Sax on the Web

Sax on the Web Forum Archive / Baritone Saxophone / Is Bootman the best?

Next 20 Messages

Dijaldi
User ID: 3320394 Jun 29th 6:43 PM
I'll vote for him.

Martin
User ID: 3180504 Jun 29th 6:53 PM
Possibly.
All I know is his wife makes a real tasty curry!

modre
User ID: 0081374 Jun 29th 8:11 PM
Mulligan was sellable, but I flipped when I first heard Nick Brignola on bari...he does more on bari than most folks do on alto.

I saw Mulligan live a few years back with Billy Taylor...Gerry wasn't making much magic...Dr. Billy on the other hand was smokin'...both hands.

Steve Krupka was another milestone. Granted, it was all carefully worked out, but I thought he made big waves as far as a particular style and execution...and was one of the guys I copied.

I was always mainly a tenor guy, but around 1974-ish, I was with a funk band, and someome gave me a Yamaha bari (low/A) for a while to fuss with...that started another avenue for me, and I ended up buying a new Couf/Keilwerth (low/A)around 1975-6...$1200 brand new...I should have bought 3 and stashed them away.

Turned out, I was a natural on bari, but grew to dislike the effort it took to drag it around, and play it...and I was cursed with being stuck on bari in recording situations and shows, while everyone else got to fluff by on tenor and alto. I would still rather play the smaller saxes, but when the situation calls for a good bari, I get some enjoyment out of pumpin' out those heart thumpin accurate pivot and big whore notes. But I resent the expectation that I'm elected. I think bari players should be paid more than the other saxes...they do more.

First mp I had was a Brillhart Level Air,
replaced by a Dukoff D8
replaced by a Guardala King R&B,
and I just picked up a Runyon metal 10 Quantum w/spoiler on Bootman's suggestion.

I have a 12M Conn bari on the bench right now stripped naked, and there's something interestingly unique about the shape of a bari.

modre
User ID: 0081374 Jun 29th 8:32 PM
...also... when you add another tenor or alto, you just add a harmony...but when you add a bari to a section it doubles the impact the section had.

Put the right bari parts in there, and the whole rhythem section shifts to a higher gear as well...the energy surges up into a tsunami.

You can make a good case for alto and tenor, but as much as I hate to say it, bari's the killer horn.

Mike R.
User ID: 8228423 Jun 29th 8:40 PM
Steve Kupka. The Funky Doctor.

Steve Goodson
User ID: 9621663 Jun 29th 8:58 PM
You should hear Tim Price play bari!

Toby
User ID: 0408214 Jun 29th 9:58 PM
I'm still a Bruce Johnstone fan.

Gary Hartle
User ID: 1529574 Jun 29th 10:43 PM
Brignola. Unbelievable. Hey, Boots Randolph did a few things on bari and got a real nice sound with some tasty playing (solo bari on 'Crazy Rhythm' on the 'Hip Boots' album, and backing up Elvis on 'Return To Sender'). Lots of great bari on rock and R&B records - I always liked the bari lick on Joey Dee's 'Peppermint Twist'. Bari was my first sax, and my bari now is a clone of my school bari back then - a '55 Martin. I blow a Berg HR 130/1 M on it, but don't get to play it much - only on side gigs.

Son of Zorn
User ID: 0979534 Jun 29th 11:01 PM
Tim Price is a Mo FO on bari! I can't believe we still don't have a CD of him out.

Pepper Adams.... the knife..... i love him. Gary Smulyan is pretty nice too!

My fav has to be Hamiet Bluiette. He knows no fear. Haha, i remember some wild stuff i saw him do in a few concerts. The guy has guts and plays his @#$ off!

saxilla
User ID: 6674913 Jun 30th 12:52 AM
I'm a wannabe!!!

Some Favs:

Pepper Adams
Ronnie Cuber
Nick Brignola
Gary Smulyan (sp)
Cecil Payne
Denis DiBlasio
Harry Carney
Serge Charloff

RS
User ID: 9209903 Jun 30th 1:59 AM
Don't forget Leo Parker.

CURT
User ID: 9314413 Jun 30th 9:16 AM
Toby,
Bruce used to play at this bar in the town I did my undergrad in. Man what a nice guy and a great player! I don't own any Bruce Johnstone albums did he make any?

