List of Sax Players for Middle School Kids to Listen to:

[larrys]

A musician friend who will begin teaching music at a local middle school this Fall asked me which sax players I would recommend her students listen to. Since my knowledge is really limited to jazz players my list is too. That said, here's the beginning of my list. I'd love to hear who you would put on the list. I'm only scratching the surface..

Soprano: Sidney Bechet, John Coltrane, Branford Marsalis, Wayne Shorter, Paul Winter, Jan Garbarek, Pharoah Sanders

Alto: Johnny Hodges, Charlie Parker, Cannonball Adderly, Phil Woods, Richie Cole, Wes Anderson, Eric Marienthal, David Sanborn ---

Tenor: Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Paul Gonsalves, Dexter Gordon, John Coltrane, Branford Marsalis, James Carter, Wayne Shorter, Pharoah Sanders, Charles Lloyd, Zoot Sims, Al Cohn

Baritone: Harry Carney, Ronnie Cuber, Pepper Adams, Joe Temperly,

Bass: ?

More needed, name your favorite recording of each player if you can..

Thanks much!

[BayviewSax]

Make it easy: All of 'em.

Your list has some good stuff on it, but I'd really try to get them to use the web to find out what they like to hear. Send them to CD Baby on a clip finding mission.

Bass: Rosco Mitchell, Joseph Jarmen, James Carter

[Saxaholic]

Don't forget Paul Desmond. Younger kids love listening to that smooth sound...it inspired me to play many years ago and still does today.

I find that younger children gravitate more towards jazz than they do classical. Something about the freedom and sound, makes it sound "fun".

Saxaholic

[Blackwolf42]

Why did you leave out Gerry Mulligan on bari? Also, James Carter applies to all of those categories, and Joshua Redman's "Mood Swing" and "Wish" seem like good choices for the junior highers.

[larrys]

Oops, Didn't mean to exclude them including Desmond.. Just forgot - great . I want to add Illinois Jacquet and Hammiet Bluiet, Benny Golson, Benny Carter, Eric Dolphy ... Thanks and please add anyone you want kids to hear

[Sam]

It's very tempting to run through THE GIANT LIST. I do improv clinics for high school and middle school kids a lot, and based on that experience I recommend a different approach for a "total raw beginners" list:

* Try to name no more than THREE players on each instrument whose joy in playing is so clear that even neophytes can pick it up.

* Make sure at least one of those names is STILL ALIVE.

* Try to name players whose work shows the range of the music. Don't get caught up in "what is jazz." People -- even kids -- can figure out what they like and begin to follow their own trail.

With that in mind, my picks are:

On tenor, Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon and Grover Washington, Jr.

On alto, Charlie Parker, Cannonball Adderly and David Sanborn

On soprano, Branford Marsalis

On baritone, Gerry Mulligan and Ronnie Cuber


Obviously, this list omits more than it includes (and FWIW it omits most of my favorite players, like John Coltrane, Michael Brecker, Wayne Shorter, Paul Desmond and Chris Potter).

Oh well. Back to my cave.

[BarrySachs]

Greatest soprano sounds other than Bechet.

Lucky Thompson
Jerome Richardson
Bob Wilber
Joe Temperley
Kenny Davern
Jerry Dodgion
Brandford Marsalis
Victor Goines


Other than that, start with the major innovators.

Alto:
Hodges, Benny Carter, Jimmy Dorsey, Bird, Stitt, Konitz, Jackie Mac, Ornette, Desmond

tenor:
Hawk, Ben, Prez, Don Byas, Dex, Sonny, Getz, Trane, Wayne & Joe

fill in the rest after they get hooked. There are so many great players I'ts hard to just pick a few.

[jazzbluescat]

Stanley Turrentine!

[Brendan Muse]

For bass, you can look for some of the less hokey Adrian Rollini recordings. Also, the Nuclear Whales (www.nuclearwhales.com) are fun to listen to, even though they aren't really on the same stellar level as some of the other folks on the list.

