Author Topic: Let's talk about 'sax' ... (Read 7798 times)

Deacon Blues · « **on:** May 30, 2006, 02:41:43 AM »

For sure, most of you here have stacks and stacks of jazz CDs on your shelves, and there's a good chance that among those in your stockpile are the classics from the sax masters themselves ..

Coltrane, Rollins, Webster, Bird, Brecker, Shorter ...

We've all been blown away by Coltrane's 'sheets of sound' and Ornette Coleman's harmolodic concepts ..

Just curious ...

What are some of your favorite sax solos, and why?

I've heard quite a lot of legendary sax stuff that really smokes, but somehow, I can't help but be moved more by the sheer simplicity of what (to me at least) sets the standard for what a good sax solo should be ...

And the song isn't even a jazz standard ..

The song: Billy Joel's 'Just The Way You Are'

The player: Phil Woods

Chito · « **Reply #1 on:** May 30, 2006, 03:04:50 AM »

There's really lots. One that comes to mind is Paul Desmond's Take Five. Very innovative group, that Dave Brubeck Quartet.

markthevirtuoso · « **Reply #2 on:** May 30, 2006, 03:26:01 AM »

I really dig in Brecker and Coltrane's playing. I have to hear from more players though.

Deacon Blues · « **Reply #3 on:** May 30, 2006, 03:36:51 AM »

Great players mentioned guys ...

But lest this turn out to be another 'enumeration thread,' I'd really love to hear your insights as to why you like such artists ..

Is it their 'tone'?

Is it their phrasing?

Is it their melodic/harmonic inventiveness?

Does their playing make you 'feel' a certain way?

I remember a friend way back in college who, while listening to David Sanborn's 'Carly's Song,' remarked, ... "Hayop pare! Yan ang sax! Nakaka-L ... !"

Boddhisattva · « **Reply #4 on:** May 30, 2006, 08:10:53 AM »

Ditto with Carly's Song. It's the sexiest sax music I ever heard, it's actually my fave among David Sanborn's playing. It's not melodic (try humming it and it would go nowhere) and I tried playing the melody on keyboards and it's impossible (at least to me) to nail the feeling he exudes.

stringman · « **Reply #5 on:** May 30, 2006, 09:01:35 AM »

ARound 1999 I had a jazz retro band we had a sax player. Iba talaga ang dating nang sax.

psychic_sushi · « **Reply #6 on:** May 30, 2006, 10:11:02 AM »

Here goes -

Coltrane - "Transitions"
I love the way he developes his solo on this long track. Its very experimental, or rather, the best term to describe it is trancendental coz only God knows where Coltrane is drawing his notes from! The way his solo approaches the climax is just utterly spellbinding, and harmonically dense. You could hear his lungs, and his very soul screeching through the brass, it feels to me as though he tried to push his very being through the music. Amazing. Amazing. His phrasing here is like a mantra. When i close my eyes listening to this, I imagine Coltrane summoning his powers from the same place Hendrix and Holdworth summon theirs. Beyond technique.

Coltrane - "Welcome"
From the same "Transitions" album, "Welcome" is a sharp contrast to the title track. Unbelievably, the short ballad is reminiscent of a few notes from the "Happy Birthday" song, but Coltrane just transforms it into something else. The sheer power of good phrasing and emotion. Moving. Touching.

Charlie Parker - "Yardbird Suite"
What can I say? Parker is THE MAN. I love the chords, the melody. The only thing scarier than hearing Parker play this is how Tal Farlow does it on his guitar. Masterful.

I'm guilty of being a Coltrane follower, heres one more-

Miles and Coltrane "On Green Dolphin Street"
Coltranes solo here is just hair raising! After Davis' solo, Coltrane just takes off the runway, and the notes he plays "skims" over the changes, with a floaty quality! How i wish i could do that on guitar! you can't help but be astounded by the fluency of his phrases. They are dense, notewise, but still breath. I feel Coltrane steals his audiences breath to play his lines...

I'm gonna sound like a total doofus for mentioning this one, but isn't George Michael's "Careless Whisper" a classic sax riff?!?! (C'mon guys, you jam this too!) I had fun jamming over the changes on this one with kakoy, but he took the tune for a spin.

