Greatest Jazz Solo

[SatchmoBrecker]

Wasn't sure which thread to post this. But for my money these two solos by Michael Brecker are not only the best sax solos ever, but the best jazz solo ever bar none.

This one is from Not Ethiopia, solo starts around 3:35, though check out the entire tune for a great guitar solo.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDFOLpkPfqk


This one is from Teebag, solo starts around 4:15 after a great piano solo. Especially check out 5:15 and tell me that's still a tenor!

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PZTSLmQ2nQ

 

[sdt99]

I guess it depends on whether your criterion is primarily technical brilliance or musicality. Neither of those solos does anything for me though he's clearly a virtuoso. I accept that this may be a limitation on my part as a listener.

It's impossible for me to pick a single solo but in terms of sheer inventiveness of a beautiful melody that perfectly complements the tune it sits within it's hard to beat Phil Woods' solo on "Just the way you are". I'm sorry it's not a jazz song (rather a pop song) but Phil's sax solo is melodic, beautiful, picks up the melody of the song and takes it to a whole new level. Starts at 2:58

In terms of "jazz" I think my favourite solo is still this magical "stairway to the stars" by Dexter. There's a little bit of pyrotechnics around 3:20 but perfectly in context.

 

[SatchmoBrecker]

Yep, always loved Phil Woods in general but in that tune especially. And loved the fact that he wasn't afraid to "go pop". I'd be interested to know how many people he brought into the world of jazz because of that solo alone. And Dexter, definitely not a technical player like Brecker but absolutely beautiful stuff, so melodic and never an unsure note.

I rank Brecker's two solos more from a total package perspective. In those solos he does everything right - musicality, fits the context of the tune, and not only technical mastery of the horn but "correct" use of just about everything a sax is capable of. And by correct I mean for example he uses altissimo not just as a little show-off point, but as part of the solo. And so on.

 

[Dibbs]

For me, Rahsaan Roland Kirk's solo below is unsurpassed by anything. Ever. It starts around 9:30 but you need to listen to it in context really.

 

[flamingoer]

I know it's nigh on 80 years old but for me there's nothing to touch
Lester Young playing 'Lady be good'. Every note plays it's part,
and the word 'swing' was invented for it.

 

[Nick Wyver]

For me, it's got to be this (starts at about 2 min):

 

[Jazzaferri]

For me my 2 nominations for favourite are Parkers Mood and Take 5 for alto. On tenor too many.....I cant my head around it.

In all honesty can't get my head around the idea of greatest

 

[David Dorning]

For me, it's got to be this (starts at about 2 min):

Certainly amongst the most hilarious sax solos I have heard, classic Bonzo material. I assume it was Rodney Slater?

 

[Caz]

Sonny Rollins on "St thomas" - i Just keep hearing his inflictions on the particular tune in a lot of contempoary stuff.

 

[jbtsax]

For me it is impossible to say "this is the best jazz solo ever", because many of us have such different tastes. It would be better for me to come up with what I think is Cannonball Adderly's best solo, or Paul Desmond's best solo, or Phil Wood's best solo.

 

[saxyjt]

I never understood why some people want to pick a favorite thing! My brother always annoyed me by calling his favorite this or that. And it changed over the years, as it's quite natural.

I like too many things in life to stick to one. Variety, diversity, plurality are to me more important than exclusiveness and single-anything.

Then of course there is taste and each one has its own. Good or bad, who's to say? I'm not talking about the quality of the performance, that's an entirely different thing.

I have to go now. My "favorite" wife is calling me!

 

[sdt99]

On the subject of Cannonball Adderley this is rather special (yes, yes, just a minor blues)

 

[trimmy]

Without a doubt it's Lisa & Bleeding Gums Murphy ok so it's blues...

View: https://youtu.be/Z0lm_XmTrMo

 

[jbtsax]

Love it:

"The blues isn't about feeling better, its about making other people feel worse, and making a few bucks while you're at it.

 

[Chris]

Stan Getz's improvisation on the song 'Her' is as good as any 'Jazz' solo.

 

[Westcoaster]

'You Go To My Head', The Dave Brubeck Quartet Storyville 1952. Desmond sublime, Brubeck empathy itself. You won't hear more affecting 8 minutes of music.

 

[real8]

"Bird of paradise", Parker 1947. A contrafact of "All the things you are" - this solo more or less defines bebop for me.

 

[MikeMorrell]

Wasn't sure which thread to post this. But for my money these two solos by Michael Brecker are not only the best sax solos ever, but the best jazz solo ever bar none.

Hi, I'm a really big Michael Brecker fan. One of the very greatest sax players in my book. He played with many of my other 'music heroes' like Joni Mitchell, Pat Metheny, Jaco Pastorius and Paul Simon. I've watched a couple of interviews with him on YouTube that bring home to me just how much work he put into being the excellent musician that he was.

Thanks for the links. For me, the clip that really decided that he really was one of the greats was his solo performance of Delta City Blues:

View: https://youtu.be/tjpjGSr38d4


Mike

 

[garrobito]

I don't know if this THE more impressive solo but honestly.. inspire me a lot...
Start at 40 second and last for 9 minutes.. the BIG Chris Potter with Snarky Puppy

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzdXCQTIBSc

 

[altissimo]