[Mal 2]

It's a simple question -- which came first, the chicken or the egg?

Do you seek out and listen to music with saxophone in it because you play it, or do you play saxophone (as opposed to another instrument) because you love to listen to it? This is not a yes/no sort of question and the poll hopefully reflects this.

Also worth mentioning is a player who is a good example of this. For example, I might say "Ronnie Cuber has great ideas and they make me think, but I don't listen to him for his sound." Obviously this does not fit in poll options, hence the discussion.

 

[J-Moen]

Very interesting post.

I first would say I love the saxophone more than the sound of any other instrument, but that may be because I am more partial to its sound because of the fact that I play it, so instead of saying I play because I love the sound, or I love the sound because I play, I'll just say 50/50.

Nonetheless, I will always love to play and listen to the saxophone, whether I can play it as good as the songs I listen to is up to how much I actually practice.

 

[piwikiwi]

I started playing saxophone about 2,5 years ago because i like jazz. But it made listen to more saxophone players then any other instrument

 

[CaillouSax]

I've heard a lot of music and songs with saxophone for many years, hoping to play it one day.

From my childhood 'till now, I played recorders, piano and guitar and I sung while always dreaming of playing sax...

And 18 months ago, I jumped in that mervellous world! Never been so happy with an instrument playing thing!

 

[A Greene]

I think what gets me about the saxophone extremely wide range of sound and ways it is approached. I'm a fan of Marcel Mule, Brecker, Kenny Garrett. I love listening to Classical saxophone regardless of school, blues saxophone, rock saxophone, jazz saxophone (yes, including smooth jazz). I like listening to anything saxophone related. I even stop in the mall or drug store to listen to the sax players on the muzak type stations. Aside from electronic instruments (including Guitar), the saxophone acoustically can go anywhere.

I also love researching, buying/trying/selling saxophones, and looking at photos new and vintage. I read saxophone books and am probably the ONLY person that read Hemke's Dissertation (The Early History of the Saxophone) while still in high school. This also goes for mouthpieces. I'm NOT a collector but a real FAN of the saxophone and musicians willing to put the time in to take it to the next level. I'm 41 - try to practice everyday. I realize my shot at the BIG TIME has passed but I'm still trying to play MY perfect solo.

 

[jmathesonjr]

I started playing saxophone because I liked the look of it when I saw it back in 7th grade. I got switched to Baritone Saxophone because I was the tallest saxophonist in the 7th Grade band.

About two days after getting the Baritone Saxophone in band, I found a Gerry Mulligan cassette at the local K Mart. It was his Concert Jazz Band in Japan. The cassette was $1.00 because the cassette was printed in Japanese. The only thing printed in English was GERRY MULLIGAN CONCERT JAZZ BAND. It had a funky drawing of a Baritone Saxophone on it. I talked like a fiend for my father to buy it for me. I went home and listened to that cassette about three thousand times that day.

Today, I only play Baritone Saxophone. I do not play any other saxophone unless I am checking out another saxophone for a student.

I have 3,000 CD titles in my CD collection. The vast majority of these CDs feature the Baritone Saxophone in some fashion. The largest representative in my Collection is Gerry Mulligan. I have about 300 discs that have him represented in some way either as leader or sideman or now as composer.

I love the Baritone Saxophone. I listen to recordings constantly. I read about it. I study technical information. I play it as often as I can. I use it to demonstrate ideas to my students. I baby it.

So, for me, did the saxophone of choice come first or did hearing it come first. After playing Baritone Saxophone for 30 plus years, I can technically say that the Baritone Saxophone came first, but literally only by about 36 hours.

 

[bluesaxgirl]

Actually, this is a very difficult question. I have never considered why. :?

 

[Seasax]

I first picked it up and listened to sax players because I played the horn but now I love listening to sax players because I love to lsiten to the instrument and I love how they play.

 

[citizn cane]

It's a simple question -- which came first, the chicken or the egg?

Do you seek out and listen to music with saxophone in it because you play it, or do you play saxophone (as opposed to another instrument) because you love to listen to it? This is not a yes/no sort of question and the poll hopefully reflects this.

Also worth mentioning is a player who is a good example of this. For example, I might say "Ronnie Cuber has great ideas and they make me think, but I don't listen to him for his sound." Obviously this does not fit in poll options, hence the discussion.

I know you said "I might say," but Ronnie Cuber is The Man on bari...check his stuff with Lonnie Smith (Move Your Hand, Club Mozambique). I think he's on some more recent Poncho Sanchez...killing bari sound.

I actually got into music pretty young, & was attracted to drumming at first. Playing in school, I got into reading charts & big band stuff, but I was really mostly listening to rock (guitars, drums, synths), & a little Maynard etc. After I got more hip to jazz through a teacher, then sax became dominant, & I'd have to say it took some education & prompting from elders to really get me locked in...I still listen to Hendrix & Zep, along w/ Don Wilkerson & Kenny Garrett, etc.