Great Players Who sparked your love of Sax music

[aldevis]

Thank you so much! I intended to check out Evans-Lacy collabs soonish, but I had no idea I would have a chance to hear Cannonball and Lacy play together!

I think they are never on the sam track (unfortunately). Gil Evans loved them both and wrote great stuff for them.
"Paris Blues" is a minimal duo album by Lacy and Evans. Unmissable too.
A bit in this vein
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExCgxQx__BI

 

[Sinne]

I think they are never on the sam track (unfortunately). Gil Evans loved them both and wrote great stuff for them.
"Paris Blues" is a minimal duo album by Lacy and Evans. Unmissable too.
A bit in this vein
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExCgxQx__BI

Sorry for the shameless thread hijack, but I want to thank Aldevis again for his suggestions. I was recently at an Evan Parker gig in Amsterdam (with Misha Mengelberg, and later with Han Bennink, Ernst Glerum and Michael Moore!), and I used the oppertunity to dig in to the Bimhuis record collection. There I found 'Paris Blues' and paid for it four seconds later. I must say it's a very lovely listen! For what it's worth, Lacy sparks my love of sax music right now.

On topic: I realised the other day that, although Cannonball was my first true encounter with jazz and The Almighty Saxophone, my REAL love for jazz and everything jazzy happened by becoming seriously addicted to the album JuJu by Wayne Shorter in 2009 all the way to 2012. I know a couple of jazz lovers and read about a lot of them here, but I do think that my feverish obsession with JuJu has been something of an exception. Did anyone else go completely ape when listening to the likes of 'Deluge' or 'Mahjong'? Is there anybody out there? 😛

 

[Mike]

Through Frank Zappa I discovered Eric Dolphy and I really loved his music. Out To Lunch I still listen to.
But in particular this tune!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-n6KzsFwx8

Man, that solo always does it for me! That cat could swing!

 

[Jazzaferri]

I still find it hard to beleive Lacy played soprano ...his tone is so huge.

if I recall correctly at least in the later years a custom 12* Link mpce ...the opening is like a medium tenor mpce .....

my first sax idol at age 10 was Paul Desmond. I still have the sheet music for piano and sax for take five from like 1961 price was $1.95

 

[Kingsleyhk]

I still find it hard to beleive Lacy played soprano ...his tone is so huge.

if I recall correctly at least in the later years a custom 12* Link mpce ...the opening is like a medium tenor mpce .....

How do these guys play those wide openings? Ernie Watts plays something like a 160 Link.

 

[aldevis]

How do these guys play those wide openings? Ernie Watts plays something like a 160 Link.

It is a funny thing. My Link 11 plays with the same reeds I use on the 9 (RJS2M). Willie Garnet plays Rico 4 or 5 on a 140 Berg. I tried it, and it is actually playable. Easier than expected.

 

[Ivan]

It is a funny thing. My Link 11 plays with the same reeds I use on the 9 (RJS2M). Willie Garnet plays Rico 4 or 5 on a 140 Berg. I tried it, and it is actually playable. Easier than expected.

Gordon Bennet, how does that work then?

 

[aldevis]

Gordon Bennet, how does that work then?

I guess it is about longer facings, and letting the reed vibrate in a different way. I don't have a sample big enough to develop a theory.

 

[Jazzaferri]

If I recall correctly, with a really wide tip opening pitch and tone become mor and more flexible so more and more control is required

 

[dolphesque]

The first time a saxophone ever really grabbed me was Courtney Pine's soprano solo on the Children of Need of 'Perfect Day' - I'd never heard a sound like that before. Then rock and metal started to appeal to me more and saxophone just got lumped in with all other classical and jazz instruments.

Since getting more into jazz there's been lots of great saxophone players I've enjoyed but the one that convinced me to in the end was Pete Wareham of Acoustic Ladyland. Hearing the saxophone in an alt-rock/punk environment was really refreshing but also made me realise that I didn't have to become an amazing jazz player to be a good saxophone player - I just had to make music I wanted to hear.

If you've not listened to Acoustic Ladyland I'd recommend 'Last Chance Disco' or 'Living With a Tiger'.

 

[Colin the Bear]

http://youtu.be/nQbxPehDQvc

I think I'd ask for my money back under the trades description act. Sheesh.

 

[Nick Wyver]

Since getting more into jazz there's been lots of great saxophone players I've enjoyed but the one that convinced me to in the end was Pete Wareham of Acoustic Ladyland. Hearing the saxophone in an alt-rock/punk environment was really refreshing but also made me realise that I didn't have to become an amazing jazz player to be a good saxophone player - I just had to make music I wanted to hear.

Quite. But note Pete Wareham is also an amazing jazz player when he wants to be one.

If you've not listened to Acoustic Ladyland I'd recommend 'Last Chance Disco' or 'Living With a Tiger'.

So would I.

http://youtu.be/nQbxPehDQvc

I think I'd ask for my money back under the trades description act. Sheesh.

Thanks for that. Excellent!

 

[altissimo]

Re Steve Lacy, here's an interesting bit of info from Evan Parker - "Steve Lacy took this approach to an extreme, using the biggest possible opening, and the softest reed, a custom-finished ebonite Link with a tip opening of around 11 or 12 , so he had it opened up really big but then played an extremely soft reed. A Number 1 Marca cane reed softened down to almost less than a 1. I’ve seen Steve sand on a a Number 1 reed. Very unusual. I’m not sure but I presume he used a fairly relaxed embrochure."
http://www.pointofdeparture.org/PoD9/PoD9EvanParker2.html

 

[dolphesque]

I think I'd ask for my money back under the trades description act. Sheesh.

Well I guess they're not for everybody😀. Other tracks are more melodic than that one, 'Thing' is just meant to be heavy and raucous I think.

 

[Bobby G]

For me, David Jackson with Van der Graaf, Geoff Leigh and Tim Hodgkinson with Henry Cow got me into enjoying the sound of the sax, or more precisely what you could do with a sax. Or was it Roger Ruskin Spear with the Bonzo's? What inspred me to start playing myself was Johnny Hodges playing Jeep's Blues on the Ellington at Newport album, that soaring bluesy tone is just beautiful and still affects me to this day. Close behind this would have been practically anything by Cannonball Adderley, but especially Autumn Leaves off the Somethin' Else album, his ebullient, joyful playing always gets me.

 

[DavidG]

This is an old thread...but nonetheless interesting for that! Lots of interesting players I haven't heard of and plenty of YouTube links to chase up. Anyway, the piece that really piqued my interest in (and love for) the Saxophone has to be the Baritone Sax solo on Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side", the player of which (with the aid of Google) I can tell you is Ronnie Ross. It still sends a chill down my spine.

 

[Nick Wyver]

Baritone Sax solo on Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side", the player of which (with the aid of Google) I can tell you is Ronnie Ross.

Yes - very distinctive. I saw the sax in question (allegedly) the other day - Conn Crossbar.

 

[aldevis]

Yes - very distinctive. I saw the sax in question (allegedly) the other day - Conn Crossbar.

Was it on sale?

 

[U CAN CALL ME AL]

Yes - very distinctive. I saw the sax in question (allegedly) the other day - Conn Crossbar.

You might like this More 'sax' in it!

 

[Nick Wyver]

Was it on sale?

Nope. Twas in bits.