[HeavyWeather77]

Sam, I think your advice is great. I think I'm going to steal that philosophy and most of your list to use with my own students.

I'm not a plagiarist, am I?

[BlueNote]

Good list so far, but I would also add-

Alto: Jackie McLean, Eric Dolphy, James Spaulding, Charlie Mariano, and for a modern player, Kenny Garrett.

Tenor: Lester Young, Illinois Jacquet, Harold Vick, George Adams, Harold Land, Booker Ervin, Hank Mobley, Johnny Griffin, and any modern players they dig.

Baritone: Jerome Richardson and Gerry Mulligan.

[DD]

For joy and technique outside the box (to which middle school kids can readily relate) don't forget Roland Kirk.

[AuntSaxophone]

Don't forget Paul Desmond. Younger kids love listening to that smooth sound...it inspired me to play many years ago and still does today.

I find that younger children gravitate more towards jazz than they do classical. Something about the freedom and sound, makes it sound "fun".

Saxaholic

When I was a kid, I don't think it would have mattered. As long as I could distinctly hear the Sax.

[cleger]

For joy and technique outside the box (to which middle school kids can readily relate) don't forget Roland Kirk.

For that same reason I would make sure to include Dolphy, but I would recommend some of his dates with Mingus rather than his own (his own stuff might be a bit too "weird" for raw beginners).

[saxmanager]

Why would you include Eric Marienthal and Dave Sanborn, but not Michael Brecker?


A musician friend who will begin teaching music at a local middle school this Fall asked me which sax players I would recommend her students listen to. Since my knowledge is really limited to jazz players my list is too. That said, here's the beginning of my list. I'd love to hear who you would put on the list. I'm only scratching the surface..

Soprano: Sidney Bechet, John Coltrane, Branford Marsalis, Wayne Shorter, Paul Winter, Jan Garbarek, Pharoah Sanders

Alto: Johnny Hodges, Charlie Parker, Cannonball Adderly, Phil Woods, Richie Cole, Wes Anderson, Eric Marienthal, David Sanborn ---

Tenor: Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Paul Gonsalves, Dexter Gordon, John Coltrane, Branford Marsalis, James Carter, Wayne Shorter, Pharoah Sanders, Charles Lloyd, Zoot Sims, Al Cohn

Baritone: Harry Carney, Ronnie Cuber, Pepper Adams, Joe Temperly,

Bass: ?

More needed, name your favorite recording of each player if you can..

Thanks much!

[RootyTootoot]

I like to recommend pairs of contrasting players like say: Bechet/Coltrane, Hodges/Desmond, Coltrane/Webster etc

[martysax]

I like to recommend pairs of contrasting players like say: Bechet/Coltrane, Hodges/Desmond, Coltrane/Webster etc

This makes a lot of sense! It reminds me of when, in a Fiction class at Brandeis, we read two books concurrently in order to read one through the other. (Crime and Punishment/ Beyond Good and Evil)

How would Coltrane approach a Bechet solo?

Could Steve Lacy play Songbird like Kenny G?

What if Charlie Parker grew up listening to Michael Brecker while floating nutmeg on milk?

What if Kenny G had a bad attitude problem?

Yes, it's my Wednesday morning off.

[bluesaxgirl]

The Dave Brubeck Band had a monster bari sax player...I can't recall his name, but he was the soloist in the piece Take Five.

[Jonathan C.]

Kenny G? ;)
No they better stay away from him.

[bluesaxgirl]

Kenny G? ;)
No they better stay away from him.
I remember being that 6th grader who wanted to be just like Kenny G when I grew up...we don't need anymore of those. That means we're going to have to stay away from the lines of David Sanborn too.

[keithsy]

Do not discount the horns of Chicago and Blood, Sweat and Tears.

[Pete Thomas]

You say your own list is limited to jazz, presumably though your friend may want some non jazz players. The saxophone goes way beyond jazz.

