Good Recordings of Altissimo

[woodwindmaster06]

Are there a couple of songs out there that will show off altissimo, I have been trying to find some examples but am unsuccessful.

[sjabariiii]

"Flying High" by McCoy tyner trio w/Michael Brecker. Hearing this several years ago was what first made me realize it can be used with taste and really be part of a solo.

Really anything by most of the modern tenor players should feature quite a bit.

[werkinsnake]

Lenny Picket from SNL is one of the best examples that I can think of. He as well as his first alto can hit notes that are in the stratusphere.

[saxybeast]

Almost anything by David Sanborn has plenty of altissimo and multiphonics. His altissimo has a very full sound. Check out Upfront by Sanborn.

[love4jazz]

Warne Marsh played Dona Lee with Lee Konitz, an octave higher than written on the tenor. Beautiful!!!!

[schssax04]

This one is awsome for classical altissimo

http://www.bupers.navy.mil/navymusic/mp3s/gershwin.mp3

[lowguy]

Scott Robinson is an EXCELLENT musician (of course ! do you know him ?) and a very viruoso and expressive altissimo player on soprano, C-melo, tenor and baritone

See :
-His incredible tenor solo on Greg Cohen's "Way Low" 'DIW) - A must
-a wonderfull baritone solo on Joe Lovano's Nonet's "On This Day" (live at the Village Vanguard - Blue Note)
-two soprano and one bari solo (and contrabass sax too !!!!!!) on Randy Sandke's "Inside Out" (Nagel-Heyer)
-Scott Robinson's "Magic Eye" (contact scott) on tenor and sopano - a beautifull recording
-"Melody From the Sky - Scott Robinson plays C-melody saxophone" ; Arbors records
-the new one : "Jazz Ambassadors - S.R. plays Louis Armstrong" ; on these one you can hear Scott on F-mezzo, C-melo, tenor, bari and bass - he plyas too "Cornet Chop Suey" on cornet (GREAT GREAT GREAT), and too euphonium and ophicleide. Armstrong music with many diffrent rythms, styles and feelings !

........and many others, I chosed the bests for altisimo
I forgot one on Maria Schneider's "Coming About" (ENJA) on baritone

[Bill Mecca]

LP on Knock Yourself Out off Live and in Living color.. TOP live CD. excellent example of how to build a solo as well.

[gejsaxman1]

Warren Hill is another good player to listen to if you're interested in developing your altissimo skills. He listened to a lot of David Sandborn when he was growing up and when you listen you can definitely hear the influence coming through, especially in the upper register. The altissimo register is best achieved gradually. The first and most important element in playing altissimo is a well developed embochure. Next, there is a book by Sigurd M. Rascher called "Top Tones for the Saxophone" 3rd edition. This book gives you exercises that help enhance your control of the first 3 octaves, explains the overtones series (which is what the altissimo register is based on) and then gives you a fingering chart that helps you achieve the upper partials. However, you must go through all the exercises and practice them daily in order for you to gain the full effect of this book. Also, understand that these fingerings are not the "sole" fingerings used for playing the altissimo register and they vary from horn to horn, brand to brand, and person to person. As you get more experienced you may discover fingerings that work better for "you" Good Luck and good playing!

[Emiel]

Michael Brecker plays the whole melody (five or six chorusses over blues) on his ''Delta City Blues'' using multiphonics and overtones. It's on his cd called ''Two Blocks From The Edge''. It's, to me, the best showoff of multiphonics that I've heard thusfar. Carl Coan even transcribed the melody and the solo. It's in the solotranscriptionbook called ''The Michael Brecker Collection'', published by Hall-Leonard. The book is full of Brecker solo's using those tricks! Enjoy!

[OANegrin]

For alto?

The best-voiced commercially recorded altissimo that I've heard in any idiom belongs to Donald Sinta (Creston Concerto) and his students Gary Louie (Cowell "Air and Scherzo", Laitman "I Never Saw Another Butterfly") and Timothy McAllister (Mead "Scena", Bolcom "Concert Suite"). Beautiful vibrato and roundess and homogeneity of tone from the low B-flat up to the stratosphere. With technique to match.

