Jazz Saxophone
Being A Listing Of The Best Saxophonists Of All Time, And Some Of Their Well-Known Jazz Saxophone Recordings - From Coleman Hawkins, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman To New Gen Musicians Like Kenny G And Joshua Redman.
Hello, Jazz Fan: Here are short notes on some of the most famous jazz saxophone players followed by a listing of their best recordings.
1 COLEMAN HAWKINS (1904-1969) Coleman Hawkins, aka "Hawks", played the tenor saxohpone. Hawks was, in fact, the first modern jazz saxophonist. He worked to enhance the status of the jazz saxophone and made it a key jazz instrument, replacing the venerable trumpet. However, Hawkins was a traditional jazzman with roots in the blues and the 1920s big bands. And it was in Fletcher Henderson's big band that he played solo bigtime. By the 1930s, Hawks was the top saxman of the time. He was progressive enough to join the bebop race and to lead the first bop recordng in 1944. In his long musical career from the 1920s to the 1960s, Hawkins recorded with most of the leading jazz instrumentalists of the time. The folowing is an illustrative list :- ... saxophonists like John Coltrane
Recordings on Jazz Saxophone * Rainbow Mist
2 JOHNNY HODGES (1909-1970) Hodges was an alto saxophonist. He pioneered the use of the jazz saxophone as a lead jazz instrument. His tone has been described as warm and whispery, and on slow songs his music is dreamy and sexy. For most of his career years from 1928, Hodges was in Duke Ellington's band. And it was there that he was able to "perfect" his saxophone skills.
Recordings on Jazz Saxophone * Johnny Hodges (928-1941)
3 LESTER YOUNG (1909-1959) Lester Young, also called "Prez", played the tenor saxophone. Young was influential, and had a disciple no less than Charlie Parker. His music was syrup-sweet, ending with a vibrato or wavering sound. Early in his career, Prez was shy and quirky and easily hurt. He overcame that and won many a "cutting contest", wherein he blew his jazz saxophone better than all else. Young worked with some famous singers and went particularly well with Billy Holiday.
Recordings on Jazz Saxophone * The Lester Young Story
4 CHARLIE PARKER (1920-1955) Parker's nickname was "Yardbird" or "Bird". His instrument was the alto jazz saxophone. Although he lived a very short life of 35 years, Charlie Parker was rated "the single most important jazz musician of the 20th century". His significant contributions are listed below: * * his music was very innovative, as he moved away from conventional ways of playing jazz Bird was born in Kansas City. He died at age 35 of substance abuse. However, he left behind a brief but impressive 10-year legacy. In spite of his personal problems, Parker played brilliant music througout his career. He was much influenced by Lester Young, learning the Prez's solos note-for-note. He was also much inflenced by composers of classical music. Moving to New York in 1939, he did odd jobs . In 1942 he joined Earl's Hines' band and met Dizzy Gillespie there. Both moved to be with Billy Eckstine in 1944. During the period 1944 - 1947, Eckstines band was a "laboratory" for new jazz experiments. And thus was born the fast new music called bop or bebop.
Recordings on Jazz Saxophone * The Complete Dial Sessions
5 JOHN COLTRANE (1926-1967) John Coltrane played both tenor and soprano sax. Coltrane's music was way above his modern peers in the post-Parker generation. He used the sound of the jazz saxophone to express his innermost impressions of life. His special contributions to the world of jazz include the following:- 1 New Sounds 2 Modal Compositions 3 Soprano Sax 4 Heavy Improvisations
Recordings on Jazz Saxophone * My Favourite Things
6 ERIC DOLPHY (1928-1964) Eric Dolphy was a powerhouse on the alto saxophone. He also played the bass clarinet and the flute. Dolphy was the soulmate of Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane. He recorded with Coleman. And he was in Coltrane's 1960s group. Eric was at one time apprenticed with Charles Mingus (bass) and Chico Hamilton (drums).
Recordings on Jazz Saxophone * The Great Concert of Eric Dolphy
7 ORNETTE COLEMAN (b.1930) Other than the jazz saxophone, Coleman also plays the trumpet and the violin. Known as the forefather of free jazz, he introduced, in the late 1950s, a strange brand of jazz called "harmolodies". His music takes sudden shifts in direction and has endless improvisations. It can open the minds and ears of the audience to new ways of thinking about, and listening to, jazz. In fact, Coleman's music inspired John Coletrane to play some free jazz in the 1960s. Thru' the 1990s, Coleman Hawkins was still a force in the world of jazz.
Recordings on Jazz Saxophone * Free Jazz
8 KENNY GARRET (b.1960) Kenny G is a saxophonist member of the 1980s "Young Lions". The grouping led by Wynton Marsalis was engaged in the revival of earlier traditional styles of jazz. Kenny was discovered by Miles Davis. He is very prolific in jazz saxophone music.
Recordings on Jazz Saxophone * Songbook
9 BRANFORD MARSALIS (b.1960) The tenor and soprano jazz saxphone are Branford's speciality. Among the best of the "now" generation, Branford is the younger brother of trumpeterWynton Marsalis. But his music carries more emotional wallop than Wynton's.
Recordings on Jazz Saxophone * Scenes in the City
10 JOSHUA REDMAN (b.1969) Joshua Redman, 36, is one of today's best saxophonists and has been named "crown prince of the tenor saxophone" by the Associated Press. Redman says: " One thing I've discovered about myself is that I'm an eclectic as a person and as a musician. I grew up listening to and loving all kinds of music, and that variety and diversity are in my soul. Everything I do musicially is an attempt to reflect how I'm feeling as a person." He was born in Berkeley, California, in 1969. His father was the well-known tenor saxophonist Dewey Redman, while his mother was a former dancer/librarian, Renee Shedroff. They were, unfortunately, separated. Redman grew up with his mother, but he was exposed to his father's music. He enjoyed all types of music of the time and his mother furthered his eclectic musical taste by enrolling him for Indonesian and Indian music. Joshua played different musical instruments when young but soon chose the jazz saxophone as his special instrument. But he seldom played the sax, having to study law/medicine at Harvard University in Boston. It was only durng the summer breaks that he engaged in jam sessions. However, there came a turning point in Redman's life in 1990. He debuted with his father at the Village Vanguard, New York's foremost music club. He now practised the jazz saxophone religiously and appeared regularly with his father. Another turning point was in 1991. He won the prestigious Thelonius Monk Saxophone Competition. Joshua Redman was hailed as a new and rising jazz aritst. Thus music's gain is academia's loss - he had to sacrifice his varsity studies. In 2001, Redman was appointed Artistic Director of the SF (San Francisco) Jazz Spring Season. Then in 2004, he helped launch the SF Jazz Collective - an 8-piece ensemble. In September 2005, Joshua Redman and his "Elastic Band" quartet played successfully inSINGAPORE at the Esplanade Concert Hall.
Recordings on Jazz Saxophone * Wish
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