[kavala]

I've mentioned Ed Calle a couple of times on this forum as I think he
is a monster.

I've got a couple of CD's (one with Mike Brecker - a Sandoval CD),
and a couple of others.

http://www.edcalle.com/
http://www.saxshed.com/calle.shtml

He is also on You Tube.

I never see his name mentioned at all, and I was wondering if others
had listened to this guy.

He is from Miami and I understand that he does not like to travel
and for that reason is not so well known out of Florida.

 

[lhoffman]

Ed's a really nice guy. When I was in school (Univ. of KY) he came up for a few days for a masterclass and concert w/ the jazz ensemble. A hell of a player too. He told a story that's stuck with me, about a (I think) Julio Iglesias show in NY, full orchestra type thing. Ed had a big tenor cadenza at the end of a piece, and just poured himself out into it in the rehearsal. When he finished, the orchestra stopped and applauded him. That's when Julio (again, I believe) came up and said, "Yes, that's very nice, but could you play more like Stan Getz, you know, 'fuu-fuu' kind of thing?" Ed said that's when he decided he was done with that kind of work and he just needed to do his own thing; play with his own voice, his own music.

 

[kavala]

I can just hear Ed's cadeza.

I think Julio didn't wanna be upstaged.

 

[bruce bailey]

When I was teaching here, he was the Jazz sax teacher and I was the classical. I rarely see him but he is still at Miami-Dade College (Kendall campus) in charge of the music media department. You can probably find him via the college website. I remember when he played with Gloria in the Miami Sound Machine years ago. His sister is a clarinet player and teaches at a magnet school here.

 

[playitfunky]

Calle plays same mouthpiece as me except a size smaller. So of course I love his sound.

http://www.edcalle.com/equipment.html

 

[kavala]

Once again I see no mention in the recent 'favorite/best tenors' list.

 

[KevinC]

I want to like Calle - I enjoy his playing on the Sandoval records and he's got chops and a great sound - but I picked up one of his records awhile ago - Twilight - and it was horrible. Seemed like a complete waste of talent - smooth jazz at its pandering worst. I tried, really, I tried, but when he started into "Laughter in the Rain" about half way through I couldn't take it any longer. I guess the guy's trying to make a buck, but I was disappointed at his musical choices, to say the least.

 

[kavala]

I want to like Calle - I enjoy his playing on the Sandoval records and he's got chops and a great sound - but I picked up one of his records awhile ago - Twilight - and it was horrible. Seemed like a complete waste of talent - smooth jazz at its pandering worst. I tried, really, I tried, but when he started into "Laughter in the Rain" about half way through I couldn't take it any longer. I guess the guy's trying to make a buck, but I was disappointed at his musical choices, to say the least.

I haven't heard that one. All that I have heard of him (which isn't a lot)
has been straight ahead exciting playing.

 

[Ryan427]

Ed Calle has got to be one of the best underrated players out there.

He came as a guest soloist with our band when I was in college a few years ago. His chops are insane - he can play altissimo licks like he has another octave key. I can't believe he's not more well known.

He's a genuine, sincere, all-around nice guy too. I was lucky enough to pick him up from his hotel and bring him to the university for the clinic he was doing, and he was understandably hungry so we stopped at Denny's for breakfast on the way.

Of course I was riveted by every word he said while we ate, but when we were done he wouldn't even let me pay. "Don't worry about it - the school will pay for it" I said. "No, it's ok. It was my idea to eat in the first place." So he bought me breakfast.

He played Body and Soul with our rhythm section as an encore at our concert, and it knocked my socks off. 15 minutes of sheer bliss. Wish I had a recording of it. Unaccompanied intro for a couple of choruses, then he owned the melody, then soloed, let the piano take some bars, then topped it off with a SICK cadenza with - I promise - TASTY use of multiphonics.

It was one of the best live performances I've ever heard.

 

[edhara]

He did a fantastic solo on "Joy Spring" on Arturo Sandoval's album "I Remember Clifford."

I still hold that version (besides the original) as The One to live up to.

 

[bjornblomberg]

He did a fantastic solo on "Joy Spring" on Arturo Sandoval's album "I Remember Clifford."

I still hold that version (besides the original) as The One to live up to.

Yes, that solo on the Sandoval record is outstanding. There are some nice free podcasts with Ed Calle on iTunes store too.

The original version is, of course, very nice as well. Is that Harold Land or Sonny playing the tenor on the original?

 

[Ryan427]

Is that Harold Land or Sonny playing the tenor on the original?

95% sure Harold Land played the original with Clifford Brown

 

[bjornblomberg]

95% sure Harold Land played the original with Clifford Brown

Whoa, Harold Land was a really mean player. I wonder why he didn't proceed to get famous like Sonny, Mobley, Trane and those other guys?

 

[bjornblomberg]

95% sure Harold Land played the original with Clifford Brown

I think Land also played on Clifford's "Sandu" (coolest blues since Blind Lemon Jefferson...).

BTW, I agree that Ed Calle (I think this thread was about Ed Calle and not Harold Land) is a monster player. What do you guys think of his albums, like "Ed Calle Plays Santana"? Some of it is probably somehow within the so-called "smooth jazz" genre, but IMO it is much more interesting, his sound on the tenor is excellent, and his playing very soul-full.