I'd suggest some of the great R & B and rock players.

Lee Allen
Plas
Earl Bostic
Louis Jordan
King Curtis
Junior Walker
Maceo Parker
Dana Colley

and some of the more unusual and adventurous jazz and out there players:

Didier Malherbe
Dudu Pukwana
Roland Kirk
Evan Parker
Lol Coxhill

[wrate]

Whats wrong with Kenny G his one of my favourites

[magical pig]

There are some Aebersold volumes with a list of recommended artists to listen to for each of the most recurrent instruments in jazz. Check it out.

Victor.

[jbtsax]

It is most unfortunate that no one thought to include any "classical" players for the middle school students to listen to in order to develop a concept of that sound for their instrument. The fact is that for most students in the U.S. performing in Concert/Symphonic bands will represent the majority of their playing experience. There is certainly nothing wrong with listening to good jazz players, but it is important that the students be taught the concept of sound appropriate to the genre of music they will be playing.

Alto - Don Sinta, Eugene Rousseau
Soprano - Branford Marsalis
Tenor - James Houlik
Baritone (all) - New Century Sax Quartet

There are others on SOTW who can certainly add to this list.

John

[SaxMoose]

Lol Coxhill

lol is that his real name?

[Kritavi]

If you really want to blow their minds there is only one choice: RAHSAAN ROLAND KIRK!!!!

[AltoRuth]

It's very tempting to run through THE GIANT LIST. I do improv clinics for high school and middle school kids a lot, and based on that experience I recommend a different approach for a "total raw beginners" list:

* Try to name no more than THREE players on each instrument whose joy in playing is so clear that even neophytes can pick it up.

* Make sure at least one of those names is STILL ALIVE.

* Try to name players whose work shows the range of the music. Don't get caught up in "what is jazz." People -- even kids -- can figure out what they like and begin to follow their own trail.

With that in mind, my picks are:

On tenor, Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon and Grover Washington, Jr.

On alto, Charlie Parker, Cannonball Adderly and David Sanborn

On soprano, Branford Marsalis

On baritone, Gerry Mulligan and Ronnie Cuber


Obviously, this list omits more than it includes (and FWIW it omits most of my favorite players, like John Coltrane, Michael Brecker, Wayne Shorter, Paul Desmond and Chris Potter).

Oh well. Back to my cave.

I've bumped this post up as a reminder that Larry asked about middle school kids and Sam's post most directly addresses the query, as did Rooty's. (I'd have quoted Rooty's post as well if I had ever figured out how to include more than one quote in a reply :?)

Too often these requests for listening lists turn into comprehensive compilations of everyone's favorites and, in my cynicism, I sometimes -detect as well a note of one-ups-manship. These comprehensive lists can be quite overwhelming for any neophyte, never mind one who is in middle school. And might I also remind everyone that the search button will yield any number of big lists.

So hark back to what Larry wants help with. And I will echo the suggestion to include a few (very few) classical players, along with the very few jazz/rock, etc. players.

Ruth

[zxcvbnm]

All they should listen to is late John Coltrane.
A love supreme and interstellar space!
:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

Why only a little classical? There's a lot to learn from the likes of players such as Rascher, Mule, Rousseau, Londiex, Gwozdz, etc. It was recordings of Rascher that really got me into sax and especially classical. Plus we need more classical players...

They can really learn from the pure and beautiful tone of these guys, the effortless mastery, the flawless technique, and generally wonderful sax playing.

[calisax]

Sonny Stitt - both alto and tenor
Gene Ammons - tenor

Must haves... ;)

[Pete Thomas]

lol is that his real name?

Well, it's what I've always known him as.

[BIG B Convert]

It's very tempting to run through THE GIANT LIST. I do improv clinics for high school and middle school kids a lot, and based on that experience I recommend a different approach for a "total raw beginners" list:

* Try to name no more than THREE players on each instrument whose joy in playing is so clear that even neophytes can pick it up.

