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Who gets your vote for best rock n roll sax?

ParadisePoet

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Reading another thread I saw Van Morrison kicked down some pegs for his sax playing.

But as designated regular Rolling Stones sax side, the late Bobby Keys really hauled it. He played that famous sax on Brown Sugar.

Toured and recorded with Stones and other acts. Died in 2014. ( Was replaced by Karl Denson.)

I'm voting for Bobby Keys. Who gets your vote, any rock band, any era?
 
Boby Keys was simply the best "Stones sax player"!! Like Clarence Clemons was the best Springsteen sax player. My heart says that I shall vote for Clarence Clemons. My brain says Steve Douglas. He had it all. From Duanne Eddy to Ramones. A great recording sax man as well. Wrecking Crew, Beach Boys, Leonard Cohen, Mink Deville, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Ry Cooder, J.J.Cale ........ Baritone, tenor, alto, soprano, flutes ..... In studios or on stages. When I talked with David Woodford (another great Rock & Roll saxplayer) . about Steve Douglas he said something like " ...... Steve Douglas had big sail and could take lots of wind ....."
 
@thomsax what a knowledgeable and wonderful précis of the genre! Thanks.

Now that I think about your list--especially including the Ramones--I'd like to add the first rock sax I noticed as a kid (as in stand back and salute) was the soloist on X-Ray Specs's Oh Bondage Up Yours. That really delivered it too.

Going to look up the name now. Thanks again.
 
I'd like to add the first rock sax I noticed as a kid (as in stand back and salute) was the soloist on X-Ray Specs's Oh Bondage Up Yours.

My first exposure to the sax was via punks bands, too.

X-Ray Spex, Boomtown Rats (Rat Trap - Alan Holmes), Siouxsie and the Banshees (Regal Zone - John McKay) and then, of course, Hazel O'Conner's Breaking Glass album and film (Wesley Magoogan).
 
My first exposure to the sax was via punks bands, too.

X-Ray Spex, Boomtown Rats (Rat Trap - Alan Holmes), Siouxsie and the Banshees (Regal Zone - John McKay) and then, of course, Hazel O'Conner's Breaking Glass album and film (Wesley Magoogan).
Thanks for those additions!
 
Thanks for those additions!
Yes, first of all we have to agree what is “Rock & Roll”.
Looks like it’s anything that ain’t jazz or classical.
- In which case my vote goes to Jr Walker. I was listening to his cameo on “Urgent” last night - Oh Man, that bit after he climbs down from the high notes…
Must put my Berg Larsen on and have a go at it!
 
"Rock & Roll Saxophone" is a broad subject.

Here is good description written by MR R&B aka Jonas Bernholm. "Saxophonograph" is a record label.
saxophonograph.JPG

John Lennon said something like ..... if you going to re-name Rock & Roll you can call it Chuck Berry. But Berry didn't use so many saxes in his music. I wrote about the huge impact the saxophone had on Rock.
förordchucken.JPG

When I'm looking for the roots of Rock & Roll, I often ends up in Memphis, Tennessee. Different styles were melted together and out came Rock & Roll ...... . Is not only R&B, Rock & Roll have lots of influences from country as well. Listen to Bill Black Combo, Ace Cannon. Boots Randolph ..... .

One of first Rock & Roll songs. "Rocket 88" by Jackie Brenston & his Delta Cats. Jackie Brenston was a singing saxophonist. The band was more or less the same as Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm. Raymond Hill played the saxsolo. And Raymond Hill's woman back then was Anna Mae Bullock a k a Tina Turner after she married Ike ..... . It's a song from 1951???? They use to say the birth year of Rock & Roll is 1955.

View: https://youtu.be/MWGPznPnxkE


Off topic. This is a good and fun thread. Let's have more votes.
 
Yes, first of all we have to agree what is “Rock & Roll”.
Looks like it’s anything that ain’t jazz or classical.
- In which case my vote goes to Jr Walker. I was listening to his cameo on “Urgent” last night - Oh Man, that bit after he climbs down from the high notes…
Must put my Berg Larsen on and have a go at it!
The say the electric bass took the "Roll" out from "Rock & Roll"! Whiter Shade of Pale is not Rock & Roll. It's just "Rockifierad" classic music. So King Curtis was a classic player as well??? He just did it his way.
 
Perhaps a good idea to go back to where it started in the 40's with the Honkers and Bar Walkers, the R&B Wailers and Screamers and Texas Tenors and understand what's being talked about.
May I offer an article by Doug Miller for more depth on the subject:
The moan with the tone . . . as a .pdf file for your reading pleasure.
 
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Yes, first of all we have to agree what is “Rock & Roll”.
The lyrics and the vocal was important in early Rock & Roll. Songs like "The Honey Dripper" (Joe Liggins Orchestra), "Open The Door Richard" (Jack Mc Vea orchestra) .... had easy lyrics. The radio, jukeboxes and later TV were important to spread Rock & Roll music.

Maybe Rock & Roll Saxophone is little bit misleading when we today mean RockSax. I use to say that RockSax is five diffent styles; ballad, blues, soul, funk and reggae. Maybe I add Rock & Roll, Punk and Ibiza sax? ;)
 
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