Grover Washington Jr. "Winelight" Album
Winner 'to! When i first tried to cop sax riffs on the guitar in high school, this album was my reference coz Grover's playing was so melodic. The first two tracks were so catchy, heartfelt, plus he was backed by a stellar cast of muso's:

Bill Withers: vocal on "Just the Two of Us"
Ralph MacDonald: congas, percussion, syndrums
Steve Gaad: drums
Marcus Miller: bass
Eric Gale: guitar
Paul Griffin: Fender Rhodes, clavinet
Richard Tee: Fender Rhodes
Bill Eaton, Ed Walsh: Oberheim synthesizer
Raymond Chew: clavinet
Robert Greenridge: steel drums

I gotta find myself another copy of that! thanx for rehasing my memory

Lastly, Stan Getz bossa nova stuff. I love bossa, it makes me hungry. My dad just has a huge collection of Gilberto, Jobim, and all the folks, so i can't choose any tune particularly on Getz coz it's all been homogenously grafted into my ears, mind, taste buds and appetite. (Blame it on my dad for playing bossa everytime he cooks lunch and dinner on sundays.)

jazzbo · « **Reply #7 on:** May 30, 2006, 11:08:56 AM »

That guy who did the sax solo on Wham's "Careless Whisper" - heheheh just kidding

Some famous sax solos that come to mind....

"Bird of Paradise", "Donna Lee". "Yardbird Suite" and "A Night in Tunisia" - Charlie Parker. In the 80's Chaka Khan did a fusion version of "A Night in Tunisia" and some session guy played Parker's famous sax break on synthesizer! that was cool.

Branford Marsalis on Sting's "Englishman in New York" - one of the solos I can actually whistle.

Cannonball Adderly and John Coltrane on "Love for Sale" with Miles Davis' 1958 group ("Miles '58 sessions" on columbia masterworks)

Michael Brecker - "Have a Good Time" by Paul Simon, "Your Greatest trick" by Dire Straits, "Why do Fools Fall in Love" - Joni Mitchell

Wayne Shorter on Steely Dan's "Aja"

Boddhisattva · « **Reply #8 on:** May 30, 2006, 06:54:51 PM »

I remember the sax solos on (more on the rock side)...

Kenny Loggins' Heart to Heart
Nicolette Larson's Gonna Take a Lotta Love
Men at Work's Overkill
Cornelius Bumpus on Doobie Brothers' Takin' It to the Streets

On the local side, I remember...
Tots Tolentino on Pido's Misty Glass Window

Kulas · « **Reply #9 on:** May 30, 2006, 07:24:53 PM »

one of my favorite sax solos is on tower of power's song, mr. toad/todd's wild ride. swabeng swabe with a birit sa dulo, hehe.

Deacon Blues · « **Reply #10 on:** May 31, 2006, 12:29:20 AM »

Now we're talking! ...

It's good to know we've hit a right chord and found common ground, and it's even better that we have our own moderator jumping on in for good measure ..

Perhaps it's the sax's inherent jazzy timbre that makes it stand out more in a pop or rock setting..

Yeah, Nicolette Larson's 'Lotta Love' ... that's a nice one, bod!

That reminds me of Gerry Rafferty's 'Baker Street ..

Also, Sheila E's 'Glamorous Life' ...

On the OPM side, who was it who played sax on Smokey Mountain's 'Kailan?' Anyone? Was it Tots too?

That was a very catchy intro ..

Boddhisattva · « **Reply #11 on:** May 31, 2006, 08:03:26 AM »

Yoohoo, Baker Street! Why did I ever forget it, one of the most recognizable sax riff? The powerful interpretation of the melody just sorts of suck you into the stillness of the verse part. If Gerry Rafferty arranged it, then I take my hat off to him!

psychic_sushi · « **Reply #12 on:** May 31, 2006, 08:14:08 AM »

heheheh, sax is sexy

michael breckers work with James Taylor and Mike Stern is pretty good too. there was this solo he did on "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" in one of sweet baby jame's live dvd's that was just magical. and his work on mike stern's "is what it is" album was so damned good, i spent more time listening to his playing than sterns! especiall on the track "with a little luck", the runs were just totally righteous stuff.

deltaslim · « **Reply #13 on:** May 31, 2006, 09:05:59 AM »

billy joel... sheila e...

trick question ata to ah.

how about steve norman of spandau ballet, then? he always made me squirm in my loafers back in the 80s.

seriously, bird is it for me. if these were a top 10 survey, he'd prolly hit 8 or 9 out of 10. consider:
Anthropology
Billie's Bounce (Bill's Bounce)
Bloomdido
Confirmation
Donna Lee
Ko Ko
Moose The Mooche
Ornithology
Parker's Mood
Scrapple From The Apple
Yardbird Suite

i also like Cannonball Adderley on This Here. he always sounds bluesy though so maybe that's it.

pinoymusika · « **Reply #14 on:** May 31, 2006, 02:03:32 PM »

Quote from: Boddhisattva

I remember the sax solos on (more on the rock side)...

