Great Players Sax Gordon

[spike]

The Link was originally posted on SOTW -
Excellent Gordon Beadle video on YouTube posted by "Hobbes3"
Honkin' Rockin' Screamin' Cryin' Laughin', I missed seeing him live a coupla months ago - the video is a small consolation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lH-HHcta4w

 

[lee_]

I've got some of Sax Gordon's stuff on CD with Doug James (a pretty fair bari player). Gordon gets a tenor sound you could cut paper with.

In the several videos I've seen, he's using the same old vintage tenor. I'm guessing it's an old Martin, from the heavily braced neck. Suffice to say, he's a pretty active performer.

 

[spike]

Lee - its a Couf Superba 1 and a Selmer Mark VI braced neck - he cracked the original up. I think he has two old tenors, both Superba I, plays either a 9 or 9* Link with Rico 4 or 5 reeds depending on how loud he needs to be - rather him than me - still he's young I guess.
Doug James is with him on his "You Knock me out" Album.
here's the sotw thread if you're interested -
http://www.saxontheweb.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=41044

 

[spike]

This appears to be another number from the same gig

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HaKhDuYLvw

 

[Saxlicker]

Me like lots...

 

[mfox]

me no like much..
there is no doubt hes a pretty good blues man, but he plays the same regardless of the mood..and i hate all that mincing around..

 

[frankb]

The music I like. As for the performance...

Well, there's a fine line between "showmanship" and "pratting about"! Which side of that line this falls is (IMO) a matter of personal preference and how many trips to the bar you've made! 😉

I bet they'd be fun gigs to attend though. 8)

 

[philthd]

sadly, im pretty certain i usually end up on the wrong side of that line when im gigging

 

[danmays]

hahahaha one of the middle tracks could so easily be the Benny Hill theme tune! Yeh I agree with good showman ship.... Although there's so many things you can do with the blues bar the blues scale 😛

 

[philthd]

you ever read this article?
http://www.saxontheweb.net/Rock_n_Roll/RockSax04.html
its just one example of being able to do a lot with very little if you do it right

 

[Jules]

to any Sax Gordon fans- what's a good first CD to get? i've heard a bit of his material and was wanting to pick some up, but he's quite a prolific fellow

 

[thomsax]

His solo CDs at Bullseye Blues & Jazz label are all fine: 'Have Horn Will Travel', 'You Knock Me Out' and 'Live At The Saxblast'. Buy all three!!! He has also done some CDs with Dough James (barisax).

I arranged a gig with Sax Gordon last year. A great player and showman. It's '90 MPH' with Gordon on the stage!!

Regarding his mouthpiece he was/is playing a RPC. A wide opening, huge chamber and , if I recall right, no baffle! Rico std reeds # 5 at that time. After the gig he picked up brand new Morgan Excalibur from the package! He sounded almost the same!!

Gordon is playing a lot in Europe. The last years he has been playing with Alex Schultz (guitar) and Raphael Wressing (B3 and basspedal) in a constellation called 'R&B Explosion'. His own band Sax Gordon Band is based in Italy. Lately Gordon has been playing with a young guitarplayer called Matthew Stubbs (Charlie Musselwhite).

I've been trying to arrange a mini-festival " A Tribute To Champion Jack Dupree". Champion lived a couple of miles outside my hometown here in the south of Sweden in the early 70's. Gordon recorded with Dupree at Bullseye Blues & Jazz. Kenn Lending, Sax Gordon ....in the houseband!!!! Champion lived together with the Swedish artist Eva Acking. Their paintings are from time to time on exhibitions here in Sweden. When I'm talking about Champion Jack I can't stop thinking about King Curtis and to bring over 'the white guy who sounds like King Curtis'; David 'Woody' Woodford aka Rock 'n' Roll Gunslinger for gigs. That is a dream. I'm sure he would fit in a "Tribute To Champion Jack Dupree'. Woody has Scanian heritage but he seems to enjoy his life a lot in California!! But when I talked to him last time he was hesitating. So I better start savin' up!

Off topic again.

Sax Gordon is a great player and all is records are fine.

Thomas

 

[greg_strange]

I have the Sax Gordon CDs "Have Horn Will Travel" and "You Knock Me Out". I really like his playing and there always seems to have a good time vibe and sense of humour and playfullness in his music with the big, fat rock and roll sound. Great stuff.

Thomas mentions Dave Woodford - I have a couple of his albums under his band name Dr. Strutt from the late 1970s. Apparently the late Alexis Korner use to use one of the tunes, title track of the album "Struttin' " for a theme tune of a radio show Mr. Korner use to host in the early 1980s. Dave Woodford is the sax player on the tune 'The Heat Is On' from Beverley Hills Cop film soundtrack featuring Eagles vocalist Glenn Frey.
Regards,
Greg Strange.

 

[thomsax]

'DD Rider' (Have Horn Will Travel), 'Melancholy Serenade' (Have Horn Will Travel) and 'Crawling Home' (You Knock Me Out) are some of my favourites. Live he is doing great versions of 'F L A/90 MPH' (Noble Watts) and 'Rock On' (Buddy Johnson) Gordon is very good at playing in the same style like the 'real honkers'. But he is doing very well just as Sax Gordon!

David Woodford replaced David Sandborn in the band 'Who It Is' in 1985. The other members in the band was: Richard Tee (keys), Cornell Dupree (guitar), Will Lee(bass) and David Weckl (drums). I got a cassette recording of a live gig. Great STUFF!

Thomas

Thomas