* Make sure at least one of those names is STILL ALIVE.

* Try to name players whose work shows the range of the music. Don't get caught up in "what is jazz." People -- even kids -- can figure out what they like and begin to follow their own trail.

Very SOUND advice. I've been running a jr. high jazz band program for the past 8 yrs. It took me 3 years to come to the same conclusion.

[RootyTootoot]

Rereading this thread, I must say that the thing about including a *range* and letting kids decide what they like is very good. And John's point about classical stuff is well taken. I must admit that the idea of *necessarily* including some contemporary player(s) as a matter of course wouldn't have occured to me but that is a good idea. How about Desmond/Rousseau/Maceo? (3 for alto). Is that the kind of thing you had in mind, Sam?

[Mikedify]

Anyone mentioned Stan Getz or Ornette Colman on this distinguished list yet

[bluesaxgirl]

The Dave Brubeck Band had a monster bari sax player...I can't recall his name, but he was the soloist in the piece Take Five.

Wow...less than a year ago I didn't know this...
Paul Desmond: duh! I could slap myself over the head with my Dell laptop.
I'm learning alright...:)

[newageanubis]

I'm just out of middle school, and listening to the saxophone greats has made my middle school jazz experience simply ethereal. During those years, I listened to the sounds of a lot of those who have already been mentioned. Three more that I would wholeheartedly recommend are Kirk Whalum, Boney James and Masato Honda. Any middle school jazz saxophonists
should listen to their music and take from it what they can.

I never listened to one of the usual greats, and that's John Coltrane. He was one player who I never liked, and still don't to this day. His tone is too harsh, and I don't find his fast, barrage of notes musical, virtuoso-like or appealing to the ear. Every other jazz listener or musician or student that I know has been astonished to hear that I don't like Coltrane. Is there something I'm missing, or that I don't hear in his music?

[Jordan Smith]

So hark back to what Larry wants help with. And I will echo the suggestion to include a few (very few) classical players, along with the very few jazz/rock, etc. players.

Ruth

What!?!? Why should we include (very few) classical players? As was stated above, classical saxophone is at least equal with jazz saxophone on what the average saxophone student will be exposed to in the general music school system. So why not include an EQUAL mix of everything? Show your students the flexibility and the prowess of the saxophone in just about any musical medium.

Otherwise, we perpetuate a stereotype that the saxophone is only good for jazz or only good for classical. The fact is that it has strong ties in both musical schools and to ignore one or the other is to be remiss of the instruments history and lineage.

Classical saxophonists I would suggest:

Sigurd Rascher and Jean Marie Londeix (incredibly different players but provide a great contrast)

Contemporary Saxophonists:

Clifford Leaman or John Sampen

[LampLight]

For Middle schoolers, I'd recommend players whose music is easily approachable:

- Rock/Pop/Blues: The player's on Pete Thomas' list
- Swing: People like Zoot Sims, Sonny Stitt
- Swing Plus: Stan Getz, Paul Desmond
- Smooth Jazz: Gerald Albright; normally smooth jazz, but also very approachable straight ahead jazz on the supurb album Live at Birdland West
- Jazz Band: This will be an important part of their experience for some of them, and there are plenty of choices. Some groups, like the Mingus band, are probably pushing the envelope for most middle schoolers. Others, like Basie, are relatively main stream.

Good luck.

[themacintrasher]

Albert Ayler.

[gary]

Albert Ayler.

Exactly. Something approachable. I think a good start might be something commercial and smooth. Sweet Bossa Nova sounds like "Girl from Ipanema" on "Fire Music" might do the trick.

:twisted:

[Bill Bryant]

I try to have all my middle school tenor players listen to Pete Christlieb: "Unforgettable" with Natalie Cole, "Laura" with Wayne Bergeron, "Body and Soul" with Doc Severinsen, and so many more wonderful solos. A great tenor sound.