MojoBari
User ID: 1195644 Jun 30th 9:40 AM
BJ plays on a few MF (Maynard Ferguson) albums. Chameleon, Live at Jimmy's.

Son of Zorn
User ID: 0979534 Jun 30th 11:49 AM
A side note: I don't know if he accepted the possition, but Bruce Johnstone has been offered the job of building a jazz studies program at Fredonia.

Toby
User ID: 0408214 Jun 30th 2:13 PM
Man, that would be great. He's one of the few players whose solos I've actually copied note for note. Maynard's Live at Jimmy's album was my first exposure. I'd love it if I had a longer list of albums he's played on. I don't know of any solo albums he's done. Anyone? I might have to actually have to get a bari again.

BrianA
User ID: 1564944 Jun 30th 7:04 PM
My pal Tim Price is a monster on all horns, just spoke to him, he is on the road for a quickie with Ike Turner..
After being a tenor player for the first half of my career I heard Gary Smulyan live with Woody and I switched to Bari and I have never looked back, other than at the occasional bass trombone perhaps a bit off or out of tune behind me on gigs.

Gary Hartle
User ID: 1529574 Jun 30th 11:19 PM
You mean the manually operated pitch approximator?

DD
User ID: 1982994 Jun 30th 11:25 PM
Also known as Contra-MOPA.
BTW, Bruce is scheduled to play for the Erie PA Jazz walk at the Avalon Hotel on 7-14-01 - I'm playing down the street at Paper Moon for anyone in the area who may be interested in hearing a lot of good groups and players in one center city area for nominal cost.

saxilla
User ID: 6674913 Jul 1st 1:22 AM
Sorry! I didn't mean to leave Leo out. I love his work. I have several albums with his playing. He was great!

JP
User ID: 2463104 Jul 1st 3:15 AM
Bruce Johnstone is the bari player on "Superbone meets the Bad Man." Gotta get it just for the name.

Harry Carney basically MADE the baritone sax. Look at it like this - he got more exposure than any other big band baritonist, and in a band that had Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, Cat Anderson, Cootie Williams, etc . . . I mean, doesn't that say it all? The most beautiful tone ever on a bari.

And I'm also a fan of Charlie Fowlkes, with Basie.

