How Do You Keep Balance?

[clay7926]

This is a question for other sax players who do both band and solo work:
how do you maintain a balance between your personal style and what the band wants you to play? Should you find a way to merge your personal style to fit that of the band, or do you just play what the band leader wants, and then do your own stuff on the side (i.e., if your heart and style lean more towards classical, but the band you play with is predominately urban/hip hop, what the hug do you do)?

[sax_appeal]

I'm a classical alto player, so naturally I play bari in a big band. It doesn't matter if your style and your band's style is different, you just need to be more versatile.

[Frank D]

Do whatfits the music. Nothing worse than a guy trying to play bebop in a blues band, etc. Find a way to incorporate something of yourself into the music you're playing, without sounding out of place.

[clay7926]

Thanks for the replies!

[Minatar12]

It's not so much your style as your voice that is important. In fact, being a stylistic player is often a death-knell...you won't show much versatility.

Consider whatever music your playing to be a language, and whatever band to be a country. Obviously, you can't speak english every country you go if you want to fit in. So you learn other languages. Than you say whatever you want to in that langauge.

So basically, learn how to do just about everything, and than play it with a personal touch. I hope that makes sense.

[Frank D]

I like the music/language analogy, that says it pretty well.

Not so sure about the statement that being a stylistic player is a death knell. For some players that may be true, but others can pull it off successfully. I'm thinking of David Sanborn. I've heard him play in various contexts, always in his own style, sounding like himself, but never out of place.

Not trying to be argumentative, I think this is an interesting discussion.