Who sparked your love of Sax music

[Baby_Sneak]

I'm new to the sax world, so my guy will also be modern. Kamasi Washington sparked my love for the sax with this song:

Then I loved music due to Herbie Hancock's creative self with his album Sextant.

 

[John Laughter]

In the summer of 1956 a lot of R&R and R&B was being played on local radio stations. I remember hearing "Honky Tonk" by Bill Doggett and one of Little Richards' hits and becoming aware of the sax. That sound was all it took for me. I rode my bicycle to school to join the 7th grade band that summer. It was a time when sax solos were featured on many hit records being played on jukeboxes and radio stations.

 

[Dabaqallo]

Not sure I knew what a sax looked like back in my childhood, but I can't forget the enchanting sound of the instrument from series of soundtracks by Katsu Ohno for one of my favorite TV shows.

 

[mickw]

My fave album of all time Hot Rats by Frank Zappa ,with Ian Underwood on flutes and saxes ,particularly the long jams The son of Mr Green Genes and The Gumbo Variations in which Zappa trades solos with Underwood and violinists Jean Luc Ponty and Don "sugarcane " Harris .Another horn man I love is Mel Collins ex King Crimson amongst many other sessions ,check out Ladies of the road on Crimsons Islands LP.
Check out Dick Heckstall Smith's work ex The Graham Bond Organisation and Colloseum particularly Valentine Suite ,the first album on the now collectable Vertigo label---could go on forever but I'll keep it short for now

 

[Tiberius]

Growing up in the 70's, for me it was the pink panther.

 

[Jules]

My fave album of all time Hot Rats by Frank Zappa ,with Ian Underwood on flutes and saxes ,particularly the long jams The son of Mr Green Genes and The Gumbo Variations in which Zappa trades solos with Underwood and violinists Jean Luc Ponty and Don "sugarcane " Harris .Another horn man I love is Mel Collins ex King Crimson amongst many other sessions ,check out Ladies of the road on Crimsons Islands LP.
Check out Dick Heckstall Smith's work ex The Graham Bond Organisation and Colloseum particularly Valentine Suite ,the first album on the now collectable Vertigo label---could go on forever but I'll keep it short for now

A top tip for Dick Heckstall Smith- his autobiography, "Blowing the Blues" as well as being a good read includes a CD of live material which, for me, upstages pretty much anything else of his I've managed to track down.
Actually- as native of Huddersfield- I wonder if, like me, you first encountered DHS with his band at innumerable small hippy/biker festivals up in the Dales in the early 80s (usually on billings with The Groundhogs, Roy Harper, Here & Now etc)?

 

[Jonesy]

A top tip for Dick Heckstall Smith- his autobiography, "Blowing the Blues" as well as being a good read includes a CD of live material which, for me, upstages pretty much anything else of his I've managed to track down.
Actually- as native of Huddersfield- I wonder if, like me, you first encountered DHS with his band at innumerable small hippy/biker festivals up in the Dales in the early 80s (usually on billings with The Groundhogs, Roy Harper, Here & Now etc)?

I bought that one earlier this year, very good read (especially his [mis]adventures with Graham Bond). I lent it out while ago, must get it back.
'Wosa Nasu' is a good album, too.

Another good read is Jon Hiseman "Playing the band".

 

[Alice]

Growing up in the 70's, for me it was the pink panther.

I wanted that car from the opening credits!

 

[ellinas]

The artist that inspired me to get a tenor sax was Ike Quebec

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJou_YPgbgI

 

[nigeld]

This is what made me want to play the sax. I love big band music.

In this film clip the piano player is an actor, but apparently the others are the real Glenn Miller band members.

 

[saxyjt]

My mum loved that music and I heard it many times. She had the tape!

I don't dislike it, but I moved on... My Dad had more eclectic tastes and was an explorer, so he played records from Parker, Coltrane, Davis, Mulligan and many others until he really fell in love with classical music and although I like listening to some, I'm not as passionate as he was.

Not enough sax maybe!

 

[Bones]

Probably Richie Cannata (and later Mark Rivera) playing New York State of mind. And of course Candy Dulfer. And everyone loves Baker Street! Not forgetting Clarence Clemons.

 

[Nick Wyver]

And everyone loves Baker Street!

Ahem...

 

[David Roach]

My first experience of the saxophone was at the Creiff Hydro Hotel in Perthshire in the summer of 1966: I was 10 years old. We used to go for two weeks as a family and in the evenings the Blue Ribbon Dance Band (Tenor, Trumpet, Pno, Bass, Kit) used to play reels and foxtrots and waltzs and I danced with my Mum and Sister! As I danced around and passed the Band the sound pressure seemed enormous and incredibly exciting! What a great sound for a young lad. I wonder if any 10 year-olds get that nowadays?

Much later when I was already playing, it was Andy McKay from Roxy Music, then Dick Heckstall Smith, then Tom Scott, David Sanborn & Michael Brecker.

 

[Alice]

Ahem...

He's new here and hasn't done a search on it yet! I did the other day ( Baker Street Day ) and my computer caught on fire! Or spontaneously combusted.

Don't worry @Bones I like Baker Street! I can't make the upper notes 'scream' or play nicely properly of course (yet) but I blame the neighbour.

 

[Bones]

Ahem...

He's new here and hasn't done a search on it yet! I did the other day ( Baker Street Day ) and my computer caught on fire! Or spontaneously combusted.

Don't worry @Bones I like Baker Street! I can't make the upper notes 'scream' or play nicely properly of course (yet) but I blame the neighbour.

Okay, I get it, not everyone loves Baker Street. Thanks Nick! Lol.
@Alice I look forward to hearing you play it one day mate!

 

[SaxoFREAK]

When I heard the Born to run album by the Boss I fell in love with the sax & Mr Clemons, every band that had a sax player in the 70's & 80's I loved but it took me 42 years to finally purchase one, loving it so much you wouldn't believe..

 

[Bones]

Cool as, the player from the Beaver Brown Band (Michael Antunes I think??) As well!

 

[brianr]

Mid 70s. Im about 20. A guy in a local blues band, playing sax. I just loved the sound he was getting. But he had a beard and a beret, so he was from another world. A musician. It was a world that I thought wasnt for me. Idiot.

Then the LP "dark side of the moon" by Pink floyd. That was another "love" time.
tenor sax this time, but I didnt know there was a difference. Listened to sax bits over and over

Then live concert with Supertramp. I still remember the tone of the sax now. Love.

then, im in my late 20s by now, and music was becoming increasingly important to me. Mainly because Im living in a little fishing village in North of Scotland, and there is nothing else to do. Just me, my nice hi fi, and lots of Lps.

One in particular helped cement my love of sax. Total Control, by the Motels.
i must have played that song a million times.

I go to see Joan Armitrading live, in Aberdeen. She has a sax player.
Yet again, the sax knocks me out. Hairs up on the back of my neck. Etc etc.
I listen to the little voice in my head, at last.
Next day, 10 am on a Saturday, Im in a music shop buying a sax. Im almost 30 years old. Starting to learn sax. I Must be mad.

Im still mad, and still get hairs standing up on the back of my neck.

 

[Jeanette]

Then live concert with Supertramp. I still remember the tone of the sax now. Love.

Was it John Helliwell? We saw him play as part of Manchester Jazz festival last year in the Midland Hotel, great afternoon

Jx