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Traditional Blues Players

Veggie Dave said:
I've just had two weeks of thinking I'd lost any and all control I'd managed to gain in my short foray into saxophone playing while trying my hand at a little blues improvisation, only to discover the problem was in fact that I'm a tight-fisted northerner who should've change his reed weeks ago. ;)

Anyway, I've been really enjoying exploring this style, especially with a new reed, and now I want to explore what other people who can actually play it properly have done. What I'm looking for are recommendations for players/albums of traditional blues played on the sax. Horn versions of Robert Johnson, Ry Cooder and even Gary Moore.

Up to now all I can find is very jazz-heavy blues whereas what I want is proper 'I woke up this morning and my wife left me for my best friend, my dog died, I'm broke and out of corn flakes but I'm not alone as I can hear the train whistle fading away while Satan waits to claim my soul as I draw my last breath' blues. :D

I assume people have recorded this style of trad. blues on sax at some point in the past, so can anyone point me in the right direction, please?
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I just discovered Lee Allen way too late in my blues listening. a bit more towards r+B but will probably be someone you’ll like. Very rough bluesy sound and actually takes pauses in his solos. Walking with Mr Lee is the album to listen to. However, I’ve realized that just copying all those blues guitar players is a good way to get started. Big horn special is my favorite on the album.
 
I think Lee Allen was one of best Rock & Roll Saxplayer. The way he played was Rock & Roll. From Blues, R&B to Rock & Roll. I was surprised when I heard Allen playing sax (Steve Berlin on baritone) with The Blasters in the early 80's. Lee Allen and Red Tyler became the Rock & Roll saxophone back in the mid 50's. Little Richard's music wouldn't be the same without the sax duo.

Lee Allen & Co inspired the players as well. Here is the Cal Green "The Big Push". Shure I've heard the horn lines somewhere else? Texas born Joe Sublett played with Cal Green as well.
View: https://youtu.be/NbH7AkkwBBc?si=t7Z4eAgyVvxUOIVJ


There were many other great Rock & Roll sax players; John "Plas" Johnsson, Steven Kreisman a k a Steve Douglas, Jr Walker .... and of course King Curtis.

Blues is a wiiiiiiiiiide concept. Early blues sax - listen to the Louisiana saxophone (harmonica).
 
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Well, when I see "traditional blues" I think Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, Robert Johnson, Mamie Smith, and so on.

I'd suggest a course of intensive listening to the old old records. See what the saxophone players were doing. (Robert Johnson probably never recorded with a saxophone player.)

Then you have "urban blues" as T-Bone Walker, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, John Lee Hooker, and so on. They would have been frequently recorded with saxophonists, I think, but the sax players would generally have been doing "horn section" stuff and the occasional solo.
 
Yes, lots of blues saxophones.

I like the blues saxophone players that are also also singing. Louis Jordan, Cleanhead Vinson, King Curtis, Jr Walker, J.T Brown, A.C. Reed, Eddie Shaw ..... still rather many that tell us the blues with their voices and saxophones.
 
Veggie Dave said:
I assume people have recorded this style of trad. blues on sax at some point in the past, so can anyone point me in the right direction, please?
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I talked about this with my friend. The early blues it was the cornet or trumpet that were dominant. Why? The. trumpet cut through and was also affordable among people with less money. Saxophones were expensive. Charles Joseph " Buddy" Bolden, William Christopher "WC" Handy, Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong ...., but even Sidney Bechet on soprano sax, were playing the early/traditional blues on wind instruments. The harmonica and selfmade flute/whistles were also early blues instruments. Saxophones in blues became more common in the late 20's or early 30's. Louis Jordan was the forerunner when it came to singing and playing the blues. The honking saxes became common in jump blues. Some guys called the wild tenor honkers in the early 50's for blues or R&B. If there is some blues, it's way back. Today we have many good blues players. They can play blues, jazz, fusion ..... but to be a good session player is one thing to play sax in a blues joint is another thing.
 
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The blues is the base for me. I always return to the blues. I don't think it's so easy to play the blues but I can sing, play my sax in the background, fillings and solos without being a virtuoso. Lots of blues backing tracks and blues jams are great for sax players.

I like electric blues.

Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson & the Magic Rockers with a young Sax Gordon on tenorsax.
View: https://youtu.be/6NFYjwEp66E?si=r9IIqJFdOTYcVYJZ
 
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Just keep in mind that electric urban blues (heavy on guitars) is a form that really became significant in the mid 40s, by which time there was already 40+ years of blues history. It's well worthwhile to investigate what went before.

To be quite honest, the subsequent development has been far less significant; Stevie Ray in 1985 or whoever's hot today is a lot closer to BB or Muddy in 1946 in style, than those guys are to the country blues holler of 1905.
 
turf3 said:
Just keep in mind that electric urban blues (heavy on guitars) is a form that really became significant in the mid 40s, by which time there was already 40+ years of blues history. It's well worthwhile to investigate what went before.

To be quite honest, the subsequent development has been far less significant; Stevie Ray in 1985 or whoever's hot today is a lot closer to BB or Muddy in 1946 in style, than those guys are to the country blues holler of 1905.
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The early blues was not played by blues bands at rural blues joints. W. C. Handy orchestra was probably just playing a couples of "blues. It was ragtime, trad jazz songs ....... . Some "blues" just had the word "blues" in the title. W.C. Handy orchestra members could read music and played at places for prosperous people. But Handy popularized the blues and wrote some blues that are still played among blues bands. Just one sax player (bari) on the photo (from 1919) of W,C, Handy orchestra. The sax in the blues became big in late 30's and early 40's.

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" Once in Los Angeles, he quickly impressed Maxwell Davis, who hired Plas Johnson to take his place on record dates so he could concentrate on his more lucrative gig-writing arrangements. " writes Billy Vera in his book "Rip It Up - The Specialty Record story". Plas Johnson moved from New Orleans to Los Angeles and became a highly in demand session player. Johnson also played with Larry Williams. Steve Douglas told us in VHS "Rock & Roll" that when he was booked at the same recording sessions as Plas Johnson, he tried to stay close to him so he could see and listen how Plas Johnson's did his fall-offs. A big inspirerer even for the professionals.... !!

Larry Williams "Hootchy Koo" with, probably, Plas Johnson.
View: https://youtu.be/_vltWDiUcUk?si=eze8FJ0X_iEhq36D
 
That is soo good. When I hear sax players like this I wonder why I try to play the sax. Traditional blues player ..... or more one of a kind player?
 
thomsax said:
That is soo good. When I hear sax players like this I wonder why I try to play the sax. Traditional blues player ..... or more one of a kind player?
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That was Walter Kimble. He was obviously very influenced by Lee Allen as you can hear, but he also went into jazzier areas but without losing the melodic stuff. I got to know him a bit when I was with Fats.
 
Pete Thomas said:
That was Walter Kimble. He was obviously very influenced by Lee Allen as you can hear, but he also went into jazzier areas but without losing the melodic stuff. I got to know him a bit when I was with Fats.
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I hesitated if it was Lee Allen. I think Allen had a little bit more Texas in his sound.
 
thomsax said:
I hesitated if it was Lee Allen. I think Allen had a little bit more Texas in his sound.
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Well done for realising it wasn't. Lee usually played that solo, but he wasn't on that gig so Walter Kimble did it but (because Fats expected it) he played a lot of Lees solo and added his own bits. But you can hear where he emulates Lee's note bends not just the melody. Lee has more grit and growl, Kimble is a bit jazzier but also more New Orleans or Louisiana-ish in sounds and inflection.
 

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