Why the Tenor
The saxophone is a strange instrument. Truly in every sense! Not quite a brass instrument but also not quite a woodwind. It uses a reed but can project a laser beam of sound just like a trumpet. It is a new instrument in the canon of musical developments despite feeling a little dated when compared to the synth-scape sounds available in every DAW. It is personal and expressive in a way no other instrument truly captures. (The voice reigns supreme but we were all chasing Ella anyway) The saxophone owes its collective mythos to the great practitioners who have come before. I wanted to recount some of my favorite albums/online videos that completely blew my mind when I was starting out on the horn. There does not seem to be a limit to where the saxophone can be taken and there is plenty of inspiration out there!
Michael Brecker: Time is of The Essence
One of the few albums I had purchased back before the internet destroyed music sales all together. One of the great things of owning so few albums was I wore out the album. Every song, every solo, and every part were ingrained in my ears. A different type of listening that I should invest more into again.
John Coltrane: John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman
No one can play a ballad like Coltrane. My reference when it comes to these tunes.
David Sanborn: Upfront
I wouldn’t know it until later, but Sanborn was a definitive part of the Brecker Brothers projects; a group which has its own massive stamp on jazz history. I was originally drawn to Sanborn’s force behind the horn and at the time, the only “pop-esc” saxophone player I liked. Of course he was the great player on David Bowies albums as well.
Chris Potter: Gratitude
Not only an incredible display of pyrotechnics on the horn but a launching pad to discover the great tenor canon that came before. Each song a reference to a player who Potter was drawn to during his development.
Kenny Garrett: Triology
Trane for Alto players and for many Triology was their Giant Steps. Kenny has a sound that many are still chasing to this day.
David “Fathead” Newman: Fathead
I don’t see much chatter about this album, but I never skip this one if it comes up on my rotation. Great solos, soulful melodies, and tight arrangements all to the masterclass songs that are Stevie Wonders discography.
Eddie Harris: Cool Sax, Warm Heart
Such a soulful banger. If you only listen to one song, please let it be “More Soul, Than Soulful”. A masterclass on playing the perfect amount without overplaying.
Charlie Parker: Bird with Strings
No one does it like bird and this is him at his best.
Immanuel Wilkins: Omega
I wanted to slip in a newer obsession to the list. Wilkins not only has a lush sound that is as flexible as it is lush; his through composing is so captivating to me in a world of songs that seem to lack any patience whatsoever.
Some live concerts and recordings which I frequent to this day for inspiration: