonists after Charlie Parker were Lee Konitz and Dave Schildkraut."

Bebop emerged in the early to mid-'40s, with fast tempos and complex chord progressions. Leo Parker was one of the very first to master it on the baritone saxophone.

Sahib Shihab was one of the first to play bebop flute, though he's best known as a baritone saxophonist. Shihab was a first-call sideman in both the US and Europe, but led several noteworthy sessions as well.

The tenor saxophonist Dave Pell led a series of successful octets in the 1950's with charts written by some of the best West Coast jazz arrangers.