I love Jazz music - the Saxophone blows tho
 

I even played the Alto Sax in middle school for a couple of years..

But ya I love all kinds of Jazz music, from the classics all the way thru the modern fusion stuff. Everything from Billy Holiday, Armstrong, Duke, Bebop, Dixieland, all the great jazz guitar players, those classic Hammond B3 Organ guys, those incredible clarinet players, Miles Davis, etc etc.. I mean I really love Jazz! But as soon as those Sax guys start blowing, I gota change the station.

I know Charlie Parker and John Coltrane are geniuses, but wow is that sound just so scratchy, annoying, just can't stand it. Even the modern "smooth" sax songs are hard to listen to. I just don't know what the attraction is to the whole Jazz sound.

Anyone here like listening to the Saxophone? Why? What is it about that sound that attracts you to the music? Or do others share my sentiment that its the bane of music in all its forms?

L8r.. BB

Re: I love Jazz music - the Saxophone blows tho
 

Can't think of an instrument that is all or nothing like that. I often don't like the sax in pop music because it is slipped in as an easy sort of false cool, and the riffs are often juvenile and predictable. You get a "Wow, I'm listening to a saxophone!" vibe in songs still that doesn't fly for, say, an electric guitar in rock music, except maybe heavy metal, where there is a lot of, "Wow, this is a guitar!" sound.

So I like the sax, I just don't like to be hit over the head with it or patronized by it. Unfortunately, in a lot of pop music, you can almost guarantee one or both of the latter.

Re: I love Jazz music - the Saxophone blows tho
 

well, my instrument is the tenor sax, so I'm obviously biased, but to me there is nothing better then hearing sonny rollins in flight from the late 50s. There are just things that can't be done on any other instrument with the sax, lines that are just so amazing. What I love so much about the tenor sax too is that it's generally the closest an instrument can come to the male voice

I personally don't understand the disdain you have, but to each their own. I know that I couldn't listen to jazz and completely cut off listening to sax players. To me there is just so much beauty in the sound of a saxophone that it's hard for me to ever not want to listen to someone like stan getz, hank mobley, don byas, tim warfield, mark turner, and so on

Re: I love Jazz music - the Saxophone blows tho
 

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well, my instrument is the tenor sax, so I'm obviously biased, but to me there is nothing better then hearing sonny rollins in flight from the late 50s. There are just things that can't be done on any other instrument with the sax, lines that are just so amazing.

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Thanks for the reply. Give me a favorite Sonny Rollins song and I'll buy it from itunes, check it out, see what you're talking about.

As for the "there are things that just can't be done on any instrument but a sax", uh, like what? My contention is a guitar player can do anything a sax can, plus alot more (chords etc).

Of all the sax sounds tho, I agree that tenor is the best.

L8r.. BB

Re: I love Jazz music - the Saxophone blows tho
 

there are limitations to the pick for a guitar player. With the sax, the way that one can progress chromatically over chords is very unique to the sax and sax only.

As far as rollins goes, check out anything from Saxophone Collosus. St. Thomas is probably the one to really look for with Strode Rode a close second. He also utterly kills Moritat(mack the knife) with an amazing 4 1/2 minute solo that is pure innovation.

Sonny Rollins is my main influence. I have always enjoyed Trane, but from the first time I ever heard Sonny Rollins, it just clicked with me. His tone from that period is just off the charts. He uses the Coleman Hawkins/Don Byas(he was probably more influenced by Byas who was vastly under rated) tone and all sorts of hard bop sensibilities.

I'd also recommend checking out Hank Mobley, especially how he plays on This I dig of You, No Room for Squares, and I remember you. In fact, all of Hank Mobley's stuff from Blue Note is just pure gold.

Re: I love Jazz music - the Saxophone blows tho
 

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there are limitations to the pick for a guitar player. With the sax, the way that one can progress chromatically over chords is very unique to the sax and sax only.

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Wow, I wish I understood what you're talking about. I've played guitar for 25+ years, which also can do things no other instrument can. I'll def check out your suggestions tho thx!

L8r.. BB

Re: I love Jazz music - the Saxophone blows tho
 

every instrument can do things that other's can't, that's what makes them all so great

Re: I love Jazz music - the Saxophone blows tho
 

Isn't the solo in Hall & Oates "Maneater" a sax? If so, I <3 it. Love that solo. Haha.

I have no knowledge of instruments really. It's quite pathetic. I love me some jazz and blues music though. <3

Re: I love Jazz music - the Saxophone blows tho
 

I've never heard of someone hating the saxaphone before. Maybe its because I'm a blues musician, but I LOVE playing with sax players, love hearing good sax improv, love the sax. Two instruments I'd love to learn? Sax, and then piano.


Saxaphone is one of the most expressive instruments.

Re: I love Jazz music - the Saxophone blows tho
 

Loving jazz but hating sax makes me really dizzy

Re: I love Jazz music - the Saxophone blows tho
 

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Give me a favorite Sonny Rollins song and I'll buy it from itunes

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It's mainstream, but my favorite Rollins tune is St. Thomas. Lovely melody, cool rhythm, accessible. Seen him live a few times in large and small venues. What a performer. Where he uses session musicians on tour, to see his subtle conducting, guiding these guys through the tunes, is special.

