[So And So]

Hey there,

Here I am in New Orleans (originally from California), and since I'm here, I've made my next goal to learn to play with Brass Bands and Trad Jazz bands, so I've been gointa all the second lines and parades that I can.

In practically all of the parades I've joined in, probably about 80% of the songs they decide to play I have never listened to before, and I'm fine with listening to it a bit, finding 'Do', then jumping in because I noticed nearly every tune they play in parades has the I-IV-V blues thang.

I want to learn to play those riffs that Saxes/clarinets in Trad Jazz Bands do, you know, the trumpet's playing the melody, trombones tailgate, and then woodwinds do their...thang.

To try and play this, along with 'swinging scales', I've been looking for some tunes to transcribe, but I'm not too familiar with all the Trad Jazz Saxophonists out there, other than Sidney Bechet and Jimmy Dorsey (and while Lester Young and Zoot Sims have awesome swings, they're a tad more modren sounding, so I'm saving them for later).

I've been thinking about buying some CDs of the Trad Jazz bands here and transcribing them, but I'll look for what's free first (that, and the last time I tried transcribing one of my teacher's Tenor solos, I had this weird thought that wherever he was in the world, he'd know that someone somewhere was transcribing him.)

So what, Who knows of some good Trad Jazz Saxophone solos/riffs to transcribe? Or even brass/piano/whatever players if it sounds like there are some good ideas. I'm liking this guy's advice, I even transcribed him to try and understand it better --->

While I'm already being kind of picky, I might as well say that while I'd gladly transcribe clarinetists/sopranos, I try and copy the tone also, and I prefer the "weightier" Alto and Tenor tones than what the soprano usually has, y'know?

Hopefully that was worded understandably.

Thanks in advance!
--Kyle

 

[Peterogping]

Good luck with your pursuit. Contemporary trad. jazz can be very stimulating.
I just wonder about one thing, but maybe it's just me being old (68). Why do you want to take the deroute and first transcribe a solo into written music, and then learning it from the written music.? That's playing with your eyes, not with your ears.
The old guys, like e.g. Johnny Hodges, listened to records over and over until they could sing and/or play the solos. They did not write the music down.
Just my 2 cents, and maybe I misunderstood the word transcribe.
All the best.

 

[So And So]

Haha, when I said transcribe, I meant playing back what I listen from solos, as of now, I'm terrible at writing rhythms--just to clarify.
Whenever someone here says transcribe they usually don't refer to actually writing out the music.

 

[patmiller]

I reckon that the best saxophone players to listen to and emulate in the New Orleans trad context are the great R&B players of the 40s to the 60s - particularly tenor players. Just about anything recorded on Atlantic Records between 1947 and 1967 will have brilliant uncredited saxophone solos and backing that really pop when you play them in the NO brass band/trad jazz band context.

New Orleans brass band music can get a bit chaotic and cacophonic when too many horn players try to take the limelight. You'll be appreciated a lot if you learn some swinging riffs to keep that rhythm shuffling along while the more energetic players wail over the top. You'll know you've made it when others pick up on your riffs.

 

[Jazzaferri]

I think learn the solo is what you mean, by definition transcribing involves writing down (scribe)

I love trad jazz and find Bechet's playing inspirational.

Another source of great lines to learn for Soprano is Pops. Don Redman is another good oldie for sax although better know for his arranging skills

 

[Peterogping]

Haha, when I said transcribe, I meant playing back what I listen from solos, as of now, I'm terrible at writing rhythms--just to clarify.
Whenever someone here says transcribe they usually don't refer to actually writing out the music.

Cool.

 

[Agent27]

I'd search on YouTube for clarinetists. Guys like Dr. Michael White and Pete Fountain.

There's a great trad jazz band in San Antonio run by cornetist Jim Cullum. You can check out their YouTube page here. http://www.youtube.com/user/RiverwalkJazzRadio

Their reed player, Ron Hockett is wonderful on both clarinet and sax.

Also check out the clips Dan Higgins does on a C melody here: http://www.youtube.com/user/Jazz4U1955

And Frankie Trumbauer too. He was Lester Young's main influence.