Kenny Loggins' Heart to Heart
Nicolette Larson's Gonna Take a Lotta Love
Men at Work's Overkill
Cornelius Bumpus on Doobie Brothers' Takin' It to the Streets

If it's Men at Work for 80's pop sax. then the one that comes to mind is "Who could it be now?" - the sax sounds like a rooster crowing. And who could forget Colin Hay's big eyes in the video...

Judging from your Nick, then you and Deacon Blues must be Steely Dan fans. I was watching the DVD of the live performance of "Two Against Nature" the other day and noticed the Dan's big afro haired tenor sax player - Cornelius Bumpus of the Doobies. So he's in good company with Donald and Walter...

I always thought Steely Dan horn lines are the jazziest in rock/pop.

Deacon Blues · « **Reply #15 on:** May 31, 2006, 04:12:03 PM »

Yes sir! Steely Dan fan here .. I'm sure Boddhisattva's the same ..

I wonder when Kid Charlemagne'll just pop up here ..

Yup, Cornelius Bumpus - one of the Dan's deadliest 'secret weapons'

Unfortunately, he passed away last 2004..

I was surprised at one of the new replacements: Walt Weiskopf - renowned jazz academician and author of various books, including the groundbreaking 'Intervallic Improvisation' - highly recommended by guys like Kurt Rosenwinkel

Deacon Blues · « **Reply #16 on:** May 31, 2006, 04:12:18 PM »

Yes sir! Steely Dan fan here .. I'm sure Boddhisattva's the same ..

I wonder when Kid Charlemagne'll just pop up here ..

Yup, Cornelius Bumpus - one of the Dan's deadliest 'secret weapons'

Unfortunately, he passed away last 2004..

I was surprised at one of the new replacements: Walt Weiskopf - renowned jazz academician and author of various books, including the groundbreaking 'Intervallic Improvisation' - highly recommended by guys like Kurt Rosenwinkel

psychic_sushi · « **Reply #17 on:** May 31, 2006, 04:28:41 PM »

i wish i had the kid charlemagne moniker! oh well.... sushi has psychic zen properties...

pinoymusika · « **Reply #18 on:** May 31, 2006, 04:36:51 PM »

Quote from: Deacon Blues

Yup, Cornelius Bumpus - one of the Dan's deadliest 'secret weapons'

Unfortunately, he passed away last 2004..

What the!!! I did not know that!! Well a moment of silence and a few choruses of Takin it to the Streets and Minute by Minute for Cornelius....

Boddhisattva · « **Reply #19 on:** June 01, 2006, 07:25:50 AM »

Quote from: Deacon Blues

I wonder when Kid Charlemagne'll just pop up here ..

I used the monicker Kid Charlemagne when I was in college but I changed it because from the lyrics of the song, it seems that he is an Italian outlaw. Well , Boddhisattva is Asian and more profound, he he...

I just remembered that sax solo that everyone can recognize... the one on the live version of Reasons, with the sax player and Philip Bailey slugging it out...

psychic_sushi · « **Reply #20 on:** June 01, 2006, 08:42:14 AM »

Quote from: Boddhisattva

Quote from: Deacon Blues

I wonder when Kid Charlemagne'll just pop up here ..

I used the monicker Kid Charlemagne when I was in college but I changed it because from the lyrics of the song, it seems that he is an Italian outlaw. Well , Boddhisattva is Asian and more profound, he he...

I just remembered that sax solo that everyone can recognize... the one on the live version of Reasons, with the sax player and Philip Bailey slugging it out...

oh yeah, THAT sax solo! thats prettty catchy.

also, the sax break on Pauline Wilson's "Stay". i find myself humming that alot, it feels good, catchy and memorable.

same with clair marlo's "where you are". nice melody...

Kid Charlemagne has the all time classic lyric, that taken out of context, carries a big relevance to most of us... "Is there gas in the car?.... Yes there's gas in the car."

News:

Author Topic: Let's talk about 'sax' ... (Read 7798 times)

Chito