Get thee behind me, Soprano Saxophone

[East New York]

Soprano sax can be beautiful as a texture, but I find it a really dull lead instrument. To me it lacks character and quickly gets grating.

Even great players like Wayne Shorter - a true genius IMO - come a cropper with it.

(An observation prompted by my disappointment with the recent Magico live set. Too much Garbarek soprano, and Jan is not someone I would put in Wayne's class).

Ye gods---I've said the same; verbatim, yet! Stop scaring me!

I am happy to see all the suggestions posted in this thread; I'll now go explore the ones with which I'm unfamiliar.

[Hal...]

Klaus Doldinger

I was waitin' for someone to mention Klaus. Shoulda figured it would be you.

Klaus is excellent on any sax, which is kinda rare, isn't it? Every other sax player I've heard (which isn't exactly a lot) either concentrates on tenor & soprano or bari & alto, rarely mixing, say tenor and alto for example, on a single album. I asked Patrick Clahar why that was and he gave an explanation about "finding one's voice." Someone here suggested it's because of the key they're tuned to and that it's difficult for a tenor sax player to switch to alto.

Which is what makes Doldinger pretty unique. I'm pretty sure he plays all four on one or two of Passport's early albums. But if you want to hear excellent soprano, check out Passport's 2nd album; he's awesome on it on the songs "Horizon Beyond" and "Nexus".

Speaking of Clahar, I think he's a great sopranoist:

As for "tone which is less satisfying," that's in the ear of the beholder. I happen to love the sound of soprano, just as much as I do tenor, alto or baritone.

I agree. But for me, the higher the pitch of the sax, the more I like it. And I love the double-reeds. Clarinets, tho, not a big fan. There are some I like, like Goodman. My favorite clarinetist, though, is Richard Stoltzman, who's probably more known for classical recordings. I have one of his new age/classical CDs, Open Sky, and I love it: http://www.myspace.com/music/player?sid=43484300&ac=now

[Mr. Grizzly Bear]

I can't really get with Bluiett; he's OK playing parts, but otherwise, meh.
I dig Charles Davis, Pepper Adams, Cecil Payne, Nick Brignola, Ronnie Cuber, Serge Chaloff, and Gary Smulyan....

I LOVE baritone sax, or should I say BEAR-a-tone sax All the above mentioned guys are killer, and I also love Harry Carney's playing with Duke Ellington.

[Baribrotzer]

Every other sax player I've heard (which isn't exactly a lot) either concentrates on tenor & soprano or bari & alto, rarely mixing, say tenor and alto for example, on a single album. I asked Patrick Clahar why that was and he gave an explanation about "finding one's voice." Someone here suggested it's because of the key they're tuned to and that it's difficult for a tenor sax player to switch to alto.

Also because if you're a really serious jazz player, with all the work on mainstream jazz that implies, you have to know the history of your instrument. Which means not just knowing what, say, Lester Young sounds like, but being able to play his idiom. It's the equivalent of a classical composer with old-school training having to be able to write correct Bach-like counterpoint. If you're really going to play jazz at the absolute top level, you need to have all that at your fingertips - and that is besides having mastered the technique of your instrument.

Now alto and tenor are both primary jazz instruments. Each has its own elaborate history, with half-a-dozen major figures and many more minor ones. And acquiring that level of knowledge, which is hard enough for either one of those instruments, becomes damn near impossible for both. However, soprano and most of the other reeds don't have quite that weight of history - for starters, there were no major soprano saxophonists between Sydney Bechet and Steve Lacy, and none of the bebop guys played it. There were only two major baritone players: Harry Carney (who spent his entire career as a component of Duke's sound) and Gerry Mulligan. As a result it's possible to play either or both of those on a very high level without needing to have absorbed quite so much.

[Hal...]

As a result it's possible to play either or both of those on a very high level without needing to have absorbed quite so much.

I dig what you're saying, and thanks for the history lesson - seriously, I think I love music history more than music itself - but I have to ask, have you ever heard of a player who concentrated on both baritone and soprano?

Technical question: is there a difference in sound between a straight soprano and a curved one? If not, then is the fingering more difficult on a curved than a straight, which looks less compact? If not, then why a preference?

