Great Players Who sparked your love of Sax music

[dooce]

I also love the way he swaps between Barri and tenor, I'd be too scared of damaging one of them. But I guess when your on his wages you just go buy a new one!

Dick Parry is a blacksmith by profession apparently. Not sure what money they make, but I bet popping down to the shop for yet another new Selmer isn't exactly a regular activity.....

 

[814jazzer]

Paul Desmond at Town Hall with the MJQ.
This was the first jazz recording that grabbed me.

~Rick

 

[MartinL]

I know that a lot of us think of the jazz greats when we think of great sax players but what track or player was the initial spark that lit the flame of love for the sax and sax music.

I think it was the sax part in careless whisper played by Steve Gregory that started it all and the the sax solo from "Will you" by Hazel O Conner can't remember who the sax player was but someone will tell me

Who was it for you?

mamos

Hazel O'Connor and Wesley Magoogan, Mt teenage years, LOL..

 

[drrob7]

I love the sound of Hank 'Hurricane' Carter (George Thorogood and the Destroyers) and Clarence Clemons (the E Street Band - Bruce Springstein).

This is a great thread - thanks for all the suggestions! Already my listening horizons are greatly broadened. (Gotta love iTunes - you can look up, sample, purchase and play within a minute.)

 

[Nick Wyver]

'Twas Elton Dean in my case. Playing with the Soft Machine in about 1970. Particularly his soprano stuff. Then John Surman with his Trio album. The final nail may have been driven in by hearing Coltrane's Sun Ship album when a mate brought it into school. Totally far out.

 

[zootsaxenberger]

I grew up listening to the great players (dad was a jazz bassist) so I love getz, simms,young etc
also I am a great fan of David Sanborn, and John Helliwell (Supertramp)

 

[Tommy Ng]

My mum.

 

[Lewis.S]

Fats Domino's Sax section on Blueberry Hill and I'm not sucking up to Pete, not sure if he was born, just couldn't afford one back then.
Only when I got old and crotchety and learnt how a Zimmer frame could be used as a weapon of Mass Destruction for terrifying teenagers and obtaining Voluntary Contributions, that one could be afforded.
Still can't play the riff, any chance of a lesson, Pete?

Uh, should I be scared?

 

[flamingoer]

For me it was hearing Art Pepper's extraordinary break and chorus on Stan Kenton's 'How High The Moon' following June Christy et al. Pure dynamite.

56 years later I bought an alto. Took a long time to sink in.

 

[SLoB]

At the very beginning I think it was hearing Paul Desmond. Not much after that it was Stan Getz. Over the years I have enjoyed listening to David Sanborn and Phil Woods. However, the two that I always go back to listening are Paul Desmond and Stan Getz.

Although as I mentioned in my 'I'm Back' thread it was recently hearing Snake Davies playing that made me think again about persevering and getting back into playing more.

 

[BigMartin]

Don't shoot me, but...

The Pink Panther theme (Plas Johnson)

I was only a kid at the time, and it took me til I was over 50 to actually take up the sax, but Plas' playing on that has kind of haunted me all these years. I didn't even know his name (and neither do any of the non-sax-players I know) until a few months ago. I'm slightly surprised noone has mentioned this (or did I miss it?).

Martin

 

[Jules]

Don't shoot me, but...

The Pink Panther theme (Plas Johnson)

I was only a kid at the time, and it took me til I was over 50 to actually take up the sax, but Plas' playing on that has kind of haunted me all these years. I didn't even know his name (and neither do any of the non-sax-players I know) until a few months ago. I'm slightly surprised noone has mentioned this (or did I miss it?).

Martin

The original version of the Pink Panther theme is superb- the Henry Mancini arrangement is gorgeous and Plas Johnson's playing is great! I'm a sucker for anything by Mancini... BTW- what about the Inspector Cleauseu Theme- thato ne's a corker too!