Also, if you can catch any of the live or old LP recordings of Sigurd Rascher performing the Brant, Ibert, Dahl, or Erickson Concertos, you will find that his high altissimo tone sounds like the high harmonics on a violin, but without the edge.

OANegrin

[prodigal]

hh

[saxchado]

The most amazing altissimo work I have ever heard was by Ed Calle. It was seamless, like he had four octave keys on his tenor. I've never heard anything like it. I'd immagine it can be found on any of his records, though I'm referring specifically to a live performance.

[singlereed]

Hear Andy Scott on tenor on the Apollo Sax Quartet 'Works for Us' CD on the track 'Scintillation' - you wouldn't know it was the tenor but for the sleeve notes.

[saxmanathome]

I think you guys should listen to kirk whalum, he has one of the most powerful tone you will ever hear in altissomo

[Vortex]

A great example of one of the most tasty uses of altissimo is Cannonball's solo to "I'm On My Way" which builds intensity throughout and climaxes to some screaming high notes.

[phodex]

You can hear any recording by Dale Underwood. He is a master in altissimo playing in classical style. :D

[littlemanbighorn]

The recently departed soprano sax master Steve Lacy.

[Pete Thomas]

One of the first, and still one of the best, was Earl Bostic.

Also listen to King Curtis

[TMadness1013]

Coming from a classical standpoint...

check out recordings of Rascher (rare - but worth the time it takes to hunt them down)

David Bilger (especially the Cowell Air & Scherzo)

Lawrence Gwozdz also

[TMadness1013]

Coming from a jazz standpoint...

Any of the artists mentioned above along with Joshua Redman - check out his recording of St. Thomas from "Live at the Village Vanguard"

[Djt2005]

Hey schssax04, who was that and where did you get that recording?

[Lawrence]

Saxchado: Thanks for letting me know this Miami saxophonist – Ed Calle. After reading you posting above, I check out his music on web (I love them even with the only 20 seconds sample songs), then buy his latest albums (in my opinion, all are very good indeed), and now he become one of my favorite saxophonist. By the way, his songs have occupied all my playable devices including my CD, mp3 and even my computer, for a month already. :D

For those who are interested, you can listen his selected song here (where I recently discovered) http://www.edcalle.com/sansebastian.html and hope you will like his music too.

[rollen]

George Young
If you can find them, Spring Fever and Love Is Here to Stay. They can sometimes be found on eBay.

His altissimo is so smooth, so clear and oh so fast.

[tdeane]

I don't think anyone has ever played in the altissimo as well as Mark Turner.

[creston]

In Classical, even though he lacks vibrato, check out John-Edward Kelly. Crazy high altissimo. www.johnedwardkelly.com I think that's his site.. if not, just google him.

[BKauth]

[even though he lacks vibrato, check out John-Edward Kelly]

Creston,

I don't understand what you mean here. John-Edward Kelly plays with vibrato in all registers of the instrument. His numerous recordings attest to that. Listen to his "Alone" recording; there are many works that use the altissimo register and he uses vibrato up there all the time.

Brian Kauth

[dirty]

Sorry to revive a dead thread, but I just heard some amazing altissimo.

John Stubblefield's tenor solo on "Little Royal Suite" off the Mingus Big Band album Blues and Politics. The solo starts about 11 or 12 minutes into the song, and he uses the enitre range of the instrument to reach a climax with these screaming high notes. Incredible solo, even if it didn't have the altissimo.

Just wanted to share with anybody who hasn't heard this solo before.

[zorroperro]

Foreigner Urgent's solo got me into saxophone.

[saxfreak]

Recently I purchased the Rascher sax quartet album "Europe", and the altissimo playing on that recording is incredible. The music is very modern and experimental, so it won't be for everyone, but the playing by everyone in the quartet is tremendous.

[clarnibass]

Evan Parker solo soprano has pretty much the most intense and amazing use of altisimo, overtones, and multiphonics. I have not heard all players mentioned in this thread but have heard some of them and none are even close as far as altisimo and overtones technique - for example, jumping very fast from low notes to the highest notes. Evan Parker sometimes does it in a way that you actually hear two melodies, one low and one high. The music is very different though than most mentioned in this thread.