Get thee behind me, Soprano Saxophone

[Oreb]

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).

Any examples you have of effective leads with soprano sax?

[Obarmoth]

Starless!

[Baribrotzer]

It is used extensively as an ensemble instrument on Thinking Plague's Decline and Fall, and used very well.

[Bucka001]

Jaxon's solo in "The Undercover Man," right after Hammill sings the line "...if you hadn't gone and tried to do it all by yourself."

Magnificent.

[walt]

I dig John Surman's work on sop on John McLaughlin's Extrapolation .

[Zeuhlmate]

Koenji hyakkei
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98xULn2ZD3w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAHzuXt4nBw&feature=related

[jkelman]

Try Dave Liebman.....pendulum, his group, lookout farm...a master of soprano.

[Gorillclub]

it's my prefered sax
listen to elton dean softmachine ( yeah ok it's a saxello ...a soprano with scoliosis ...)
listen to my favorite things with coltrane on soprano

[Vic2012]

I'm not a big fan of sax but I like tenor and baritone more.

[Bake 1]

Yep.. they often get maudlin, sappy, corny, whiney etc. and can produce angst or hit the gag reflex. Some Steve Lacy stuff is real good tho'. Doesn't hurt that he had some cool structures to work with and was texturally less molasses than most.

[zombywoof]

I love it. I'm trying to learn soprano. Get off my instrument, man. :-)

[Vic2012]

Doesn't Kenny G play soprano sax?

[zombywoof]

Doesn't Kenny G play soprano sax?

Yes. Only a small blemish on the soprano...

[Rarebird]

Hoelderlin - Rare bird has a beautifull soprano sax.

[3LockBox]

Agreed; accompaniment-yes, lead-no. I feel that way about a lot of keyboardists as well.

[Rarebird]

Agreed; accompaniment-yes, lead-no. I feel that way about a lot of keyboardists as well.

I love the soprano playing lead.

[Vic2012]

Yes. Only a small blemish on the soprano...

Kenny G is horrible. He's talented but his music (if it can be called music) is horrible.

Now, Alto sax. I'm down with Alto sax.

[Troopers For Sound]

Weirdly my favourite players are not primarily saxophonists - Keith Jarrett has a totally unique sound all of his own, and i really love Terje Rypdal's playing on the album Odyssey.

One of my favourite sop solos is by Barbara Thompson on Neil Ardley's Kaleidoscope of Rainbows (on track 4).

Matt.

[trurl]

I like it way better than the clarinet- there's a suck-ass instrument. Yeah I know, Benny blah- blah- fuckin' Goodman. Great player but I still hate the instrument :D. I didn't really like Ian Anderson's attempts with it but he would admit that was more about his lack of ability to get a good sound.

[trurl]

Kenny G is horrible. He's talented but his music (if it can be called music) is horrible.

Now, Alto sax. I'm down with Alto sax.

The break on You Are My Inspiration by Chicago is alto, isn't it? I always liked that solo, great sound.

[Mister Triscuits]

The break on You Are My Inspiration by Chicago is alto, isn't it? I always liked that solo, great sound.

You presumably mean "Just You And Me." ("You Are the Inspiration" is a completely different Chicago song, which I only discovered when looking for the clip below.) It's soprano. Here's a live clip with a higher energy solo than the studio version.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ce7bejYbVU

[simon moon]

Soprano sax is just fine with me!

Yochk'o Seffer with Zao is kind of hard to beat.

[rcarlberg]

I like it way better than the clarinet- there's a suck-ass instrument. There are several Klezmer and Klezmer-like bands that redeem the clarinet -- not the least of which is Begnagrad.

[trurl]

You presumably mean "Just You And Me."Yep, right on both counts! It's been so long since I've heard it.

[zombywoof]

I like it way better than the clarinet- there's a suck-ass instrument. Yeah I know, Benny blah- blah- fuckin' Goodman. Great player but I still hate the instrument :D. I didn't really like Ian Anderson's attempts with it but he would admit that was more about his lack of ability to get a good sound.

Ian played soprano. Also, I like the sound of a clarinet, too!

[trurl]

Ian played soprano.I know he did, I worded that badly. But it was Ian's sax playing I was referring to. I think most people would prefer clarinet to soprano sax because it's mellower but that's exactly why I don't like it...

[Progbear]

There’s a cool soprano solo in this tune:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAWi-CYSuf8

-------------
MIKE (a.k.a. "Progbear")

‘“What blow, Goblin?” said Corinius.’ --E. R. Eddison

N.P.:“Vieux corps de vie d’ange”-Pollen

[Zeuhlmate]

Terje Rypdal plays a long soprano sax (solo) on the album Odyssey, tune Midnite.

