Great Players Earl Bostic - how does he do that?

[jbtsax]

I've just re-discovered this great player. Listen at :35 and again at 1:47. It sounds kind of like a trumpet "lip trill" how on earth does he get that sound?

 

[Taz]

Is it not just a heavy vibrato (I'm listening through awful headphones)

 

[ProfJames]

That man is simply superb................

 

[rhysonsax]

Growl with a wide vibrato ?
@Pete Thomas will know.

Rhys

 

[Pete Thomas]

It's just a Texas Wobble!

Plus growl of course.

 

[Colin the Bear]

Yes. Sounds like voice and vibrato. He's using alternative fingerings for the same note to for effect and trilling keys that don't affect pitch much, but change the timbre.

 

[Pete Thomas]

Yes. Sounds like voice and vibrato. He's using alternative fingerings for the same note to for effect and trilling keys that don't affect pitch much, but change the timbre.

I don't think he's trilling or alternating any keys (see above)

 

[jbtsax]

It's just a Texas Wobble!

Plus growl of course.

Thanks Pete. I figured you would know the answer if anyone did.

 

[Alc.]

This guy we danced to and idolized in the fifties and some of us tried to emulate (fat chance). A few guys from surrounding towns that came close told me they closed their throats and screamed with much vibrato. Of course they weren't close enough to be Bostic, but we loved it (and the girls did, which was even more important) at the sock-hops. I believe he closed his throat and screamed. Of course he had chops like Satchmo, with a throat to match.

 

[Alice]

I keep reading conflicting advice with practically everything which regards the saxophone... For example Al C's Bostic soundalike saying that he closed his throat and screamed with vibrato which is at direct odds with other saxophonists who say you must keep the throat open, always and control the sound using your lips, tongue and the breath support. Who is right?
Perhaps it's just a matter of experimentation ...

 

[Colin the Bear]

Depends what sound you want. For a very pure, full sound yes open the throat and play from your toes. For a dirty, screaming, growly monster.....what ever it takes. A bit like singing. I don't think Tom Waites, Noddy Holder and Enya use the same technique.

 

[Alice]

Depends what sound you want. For a very pure, full sound yes open the throat and play from your toes. For a dirty, screaming, growly monster.....what ever it takes. A bit like singing. I don't think Tom Waites, Noddy Holder and Enya use the same technique.

Thanks Colin, I am of that opinion too.

 

[Alc.]

Trust me, Alice, I never said I could replicate the Bostic sound! Just some local boys I knew back in the day who came close to the sound. We tried to get Bostic to play at our high school but it never happened. The closest we got was Big J McNeeley, which wasn't very close, but for our little school it was pretty good.

 

[ProfJames]

Trust me, Alice, I never said I could replicate the Bostic sound! Just some local boys I knew back in the day who came close to the sound. We tried to get Bostic to play at our high school but it never happened. The closest we got was Big J McNeeley, which wasn't very close, but for our little school it was pretty good.

@Alice don't believe what @Alc. says. He lives nr Roswell and has been taught by the aliens how to do many diverse things. The mothership no longer worries about him as he now lives amongst us in relative safety. Given that the X Files have just reopened.................the truth is out there............in his shed......

 

[Alice]

Trust me, Alice, I never said I could replicate the Bostic sound! Just some local boys I knew back in the day who came close to the sound. We tried to get Bostic to play at our high school but it never happened. The closest we got was Big J McNeeley, which wasn't very close, but for our little school it was pretty good.

Oh I know Al 🙂 I said "Al's Bostic soundalike" .. Meaning the chap that you knew.... And your input and experience is invaluable!

 

[Sunray]

@Alice don't believe what @Alc. says. He lives nr Roswell and has been taught by the aliens how to do many diverse things. The mothership no longer worries about him as he now lives amongst us in relative safety. Given that the X Files have just reopened.................the truth is out there............in his shed......

See Link - He is not Alone ....

 

[Veggie Dave]

Has anyone had a go using this technique yet?

I tried it yesterday and got some really unusual results. At one point I had a really fast, almost digital sounding, trill - no vibrato, no finger movement, just an incredibly rapid trill.

I'm not sure how you'd use this effect - or that I could even replicate it 😉 - but it was very cool.

 

[Nick Wyver]

If you're really into this sort of thing there's a book by Ron Diehl called Alternate Fingerings that lists a number of these and their uses.

 

[jbtsax]

Has anyone had a go using this technique yet?

I tried it yesterday and got some really unusual results. At one point I had a really fast, almost digital sounding, trill - no vibrato, no finger movement, just an incredibly rapid trill.

I'm not sure how you'd use this effect - or that I could even replicate it 😉 - but it was very cool.

Here you go.

https://soundcloud.com/jbtsax%2Ftexas-trill-warble

 

[Veggie Dave]

Cool. 🙂

Bizarrely, that was the one sound I couldn't get.