Inspirational tune.

[ken]

[No message]

 

[elmer]

The Sax in NewYork State of mind by Billy Joel.

Not sure who plays it as it's not credited on the album sleve. (Greatest hits)

As I'm new to Sax I don't see Jazz and Sax mainly together, I've never really listened to Jazz (but like it never the less).

I've always enjoyed Sax in modern pop/rock songs - Simply Red - Billy Joel - Madness - Bowie.

As for conversation about Jazz and Sax I get non except here, as all around me aren't into it and consider me both mad and noisy for taking it up .....

8|

 

[rs2sensen]

My reply for the first part of this topic is located here: http://www.breakfastroom.co.uk/index.cgi?fid=06&topic_id=1144601396


As for the jazz stuff...Yes, the saxophone is a jazz instrument. Most saxophonists are capable of playing at least some variety of jazz, or at least familiar with the sound that goes with it. However, the sax is not limited to jazz.

Personally, I'm not a true jazz fan. I prefer Bebop and R&B. Lately, I've also gotten into some classical playing, which is sort of the opposite of the down-and-dirty playing often common in other styles.

 

[Pete Thomas]

I have two main ones

Lonely Woman (Ornette Coleman)

Rip It Up (Little Richard featuring Lee Allen on saxophone)

 

[Pete Thomas]

It was the complete alienness of the tune and sound. This was when i was very young and had never heard any jazz apart from Acker Bilk that my parents had. Yes Ornette had a certain uniqueness of intonation. Some jazz is like that some isn't.

 

[aquatic]

ive longed for a sax since i was a small child but it wasnt to be. then last year i went to see courtney pine live. loved it. thought it was about time i gave it a try.

funny, have a recording of his latest live performance and dont like any of it. probably just me.

anyway,, thats why i bought my first sax last june.

 

[aquatic]

i liked his album "devotion",, but i feel that after this he became too self indulgent at the expense of fine music.. just my humble opinion of course and i know he has many fans out there, its just to me he seems to have a excelent african backing group,, the music is great. then he just plays over indulgent solos over the top. maybe if you find some of his stuff you can let me know if you agree,, would be intesting debate i think.

 

[lee_]

Elmer, I believe the sax player on "New York State of Mind" is LA session pro Jim Horn.

 

[elmer]

Cheers Lee, I'll google him to find out some more 🙂

 

[Pete Thomas]

Jim Horn. Great saxophonist (in my book)

 

[chasin_the_trane]

John coltrane- blue train and

Charlie parkers verison of lester leaps in

Those are my 2

 

[spike]

Hi Ken, can you tell me which album the River with Clarence Clemons is on, I'd like to transcribe it, but have only found a copy with bruce playin' his blues harp.

And the sax player on New york state of mind was probably Richie Cannata, although Jim Horn did play it with Billy Joel in 1997 at the HBO special, the original is from 76 and I'd tip Richie, but I can't prove it.

and back on topic I think it was Julian Adderly's "Sack a' Woe" that woke me up to the sax, but it's many moons ago.

 

[tengu01]

For me there have been a few
1. Joshua Redman - Hide & Seek (Freedom in the Groove)
2. Jazz Warriors - In Reference to our Forefather's Fathers Dreams (Out of Many, One People)
3. Jamey Oehlers - Three Little Things (Virtuosic Saxophones)
4. Skerik and Calder Spanier on Charlie Hunter's "Common Ground" which you can download from http://www.charliehunter.com/audio/index.htm under MP3s Vol. 2

 

[Rogerb]

For me, it was a 'popular' tune of the 1950s "Stars Shine in Your Eyes" which I heard as a recorded alto solo before a cinema show, back then 🙂

 

[drew_stewart]

ken,i agree with you over clarence clemons he was the first guy who i ever heard of playing the sax,and since then well the rest is history,the boss is one guy i would love to se in concert!!

 

[Bobby G]

Inspirational tunes that started me on sax? Many and various, and it took a long time for me to get round to making the switch from guitar & bass. 'Bemsha Swing', by Monk - it doesn't even have a sax on it, but I just loved the feel, that kind of mid-tempo lope where you feel the guys could play all night. Mel Collins and others in King Crimson, especially the albums Lizard and Earthbound. Junior Walker. Early Madness. Geoff Leigh and Tim Hodgkinson in 70's avant-rock band Henry Cow. Johnny Hodges playing 'Jeep's Blues' on the live Ellington album. David Jackson in Van der graaf Generator (more 70's prog). Finally, playing bass in a jazz-funk(ish) band in the 80's that was my first exposure to being in a band with horns.

 

[Bobby G]

Oh, and finally finally, Coltrane's album 'Coltrane', in particular 'Tunji', music for rainswept city streets at night....

 

[tengu01]

Those of you in the UK may remember this - a radio station called "Jazz FM", which actually used to play jazz. In the early 90s, I would sit and listen after school to a programs they used to call "Dinner Jazz" and "After Hours".

I had no clue about jazz until that point and I could listen to some really amazing music that made me want to practice and improve

The reason I mention it here is because it was the first time I heard Stan Getz playing "Desafinado". I didn't catch what the tune was called but I had it recorded on tape and whistled it for days until I could work it out on the sax.
Unfortunately over time, Jazz FM slowly reduced its jazz content to the point where there was more R&B/Soul than jazz and it was rebranded as "Smooth FM" :x

Wherefore art thou jazz radio with inpirational music for the seekers of enlightenment? :erm:

 

[Bobby G]

Hi Tengu01. Bits of jazz on the BBC, R2 on a Monday, R3 on a Saturday, but basically nowt on a 24-hour basis as I am sure you are aware. Even when Smooth FM was Jazz FM its jazz content wasn't massive during the day. Even when randomly station hopping it's amazing how often they would be playing 'I Say A Little Prayer' when I tuned in. There are some songs/tunes that, while not bad in themselves, I find I am just sooooo bored with them I have to turn over. 'Walk on by' is another one.

Ken, you are after dipping your toe in the murky waters of jazz - might I recommend 'Kind of Blue' by Miles Davis? Not at all in yer face so nothing to offend the sensibilities, but by no means bland.

I initially found jazz quite scary, in the same way as classical can be quite scary (although classical stuff is more accessible and less alien to the unititiated, I suppose) in that it's such a huge area to get into you don't know where to start. I read a suggestion once, something along these lines - if you have a feeling you might like some jazz, just get ahold of a few CD's and listen to them. Note whose playing you like on them, and get more by those people. For instance, using Miles 'kind of Blue' as a starting point, you might like Cannonball Adderley's playing, so get ahold of 'Somethin Else', or Bill Evans piano might appeal to you, etc etc. That's how I got into it, but beware! It can lead you into some quite scary places 😱 🙂

Flexibility of personnel and bands seems to be universal in jazz, far more than rock (that old gang mentality thing, like the Clash etc) so just follow who you like and you're bound to find more.

Cheers, Bob

 

[Rogerb]

It's not, IMO, necessary to 'understand' *any* form of art - music, painting, sculpture, etc - in order to 'enjoy' it. You either *like* the way it looks/sounds or you don't.

It *can* help for an expert to *show* you what he/thinks 'makes it work', but it is, when it comes down to it, a really subjective thing.

I have tried hard to listen to some avant-garde classical music and jazz, but, in many cases, the joy which others claim to find in it passes me by :x
The same applies to the visual arts - the wonders of such as Tracy Emin and Damien Hirst will, I suspect , always be a mystery to me.
But I don't lose sleep over it 🙂

Again, I do sometimes wonder about the Emperor and his clothes