[jake]

Gotta agree with Steve Lacy and John Surman fantastic stuff. I also love Sonny Fortune's playing with Miles and with McCoy Tyner (especially on Tyner's Sahara). I also am a big fan of Roscoe Mitchell's soprano tone, Jane Ira Bloom's use of electronic manipulation of her soprano is also nice stuff - and how about Sam Rivers' unique sound. Yes- there's nuthin' wrong with a soprano in the right hands.

[Zeuhlmate]

Larry Coryell: Offering - Steve Marcus plays soprano sax.

Perhaps my favorite Larry Coryell album.

[ItalProgRules]

Much as I truly enjoyed "A Scarcity of Miracles," Mel Collins' obsessive over-use of the soprano sax is the lowlight of the album IMHO.

[Planechant]

Sam Rivers. Excellent call. Also, Anthony Braxton. John Lurie and Roy Nathanson. For many saxophonists out there, I think Coltrane's brilliance froze a model of the instrument in place, and others have been impeded by it ...

[Rarebird]

I love Dirk Descheemaeker on clarinets and sopranosaxophone, for instance on Wim Mertens - Circles

[walt]

Gary Bartz lays down some scorching soprano with Miles Davis,as in this clip....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRZp5TL6sAc

[Chuck AzEee!]

I dig John Surman's work on sop on John McLaughlin's Extrapolation .

Excellent! Good one Walt!

[No Pride]

I love soprano sax! Kenny G tried to ruin it for me, but it didn't work.

One of my favorite soprano solos is Coltrane's version of "Chim Chim Cheree."

[noisynoise]

I play both tenor and soprano...love soprano, but in the wrong hands it can sound very nasal. It's also harder to play in tune. Coltrane's "My Favorite Things" pretty much sold me, he's got an aggressive tone which is the polar opposite to Kenny G.

[MoZo]

Reading the posts here....seeing no mention of Paul McCandless. I love his soprano sound, even though he is more noted for his oboe and english horn playing with Oregon. Check out a track by Bela' Fleck called 'Up and Running' (from Bela's CD Tales From the Acoustic Planet Vol 1). Paul overdubs a duet with himself on soparano sax and bass clarinet. Most cool. And, of course, check out his work with Oregon.

[spknoevl]

Come on! Seriously, the soprano sax an uninteresting lead instrument? Go listen to some Coltrane on soprano sax and then tell me you still feel the same way. In the right hands is a seriously beautiful instrument.

[Chuck AzEee!]

I love soprano sax! Kenny G tried to ruin it for me, but it didn't work.

One of my favorite soprano solos is Coltrane's version of "Chim Chim Cheree."Especially live. Dave Leibman has a similar tone on the Soprano sax.

[Chuck AzEee!]

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).

Any examples you have of effective leads with soprano sax?G'day John, it's funny that you mention that about the Soprano and Wayne Shorter, I often wondered how he would sound if he played the Alto Sax instead of the Soprano during the 70's.

Yet regardless, I love The Sorano Sax. John Coltrane was a stunner on this instrument with very few that were in his league when it came to overall control of this rather nasally instrument.

Dave Leibman often evokes the spirit of John in his playing. The late great Steve Lacy made this his main horn and he sure could play with ease.

[Chuck AzEee!]

I like it way better than the clarinet- there's a suck-ass instrument. Yeah I know, Benny blah- blah- fuckin' Goodman. Great player but I still hate the instrument :D. I didn't really like Ian Anderson's attempts with it but he would admit that was more about his lack of ability to get a good sound.

I guess you never hear Buddy DeFranco or Eddie Daniels? Don Byron? Evan Christopher? Art Pepper? And that's not even his main instument!

[walt]

Dick Meza blows some hip soprano on this track from drummer Joe Chambers' cd "New World".This is the title track.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2cbJBIAjlI

[adewolf]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQK_UkMaTHM

[R. Totale III]

Always liked Charlie Mariano on Eberhard Weber's records

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjAtLR1SJYQ

[JKL2000]

Mel Collins has some good soprano sax solos with Camel. Like the one on City Life from Nude.

[jkelman]

Reading the posts here....seeing no mention of Paul McCandless. I love his soprano sound, even though he is more noted for his oboe and english horn playing with Oregon. Check out a track by Bela' Fleck called 'Up and Running' (from Bela's CD Tales From the Acoustic Planet Vol 1). Paul overdubs a duet with himself on soparano sax and bass clarinet. Most cool. And, of course, check out his work with Oregon.
Probably (speaking for myself) because, while he's a fine soprano player, he's better known (and started out in Oregon's early days, only beginning to play soprano quite a bit later) on double reeds like oboe and english horn.