[Baribrotzer]

I dig what you're saying, and thanks for the history lesson - seriously, I think I love music history more than music itself - but I have to ask, have you ever heard of a player who concentrated on both baritone and soprano?

Yes. Two of them, in fact: John Surman and Vinny Golia. Although Surman also plays bass clarinet, and Golia plays everything. Literally - if it's a woodwind, he owns it, plays it, and will at least try to solo on it. Although he's best on baritone, soprano, Bb clarinet, bass clarinet, and maybe flute.

Technical question: is there a difference in sound between a straight soprano and a curved one? If not, then is the fingering more difficult on a curved than a straight, which looks less compact? If not, then why a preference?

The fingering's the same. The sound is very similar, and I'm not sure there is a difference. But a curved soprano is generally considered harder to play in tune - and that's not a small consideration with soprano sax.

[Hal...]

But a curved soprano is generally considered harder to play in tune - and that's not a small consideration with soprano sax.

Thanks, that's helpful. So, what you're saying is, the guys who play a straight soprano are slackers?

[Baribrotzer]

Thanks, that's helpful. So, what you're saying is, the guys who play a straight soprano are slackers?

Or they care more about sounding right than looking cool. (Although I don't think a curved soprano looks cooler than a straight one. However, some do.)

[jake]

I dig what you're saying, and thanks for the history lesson - seriously, I think I love music history more than music itself - but I have to ask, have you ever heard of a player who concentrated on both baritone and soprano?

Technical question: is there a difference in sound between a straight soprano and a curved one? If not, then is the fingering more difficult on a curved than a straight, which looks less compact? If not, then why a preference?

What about Gerry Mulligan

[PeterG]

I love soprano sax, clarinet and oboe when used in rock.

[Chuck AzEee!]

What about Gerry Mulligan

Great composer as well. I mentioned him before as well.

[No Pride]

I dig what you're saying, and thanks for the history lesson - seriously, I think I love music history more than music itself - but I have to ask, have you ever heard of a player who concentrated on both baritone and soprano?

I know a few guys who play all of the saxes ... and flute. They have their preferences of course (generally tenor, soprano and flute), but they're willing and able to take gigs on any of those instruments.

And us guitar players think we're the shit just because we can play some bass...

[Nic Caciappo]

How about "Saxlife Plays Total Sax Retain"? That's the CD of all saxaphones playing classic Yes music. It's actually quite good.

I love Happy the Man's use of sax on each of the two Arista albums, especially on Stumpy Meets the Firecracker.

I generally do not like sax either, and I hate Kenny G as he has been mentioned in this thread. But, I do have his CD "Classics in the Key of G", an album of lush bossas and that sort played on tenor sax, not soprano.

I also love Jan Gabarek's "Twelve Moons" from 1993, and a goo ddeal of Paul Winter.

You see, a little sax on the side never hurt anybody! ~ Nic

[polmico]

I decided to spin Mal Waldron's Hard Talk this morning and am floored at how good Steve Lacy's soprano sax sounds.

[Reid]

^
That's a great sounding record overall.

[polmico]

^
Agreed. I love the way the drums sound. A drum solo that is actually worth listening to--it's almost too brief! Very cleanly recorded album.

[walt]

I decided to spin Mal Waldron's Hard Talk this morning and am floored at how good Steve Lacy's soprano sax sounds.

It's been years since i heared this.Had it on vinyl for many years and haven't got around to getting the cd.Wish there was a YT clip so i could hear the music for old times sake.

Mal Waldron with The Steve Lacy Quintet on America(label) from 1972(73?) is another good one.I have that on cd, will spin it today.

[polmico]

http://www.amazon.com/7-Classic-Albu...ds=Mal+Waldron

Just saw this collection of Waldron albums. It's being released in February. Looks like a good deal, right?

[mogrooves]

http://www.amazon.com/7-Classic-Albu...ds=Mal+Waldron

Looks like a good deal, right?

A great deal! It's all good.....

[polmico]

^
Good to know. I ordered it after I posted!

[yesstiles]

I like it way better than the clarinet- there's a suck-ass instrument.

I love the clarinet used in Supertramp. Lovely.

I also love Ian Anderson's use of soprano sax in "A Passion Play." Some of Coltrane's late-period soprano sax solos could get a bit grating though.