Next 20 Messages

Dijaldi User ID: 3320394	Jun 29th 6:43 PM I'll vote for him.
Martin User ID: 3180504	Jun 29th 6:53 PM Possibly. All I know is his wife makes a real tasty curry!
modre User ID: 0081374	Jun 29th 8:11 PM Mulligan was sellable, but I flipped when I first heard Nick Brignola on bari...he does more on bari than most folks do on alto. I saw Mulligan live a few years back with Billy Taylor...Gerry wasn't making much magic...Dr. Billy on the other hand was smokin'...both hands. Steve Krupka was another milestone. Granted, it was all carefully worked out, but I thought he made big waves as far as a particular style and execution...and was one of the guys I copied. I was always mainly a tenor guy, but around 1974-ish, I was with a funk band, and someome gave me a Yamaha bari (low/A) for a while to fuss with...that started another avenue for me, and I ended up buying a new Couf/Keilwerth (low/A)around 1975-6...$1200 brand new...I should have bought 3 and stashed them away. Turned out, I was a natural on bari, but grew to dislike the effort it took to drag it around, and play it...and I was cursed with being stuck on bari in recording situations and shows, while everyone else got to fluff by on tenor and alto. I would still rather play the smaller saxes, but when the situation calls for a good bari, I get some enjoyment out of pumpin' out those heart thumpin accurate pivot and big whore notes. But I resent the expectation that I'm elected. I think bari players should be paid more than the other saxes...they do more. First mp I had was a Brillhart Level Air, replaced by a Dukoff D8 replaced by a Guardala King R&B, and I just picked up a Runyon metal 10 Quantum w/spoiler on Bootman's suggestion. I have a 12M Conn bari on the bench right now stripped naked, and there's something interestingly unique about the shape of a bari.
modre User ID: 0081374	Jun 29th 8:32 PM ...also... when you add another tenor or alto, you just add a harmony...but when you add a bari to a section it doubles the impact the section had. Put the right bari parts in there, and the whole rhythem section shifts to a higher gear as well...the energy surges up into a tsunami. You can make a good case for alto and tenor, but as much as I hate to say it, bari's the killer horn.
Mike R. User ID: 8228423	Jun 29th 8:40 PM Steve Kupka. The Funky Doctor.
Steve Goodson User ID: 9621663	Jun 29th 8:58 PM You should hear Tim Price play bari!
Toby User ID: 0408214	Jun 29th 9:58 PM I'm still a Bruce Johnstone fan.
Gary Hartle User ID: 1529574	Jun 29th 10:43 PM Brignola. Unbelievable. Hey, Boots Randolph did a few things on bari and got a real nice sound with some tasty playing (solo bari on 'Crazy Rhythm' on the 'Hip Boots' album, and backing up Elvis on 'Return To Sender'). Lots of great bari on rock and R&B records - I always liked the bari lick on Joey Dee's 'Peppermint Twist'. Bari was my first sax, and my bari now is a clone of my school bari back then - a '55 Martin. I blow a Berg HR 130/1 M on it, but don't get to play it much - only on side gigs.
Son of Zorn User ID: 0979534	Jun 29th 11:01 PM Tim Price is a Mo FO on bari! I can't believe we still don't have a CD of him out. Pepper Adams.... the knife..... i love him. Gary Smulyan is pretty nice too! My fav has to be Hamiet Bluiette. He knows no fear. Haha, i remember some wild stuff i saw him do in a few concerts. The guy has guts and plays his @#$ off!
saxilla User ID: 6674913	Jun 30th 12:52 AM I'm a wannabe!!! Some Favs: Pepper Adams Ronnie Cuber Nick Brignola Gary Smulyan (sp) Cecil Payne Denis DiBlasio Harry Carney Serge Charloff
RS User ID: 9209903	Jun 30th 1:59 AM Don't forget Leo Parker.
CURT User ID: 9314413	Jun 30th 9:16 AM Toby, Bruce used to play at this bar in the town I did my undergrad in. Man what a nice guy and a great player! I don't own any Bruce Johnstone albums did he make any?
MojoBari User ID: 1195644	Jun 30th 9:40 AM BJ plays on a few MF (Maynard Ferguson) albums. Chameleon, Live at Jimmy's.
Son of Zorn User ID: 0979534	Jun 30th 11:49 AM A side note: I don't know if he accepted the possition, but Bruce Johnstone has been offered the job of building a jazz studies program at Fredonia.
Toby User ID: 0408214	Jun 30th 2:13 PM Man, that would be great. He's one of the few players whose solos I've actually copied note for note. Maynard's Live at Jimmy's album was my first exposure. I'd love it if I had a longer list of albums he's played on. I don't know of any solo albums he's done. Anyone? I might have to actually have to get a bari again.
BrianA User ID: 1564944	Jun 30th 7:04 PM My pal Tim Price is a monster on all horns, just spoke to him, he is on the road for a quickie with Ike Turner.. After being a tenor player for the first half of my career I heard Gary Smulyan live with Woody and I switched to Bari and I have never looked back, other than at the occasional bass trombone perhaps a bit off or out of tune behind me on gigs.
Gary Hartle User ID: 1529574	Jun 30th 11:19 PM You mean the manually operated pitch approximator?
DD User ID: 1982994	Jun 30th 11:25 PM Also known as Contra-MOPA. BTW, Bruce is scheduled to play for the Erie PA Jazz walk at the Avalon Hotel on 7-14-01 - I'm playing down the street at Paper Moon for anyone in the area who may be interested in hearing a lot of good groups and players in one center city area for nominal cost.
saxilla User ID: 6674913	Jul 1st 1:22 AM Sorry! I didn't mean to leave Leo out. I love his work. I have several albums with his playing. He was great!
JP User ID: 2463104	Jul 1st 3:15 AM Bruce Johnstone is the bari player on "Superbone meets the Bad Man." Gotta get it just for the name. Harry Carney basically MADE the baritone sax. Look at it like this - he got more exposure than any other big band baritonist, and in a band that had Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, Cat Anderson, Cootie Williams, etc . . . I mean, doesn't that say it all? The most beautiful tone ever on a bari. And I'm also a fan of Charlie Fowlkes, with Basie.