502

But he is, frankly, a monster on any reed he puts in his mouth. The album he did a few years back with Art Lande, Shapeshifter, demonstrated he's a pretty damn fine tenor player too! Review here, btw (http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=15022).

[adewolf]

That Joe Chambers track is really good.

[mogrooves]

John Surman

Other UK cats include Evan Parker, Andy Sheppard, and Lol Coxhill...

[mogrooves]

[QUOTE=Chuck AzEee!;9700]I guess you never hear Buddy DeFranco or Eddie Daniels? Don Byron? Evan Christopher? Art Pepper?[QUOTE]

...and Kenny Davern, Ken Peplowski, John Carter, Perry Robinson, Jimmy Giuffre, Buddy Collette, John Purcell.....

[Oreb]

John Coltrane was a stunner on this instrument with very few that were in his league when it came to overall control of this rather nasally instrument. Hi mate! Indeed he was - but how many Coltranes are there? I'll check out Dave Leibman (I haven't heard him AFAIK).

I would love to hear Wayne on the alto. I reckon with his tight, unsentimental lyricism he'd come close to the Master of Alto (IMO), Johnny Hodges.

[Oreb]

I just found this:

504

and since I love Mike's stuff it's a no-brainer.

Edit: oh - that's a little picture! Here's a link including a review by John K

http://www.birdland.com.au/catalogue/category634/p46196

[jkelman]

I just found this:

504

and since I love Mike's stuff it's a no-brainer.

Edit: oh - that's a little picture! Here's a link including a review by John K

http://www.birdland.com.au/catalogue/category634/p46196
Thanks for that. Beyond being a huge Lieb fan, I absolutely love MIke Nock's work. He was member of one of the truly early fusion bands, Fourth Way (all their stuff is now available; check it out!) and has, in recent years, put out one stellar record after another. Also recorded one record (Ondas) for ECM in the early '80s, and one of my real desert island discs, 1978's In Out and Around, with Michael Brecker.

[Chuck AzEee!]

Hi mate! Indeed he was - but how many Coltranes are there? I'll check out Dave Leibman (I haven't heard him AFAIK).

I would love to hear Wayne on the alto. I reckon with his tight, unsentimental lyricism he'd come close to the Master of Alto (IMO), Johnny Hodges.
Great call with Johnny Hodges. He also was a awesome Clarinetist.

[Dana5140]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDIgndlXODg

There it is, best ever.

[zombywoof]

Not only do I enjoy soprano, its my favorite member of the saxophone family. Whenever its played, I always have to pay attention, because its such a rarely used instrument. I love the tone. Alto and tenor are overused, in my opinion. I could use a bit more baritone in my life, though.

[Crystal Plumage]

No mention of Branford Marsalis?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6r_FPvSn0RY

Jay Beckenstein (ex- Dream Theater ;) ) in his earlier days:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9_iaL-oPjI

What's worse than one SopSax? The Aulochrome!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWZ1ADDkobc

Trust me, you can't tune the Aulochrome...

[Chuck AzEee!]

Good morning Ian, I was watching Rashaan Roland Kirk's Italian 1973 gig on YouTube last night and was listening to Baritone Saxophonist Kenny Rogers smoke on that gig!

Gerry Mulligan and Hamiet Bluiett are amongst the greatest Baritone Saxophonists of all time.

[Progbear]

I’m fine with soprano sax so long as it isn’t used as an “easier to play” substitute for an oboe. If you want an oboe on your song, find an oboist (A proper one, not Roy Wood :lol).

-------------
MIKE (a.k.a. "Progbear")

"'Thin Thighs For Your Man.' But I don't *like* men with thin thighs" --Daria

N.P.:“Contrasts”-Discus/1st

[Reid]

Lovano sounds good on all the saxes. I've heard Zoot Sims play some great soprano. He gets a gritty, bluesy sound. Also Russ Gershon of the Either/Orchestra.

[mogrooves]

Gerry Mulligan and Hamiet Bluiett are amongst the greatest Baritone Saxophonists of all time.


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....

[jake]

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....

......and Pat Patrick from Sun Ra's glory days...but man Bluiett - he's amazing ...check this out...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkTEfrmqxws

[walt]

Great choices by all for baritone sax players..i too never cared much for Hamiett Bluiett,he's a good player but was just not my cup of tea,live or on recordings.

Let us not forget John Surman,bari player par excellance.Patience Higgins,Charles Tyler(RIP)and Fred Ho are bari players on the NY scene who impressed me in performance over the years.

[kenneth8446]

I agree with you to a point the soprano sax is a lesser instrument. There is simething about the tone which is less than satisfying.

