Thom- I'm really intrigued- how do you define a specific Reggae sax style. The rest I can pretty much work out the specifics of their styling but I've never managed to define exactly what makes for a Reggae technique (ok- Tommy McCook of the Skatelites- very laid back, slighlty stoned sounding and a bit out of tune- but still sounds amazing!)... do tell....
Jules,
Here are my thoughts about reggaesax. It’s my personal opinons and you should see me more like a listener to reggae than a reggae saxplayer..
I agree when it comes to the sax in reaggae. Is there any specific style? I don’t think it was Andrew Clarks purpose to invent a reggaestyle, just to give some advise if you come in a situation where you’re surpposed to play a reggae song. Lots of semi-proffesionals are playing on weddings, receptions …. and they maybe want a saxsolo in a reggaeasong!! The style reggae is also a style that have many faces. Pretty common and popular here in Sweden!
For me saxes in reggae is:
- A part of a small hornsection. A threepart section; trp, trb and as or a twopart section with trb and as. The fluegelhorn also blends very well to the alto in reggae, BTW in all styles I think.
- Riffing and pumping hornsection in a laidback/relaxed way.
- The necessary repetiton is important in reggae.
- The brighter saxes from the saxophone family is best in this style. I prefer soprano and alto to tenor (or bari) in reggae.
- Players with an ”airy-floating” way to play a solo is better in this genre than a hardhiter with a ”punchy-edgy” style. And less is more. The tones should be ”short-staccato-chicken” and don’t play too much, leave space. I think Paul Desmond, Johnny Hodges and Tab Smith should have been terrific reggae saxplayers!
I prefer brassplayers to the saxplayers in reggae. Rico (trb) and John Drummond(trp) are great. Of course, both Tommy McCook and Ronaldo Alphonso are also very good samples when it comes to reggaesax. As I wrote earlier, the tenorsax in reggea doesn’t turn me on. But the soprano is great.
The Skatalites? I don’t know, after two songs I want something else. It’s all the same, I think. Partymusic that is best on Jamaca. Is nearly Easy-Listening! Nothing wrong with that if you’re having a party and a easy living on Jamaica, but on a snowy, cold and dark winter-evening i Sweden … ? There is another reggae saxplayer I like. His name is Im Brooks.
This is my personal opinon about saxes in reggae.
For you who haven’t heard the CD ”Five Common Styles in Rock”, here comes a clip from Andrew Clarks presentation to his reggae song . He is a musical educated person and talks about triads, minor, major ….. . A good teacher. Just click on the link.
http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm201/thomsax/?action=view¤t=fivegroovesreggea_0001.flv
Thomas