musicians that between them show the best range of styles

[dave 645]

So can you name three saxophonists, that each play a different style of music, but collectively show what a sax is capable of?
Hope that makes sense

 

[Young Col]

Almost impossible Dave. I would take a very risky punt at four in jazz alone - Bechet/Young/Parker/Coltrane; risky because it is no where near sufficient. There must be as many original ones in rock/pop sax and I am ashamed to say I don't know any classical sax players well enough to name!
YC

 

[Nick Wyver]

Evan Parker, John Harle, Pete Wareham

 

[Jules]

ok...hm .... albert ayler, john harle and lester young.... how does that sound (or could be peter brotzman, gerard mccrystal and art pepper) basically a free jazz/raw noise player, a classical player and a jazzer (jazz being a pretty broad church by itself).... ah but then there's king curtis, the whole rock & roll side of things, Garbarek for celtic folkiness, a latin music school of playing... hm, young Col might well be right...

 

[AdamBradley]

I went to a workshop run by Crowthers a few weeks ago with John Harle as the guest 'chap that everyone's there to see'.

Very interesting guy, the thing that stuck out most was his swearing by those Warburton embouchure trainers that someone linked here a few months back.

I can't answer your question, I don't know enough sax players from other spheres of music outside my favourites!

 

[Nick Wyver]

I thought about Brotzman too, but I decided to be parochial and go for living British players. Spreading the net a bit further you could have John Zorn, Marcel Mule and Sidney Bechet with a side order of Earl Bostic.

 

[Jules]

John Zorn... with a side order of Earl Bostic.

... Hm, sums up a lot of my playing!

 

[Saxlicker]

Paul Desmond to Sax Gordon covers most of the scope.

 

[Nick Wyver]

Paul Desmond to Sax Gordon covers most of the scope.

Nah, both too tonal.;}

 

[Saxlicker]

May be I mis understood the original question

 

[dave 645]

I guess it was a different way of saying, recommend some music that will show me what a sax can do.. I've spent some money based on Nick's first answer earlier on. The rest I am previewing on itunes throughout the day. Thanks for all the answers. Most of the names I had never heard of.

 

[BigMartin]

I guess it was a different way of saying, recommend some music that will show me what a sax can do.. I've spent some money based on Nick's first answer earlier on. The rest I am previewing on itunes throughout the day. Thanks for all the answers. Most of the names I had never heard of.

Have you tried a YouTube search for Plas Johnson? Quite a wide variety of styles all on his own. Don't know why he's not more famous (I'd never heard of him til I took up the sax)

 

[dorono]

As far as what's *possible* - I'd say:
* Michael Brecker for his versatility within the realm of modern music
* Roland Rahsaan Kirk for being able to play multiple instruments simultaneously
* Branford Marsalis for being able to play both jazz and classically music on an extraordinarily high level

 

[Selmerfan]

Its hard to narrow down to three, but i would hazzard a guess at these three:

*King Curtis - His virtuosity covers Jazz, soul and rock styles with such an ease. Also his control over the whole of the instrument, not just the lower registers is second to none. His solos are fresh and inventive and never "over-do-it" as i find some players do.
*Jean Marie Londeux - His classical style is fantastic, as is his teaching ability, his books are a must. Again his control of the whole instrument is fantastic
*Joshua Redman - His experimentation leads to the saxophones continuous evolution. He also posseses a great technical ability.


Chris

 

[drewster123]

How about

King Curtis (RnR)
Rolland Alfonso (ska)
Stan Getz (jazz)
+
Any 80's pop sax solos

 

[dorono]

Any 80's pop sax solos

Well if it's 80's sax solos you're looking for, look no further:
http://imacomputa.org/sax/

 

[VirusKiller]

Well if it's 80's sax solos you're looking for, look no further:
http://imacomputa.org/sax/

Thanks for posting. Very funny take on 80s pop sax!

 

[drewster123]

Well if it's 80's sax solos you're looking for, look no further:
http://imacomputa.org/sax/

Ha Ha - thanks but no thanks - i grew up in the 80's - i was not inspired then

 

[bestbutter]

Trane, Ayler and Dick

Can I suggest, in no particular order:

John Coltrane, for a seamless journey from the gorgeous lyricism of Miles' 'Kind of Blue' group to the torrential later stuff;

Albert Ayler, for an even longer span of styles (how many other players combine 1960s New York squawking with 1920s New Orleans honking and make it work?);

Dunno about the third - there are so many - but as a fan of old I like that Dick Heckstall-Smith, bless him, was as equally at home with the bombast of Colosseum in an auditorium as a purer trio in a tiny Stoke Newington jazz club. Like Roland Kirk he could also blow two horns at once. But how?

 

[Jules]

Dunno about the third - there are so many - but as a fan of old I like that Dick Heckstall-Smith, bless him, was as equally at home with the bombast of Colosseum in an auditorium as a purer trio in a tiny Stoke Newington jazz club. Like Roland Kirk he could also blow two horns at once. But how?

Most certainly- one of my heroes!