However, there are performances where the instrument shines which leads me to think that it is the musician not the instrument who determined whether it shines or not. The touchstone performance on soprano for me is John Contrane's version of My Favorite Things on the disc Afro Blue Impressions, a live recording from 1961. It is 21 minutes of pure artistry and every time I listen to it I an reminded that it is not the instrument, it is the player who makes it. Just beautiful.

[walt]

. The touchstone performance on soprano for me is John Contrane's version of My Favorite Things on the disc Afro Blue Impressions, a live recording from 1961. It is 21 minutes of pure artistry

I agree. This version is my favorite iteration of Coltrane doing "My Favorite Things".Exquisite

[jkelman]

I agree with you to a point the soprano sax is a lesser instrument.
I think John Coltrane, Steve Lacy, Dave Liebman, Jan Garbarek, John Surman, Tore Brunborg, Trygve Seim, Kenny G (ugh, hated to mention him, but it sadly fits), Paul McCandless, Branford Marsalis, Joshua Redman and many others would call it a "lesser instrument." 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.

[Dana5140]

Do you mean would NOT call it a lesser instrument?

[Chuck AzEee!]

I agree with you to a point the soprano sax is a lesser instrument. There is simething about the tone which is less than satisfying.

However, there are performances where the instrument shines which leads me to think that it is the musician not the instrument who determined whether it shines or not. The touchstone performance on soprano for me is John Contrane's version of My Favorite Things on the disc Afro Blue Impressions, a live recording from 1961. It is 21 minutes of pure artistry and every time I listen to it I an reminded that it is not the instrument, it is the player who makes it. Just beautiful.
Or the outstanding version of Afro Blue itself! I heard the song on morning on WBGO and I couldn't get downtown fast enough to buy this CD.

[Oreb]

Or the outstanding version of Afro Blue itself! I heard the song on morning on WBGO and I couldn't get downtown fast enough to buy this CD. I've never heard this - or heard of it, in fact. I'm just back from a quick visit to Amazon: looking forward to hearing it.

One more example of why the lovely Madame Oreb curses the day I found PE.

[arabicadabra]

Is that the saxophone used by the guy in Marbin? 'Cuz live, he was incredible....

[Chuck AzEee!]

I've never heard this - or heard of it, in fact. I'm just back from a quick visit to Amazon: looking forward to hearing it.

One more example of why the lovely Madame Oreb curses the day I found PE.Had it not been for the European television, many of these great musicians would not have been filmed.

I was searching for any tracks from the Afro Blue Impressions double CD with no luck. The sound is not the greatest, but the performances are to die for. By far one of the great live albums from the Jazz genre during that decade.

[Lino]

[QUOTE=Progbear;9556]There’s a cool soprano solo in this tune:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAWi-CYSuf8

:up taking me back to my very early youth with that album.

[Chuck AzEee!]

......and Pat Patrick from Sun Ra's glory days...but man Bluiett - he's amazing ...check this out...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkTEfrmqxws

Thanks for this Jake, slightly oft subject, but the Mingus/Richmond rythym section was tight as a hand in glove. Mingus was a beast of a bass player.

@Walt and Mo, I love Bluiett, but I could hear many of the gripes against his style, I also loved his playing with the World Saxophone Quartet, I remember meeting David Murray and Julius Hemphill before he died and they were two of the nicest human beings around. Julius asked me if I was a musician and I replied just a fan of good music. :).


Let us not forget John Surman,bari player par excellance.

Indeed Walt, extremely impressive chops. Brillaint Soprano Saxophonist as well, IMOF just a great musician period!

[mogrooves]

Just digging Sam Newsome's album Global Unity. Good control of the soprano, an ornery instrument.....

[jeffworman]

it's my prefered sax
listen to elton dean softmachine ( yeah ok it's a saxello ...a soprano with scoliosis ...)
listen to my favorite things with coltrane on soprano
'Nuff said, although are other great Trane Tunes with soprano sax - - - - - Jeff

[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! :O 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. :lol

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:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6G9UgiRRvtA


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 :lol All the above mentioned guys are killer, and I also love Harry Carney's playing with Duke Ellington.

http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee476/PhilOwl/BearBaritoneSaxandLadies.jpg

[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
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__Nsg0OiRT9I/TInqcNnEwUI/AAAAAAAAAYQ/05qwGXEVM2M/s1600/mulligan.JPG

[PeterG]

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

[Chuck AzEee!]

What about Gerry Mulligan
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__Nsg0OiRT9I/TInqcNnEwUI/AAAAAAAAAYQ/05qwGXEVM2M/s1600/mulligan.JPG

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-Albums-Mal-Waldron/dp/B00AG8GU8W/ref=sr_1_36?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1358609988&sr=1-36&keywords=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-Albums-Mal-Waldron/dp/B00AG8GU8W/ref=sr_1_36?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1358609988&sr=1-36&keywords=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.