Great Players Best sax section

[o_c_v_]

Hi, this is my first posting after reading quite a lot of the stuff already on the forum.
Any ideas about the best big band sax section on record? I'm thinking Herman Four Brothers, Kenton Opus in Pastels, almost anything by Ellington.

 

[rhysonsax]

I don't know about "best" - it's pretty hard to beat the Ellington section or a couple of the most renowned Basie sax sections, but what about this from Thad Jones / Mel Lewis ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZLvqXFddu0

A sax lineup consisting of:

Jerome Richardson
Jerry Dodgion
Eddie Daniels
Joe Henderson
Pepper Adams

Listen to the sax soli from 4:02 onwards, and what a great groove from the whole band !

Rhys

 

[o_c_v_]

Thanks for the warm welcome.
I was just trying to provoke a bit of discussion re sax sections, there have been so many good ones.
Instuments are:
sop Paris Artiste Pro - Yamamha 6c
alto Buescher Aristocrat- Link metal 6*
Tenor Yamaha TS32 - Link metal 7
Also struggling with a Yamaha flute 211s

 

[Pete Thomas]

Hi O.C.V. and welcome to the Breakfastroom. Tricky question, I'll need to think about that.

 

[o_c_v_]

Thanks for that.
The clip is really something. Reminds me a bit of Supersax.
I like to hear a good strong Bari underpinning it all.

 

[justin_chune]

Hi O.C.V. and welcome. I imagine there are a lot of young people reading your post and thinking, who? We have Opus In Pastels as a sax quartet. Have you checked out the You Tube video of a young Sal Nestico playing Sister Sadie with the Woody Herman band? or the late Paul Gonsalves playing 29 choruses on The C Jam Blues with the Ellington band? Amazing stuff.

My favourite chart from that era is the Tommy Dorsey Band playing The Song of India. We have this one as a sax quartet as well and the arranger has captured the spirit of the big band version for just four saxes. love it.

 

[o_c_v_]

[ Thaks for the welcome, Justin,
I know what you mean about Song of India. My father was a semipro trombonist and a T.D. fan so I grew up hearing all that stuff.
Are the quartet arrangements you mention available. I wouldn't
mind trying them.

 

[rhysonsax]

Hope you like some of these excellent sax sections.

Basie vintage 1962 playing "Corner Pocket" (two Franks, Marshall Royal etc):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4-ZBQ_UYgM

Basie vintage ? late 50s ? playing "Whirly Bird" (Eddie Lockjaw Davis etc):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voLR89xpHN0

Ellington vintage mid 60s ? playing "Isfahan" (Hodges, Carney, Gonsalves, Procope etc):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2U1MGX8SLU&feature=related

Ellington vintage 1943 playing "It Don't Mean a Thing" (Hodges, Carney, Webster etc):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDQpZT3GhDg&feature=related

Clarke/Boland Big Band in 1968 playing "Sax no End" (Johnny Griffin, Tony Coe, Ronnie Scott, Sahib Shihab, Derek Humble) - and listen to that sax soli from 2:31:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzBhGTbkxAI

Tubby Hayes Big Band in 1964 playing "In the Night" (Tubby, Bobby Wellins, Peter King, Ronnie Ross):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hV0F1fvviKQ

Rhys

 

[o_c_v_]

rhysonsax wrote:
Hope you like some of these excellent sax sections.

Basie vintage 1962 playing "Corner Pocket" (two Franks, Marshall Royal etc):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4-ZBQ_UYgM

Basie vintage ? late 50s ? playing "Whirly Bird" (Eddie Lockjaw Davis etc):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voLR89xpHN0

Ellington vintage mid 60s ? playing "Isfahan" (Hodges, Carney, Gonsalves, Procope etc):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2U1MGX8SLU&feature=related

Ellington vintage 1943 playing "It Don't Mean a Thing" (Hodges, Carney, Webster etc):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDQpZT3GhDg&feature=related

Clarke/Boland Big Band in 1968 playing "Sax no End" (Johnny Griffin, Tony Coe, Ronnie Scott, Sahib Shihab, Derek Humble) - and listen to that sax soli from 2:31:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzBhGTbkxAI

Tubby Hayes Big Band in 1964 playing "In the Night" (Tubby, Bobby Wellins, Peter King, Ronnie Ross):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hV0F1fvviKQ

Rhys

Great, some of my favourite men there. I'm old enough and lucky enough to have seen many of then in person. Happy memories.

 

[justin_chune]

You were lucky to have a father that liked jazz. Mine didn't and he called it jungle music 🙂 He bought me my first clarinet though.

I had a word with my friend re. Kenton's "Opus In Pastels" He bought it from Dorn Publications in the USA. We convened a Quintet of saxes to play it. What you get are the five sax parts plus the rhythm section. Just like the original I'm told.

The "Song Of India" is arranged by Bill Charleson and published by Power Music Co.Ltd.

 

[Pete Thomas]

Justin Chune wrote:
The "Song Of India" is arranged by Bill Charleson and published by Power Music Co.Ltd.

Bill Charleson was my main teacher. One great musician.

 

[o_c_v_]

Justin Chune wrote:
You were lucky to have a father that liked jazz. Mine didn't and he called it jungle music 🙂 He bought me my first clarinet though.

I had a word with my friend re. Kenton's "Opus In Pastels" He bought it from Dorn Publications in the USA. We convened a Quintet of saxes to play it. What you get are the five sax parts plus the rhythm section. Just like the original I'm told.

The "Song Of India" is arranged by Bill Charleson and published by Power Music Co.Ltd.

Thanks for the info.
I had a look on Dorn Publications but no sign of O in P. I guess I'll try transcribing it. I'm going on holiday next week and I'm packing a melodica, a pile of manuscript and a tape of O in P. Wish me luck.

 

[suethesax]

Hi O.C.V - have a great holiday.

I found O in P here:

http://ambassadormusic.com/orderlistos.htm

Don't know if that would suit you.

Regards
Sue

 

[o_c_v_]

Sue wrote:
Hi O.C.V - have a great holiday.

I found O in P here:

http://ambassadormusic.com/orderlistos.htm

Don't know if that would suit you.

Regards
Sue

Hi, Sue. Thanks for that. I've been searching the net but that supplier didn't show up at all. Looks good. $20 sounds pretty cheap for a good arrangement.

 

[o_c_v_]

Sue wrote:
Hi O.C.V - have a great holiday.

I found O in P here:

http://ambassadormusic.com/orderlistos.htm

Don't know if that would suit you.

Regards
Sue

Thanks again Sue, I ordered Opus in Pastels from Ambassador, 2 hours later there it was in my e-mail as PDF's. I don't think you can beat that. All I have to do now is persuade our band to have a go at it.
Cheers
O.C.V.

 

[mfox]

who leads your community band?
i know a lot of the players from lancaster, me being based in kendal.

 

[o_c_v_]

mfox wrote:
who leads your community band?
i know a lot of the players from lancaster, me being based in kendal.

Sorry to be late answering.
Our leader is Ben McCabe. Based mainly at More Music in Morecambe, but busy in a variety of groups. About 20 members in the band.
O.C.V.