Re: I love Jazz music - the Saxophone blows tho
 

Not sure what to say about this. Everyone's entitled to their own taste and opinions.

But I cannot relate to disliking the sax. In fact, I can't say I dislike any particular instrument. But I think the sax is, if anything, more capable of evoking a wide breadth of emotions than any brass instrument.

And there is hardly one, type of sax sound.

Compare Stan Getz or Paul Desmond to Dexter Gordon or Coltrane. Compare Jackie McLean or Arthur Blythe to Cannonball Adderley. If you think there is one sax sound, then you just haven't been exposed to that many players.

Re: I love Jazz music - the Saxophone blows tho
 

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But I think the sax is, if anything, more capable of evoking a wide breadth of emotions than any brass instrument.
<snip>
If you think there is one sax sound, then you just haven't been exposed to that many players.

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Yep, thats me, haven't heard a sax solo yet that moves me. Either they are too grating and scratchy, or too "smooth" (Kenny-G barf), or whatever. Like I've said before I love all kinds of jazz (and blues!), but haven't found a sax player yet that I find enjoyable to listen to. Just something about that instrument that I find quite unpleasant.

No question its one of the most expressive instruments around tho, and I guess I'd rather listen to it than a crappy electronic keyboard solo.. but still, give me a guitar, piano, bass, clarinet or brass solo anyday of the week instead.

So as suggested I bought Sonny Rollins St. Thomas off of itunes from the Saxophone Colossus album. The drum and piano solos are great, but the Sax stuff, while quite expressive, again is just something that reminds me of fingernails on a chalkboard. Oh well, I'm hopeless.

L8r ya'll.. BB

Re: I love Jazz music - the Saxophone blows tho
 

The saxophone is probably my favourite instrument, especially the alto and tenor. Agree with other posters about Sonny Rollins. Another of my favourite saxophonists is Charlie Parker. For me there are few better sounds than a really good piece of saxophone improv, it can capture my imagination in a way that few other instruments can.

If you like fusion and more modern sounding jazz, I would recommend Courtney Pine or Soweto Kinch, a saxophonist / rapper who mixes in hip-hop and reggae influences to his music. I would suggest listening to his "Conversations with the unseen" album if you are interested.

Re: I love Jazz music - the Saxophone blows tho
 

I won't say I can't stand the sax but I do find that it is often cliché and overrated in its usage. I admit to preferring a piano/bass/drum trio for more mellow moments and dixieland/big band/swing for more energetic music. I pretty much dislike most fusion as being generic and repetitive.

Having seen Kenny G in concert several times because my wife is a fan - gack! I have no doubt the guy is talented but his music makes me want to gag.

Re: I love Jazz music - the Saxophone blows tho
 

I'm going to have to agree with the OP, to a degree. I certainly don't hate the saxophone, but it's not my favorite jazz instrument. That's not to say that listening to even a talented sax player is like nails on a chalkboard -- far from it -- but few sax solos grip me the way other instruments can. Within the set of saxes, though, my preferences are probably a little weird. My favorite saxes are the baritone and, oddly enough, the soprano. My love of the soprano sax is mostly because Sidney Bechet was an absolute monster and not because I care for what Kenny G has done with it. I tip my hat to Coltrane's version of My Favorite Things, too. There haven't really been any soprano sax players outside of Bechet and Coltrane who've moved me like they could, so perhaps my love of this instrument should be rebranded as a love of a couple musicians. I do love me a good bari sax, though. Hearing someone honk on one of those solo or or hearing that rich, low vibration in a chord between the bass and everyone else always brings a smile to my face.

Why don't I have as much love for the tenor, or especially for the alto (my least favorite of the four)? I'm not sure. I think some of it is just that I feel like I've heard it all before. Having listened to Charlie Parker, Johnny Hodges, Cannonball Adderly, Sonny Rollins, Sten Getz, Gerry Mulligan, among other masters, maybe I'm just difficult to impress anymore when I hear these instruments, even though hearing someone wail on the bari still gets my attention.

Paul Desmond
 

Played w/ Brubeck. Check him out.

Re: I love Jazz music - the Saxophone blows tho
 

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Within the set of saxes, though, my preferences are probably a little weird. My favorite saxes are the baritone and, oddly enough, the soprano.

I do love me a good bari sax, though. Hearing someone honk on one of those solo or or hearing that rich, low vibration in a chord between the bass and everyone else always brings a smile to my face.


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I agree, Love the Bari and soprano Sax! When I was younger I used to go See Maynard Ferguson whenever he was around. His backing big bands were really really good. I remember him having a guy, named Bobby Militello who honked on the bari like no ones business. He also played a mean jazz flute. He also did some work with Dave Brubeck that I haven't heard but I bet it would be good as well. This guy was one of the best sax players I remember hearing from so many years ago. His bari and flute solos kicked major butt!

FWIW - How someone can not like the Sax at all is beyond me. Granted Bad Sax is horrible but god Sax is really good.

Re: I love Jazz music - the Saxophone blows tho
 

I never cared all that much for sax until I saw/heard Kirk Whalen. He does things I just never seemed to hear from anyone else. Went out the next day and bought his CD's.

Re: I love Jazz music - the Saxophone blows tho
 

Just happened to come across this clip of Sal Nistico, and decided to use this thread as an excuse to post the link.

Burning Sal Nistico solo with Woody Herman