 

[kevgermany]

I agree with Jules - but - the Pink Panther theme has been plagiarised and vandalised by so many aspiring Sax players (and bad ones who should know better...) , that I'm coming to dread hearing it... Last time I head it was by a music school orchestra - with clarinets playing the lead..... Didn't work.

 

[RedBottom]

Just been trying to think back on this one and I can honestly say there was no-one in particular who really sparked it for me. It just kinda grew.

Saying that, I think I was finally spurred to take up the instrument after hearing that lovely sax solo in Buddy Holly's True Love Ways and later, the guy who sold me my first saxophone, who is one of those people who can just pick something up and play it.

Others: Louie Jordan, Lou Marini, Tommy Whittle, Dave Lewis, Ted Nash (a la Lincoln Centre) and a few others, our Pete included. All make sounds I'd love to emulate. You can keep your Courtneys and your Charlies. Give me someone a little different anytime.😎

 

[Larn]

As I posted in my first Doorbell thread I grew up listening to Little Richard, Fats Domino and also Glenn Miller along with alot of country music from my dad, wanted to play at school but they didn't have a sax only violins glockenspiel?? triangle!! and as it was only me (called mad by our so called music teacher for wanting to) they wouldn't entertain it. So I played rugby instead. Anyway i digress it was Herb Hardesty, Alvin 'Red' Tyler, and Lee Allen who I heard first and Tex Beneke playing with the Miller band. more modern times I am a fan of "the big man" Clarence Clemons.

Regards Mark.

 

[thomsax]

Yeah, all "your" saxplayers are great!! I'm also a big fan of the Big Man!! That man is a legend. I talked to him once. On the ferry between Helsingör (Denmark) and Helsingborg (Sweden). We were waiting to go down to the car deck. It was in the middle of the night on the third of May 1981. Bruce Springsteen and the E-street band was on the River Tour. They were heading for Gothenburg after playing at Brönbyhallen in Copenhagen. Beside Clemons it was also Steve Van Zandt (Little Steven, Maimi Steve), Bruce Springsteen and Danny Federici (rip) in the line. Nice and friendly guys . I couldn't believe my eyes. Huge guy. Not that tall but ... . He is a former American football player. I think it's better rugby instead of playing scales up and down!! After all you got to have the guts to attack!! I also played some rugby here in Sweden. And hockey. But I played football most of the time. I'm still spending lot of time traning in gym and running in the forrest. It helps my saxplaying. Few tones, safe playing and not to complicate but lot of energy and power.

I think Lee Allen also played American football in his younger days.

Thomas

 

[kostas]

When you grow up in Germany, you just get used to hear at least twice a year in some local festival woodwinds and brass instruments. That was the first love for me...listening to waltz and tango from these local bands!Then I couldn't help it whistling the tunes and improvising to songs that a cassette player at home reproduced!!!(I was about 7-8 years old back then) That was about it... I was addicted
After 8 years or so I discovered my dads old Conn alto in a closet, took it out and since then I am struggling to learn how to play!!!
I just LOVE it!!!!!!:crying:
Today I've got a YAS 62 Yamaha Alto sax and a Cannonball Mad Meg Tenor Sax and a Yamaha don't know model Flute🙂, and enjoy every day playing music!!!

 

[VirusKiller]

I've always loved the sax, but the classic 80s pop sax solos were definitely influential ("Baker Street", "Careless Whisper").

"Take 5" was up there as well. I'm wondering if my Dad, who grew up in New York, still has an original US copy of "Time Out"!

As a teen, I listened for hours to Branford Marsalis' work on Sting's "Nothing Like the Sun", and "Englishman in New York" in particular.

Hearing Tommy Smith on the radio in the late 80s tipped me into taking it up the first time.

Today, I love Stan Getz's sound - I first heard work I could attribute to him on the "Everything but the Girl" song "The Road"; his subtone is to die for. I think it's inevitable I'll end up with a tenor sax one day...

 

[John Laughter]

This list might bring back a few memories as well;
http://cafesaxophone.com/content.php?208-History-Top-40-Saxophone-Solos

 

[griff136]

Nice work John