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in my context, tone, taste, timing and technique (to perform what is desired) makes a good saxophonist but our definition of good moves with our musical season. thus, few months later, it may change.
 
Discussion starter · #24 ·
But what's great music?
In order to answer the question mentioned above, I found this video:



One of my favourite quotes is the following:
"The purpose of music is to elevate one's consciousness and elevate one's spiritual level. That's the kind of music I want to hear."

So, a saxophonist who composes this kind of music is an excelent musician.
 
"The purpose of music is to elevate one's consciousness and elevate one's spiritual level. That's the kind of music I want to hear."

Not to lift one's spirits? Not to lighten a heavy heart? Not to bring joy? That's not the kind of music I want to hear.
 
Discussion starter · #27 ·
"The purpose of music is to elevate one's consciousness and elevate one's spiritual level. That's the kind of music I want to hear."

Not to lift one's spirits? Not to lighten a heavy heart? Not to bring joy? That's not the kind of music I want to hear.
Sure, what Bob Berg said was very brief :) Great music must have all those qualities too.
 
OK...For a native speaker, tho, he could have a very serious tone there.
For the record - I am not as serious as Bob Berg was. I love music differently.
 
Phrases define a good saxophonist to me

Whether rock n roll sax, smooth jazz, bebop, modern, free, swing, post-apocalyptic LOL .

You gotta have phrases, stuff that make somebody say

play that again!, rewind that! etc.

I had that happen from horn players from every genre.

As much as I love Lester Young's tone, I wouldn't want to hear him play whole notes all day, so it's not Tone for me. As much as I admire Coltrane, Turner, Brecker's chops, I wouldn't want to be shredded to death, it's not technique.

But phrases to me combine all that a horn player can muster and presents it into a package.
 
To go off on a tangent, whether a saxophonist is good or not good, we should still try to extend some love to them. This especially applies to ourselves, as saxophonists.
 
To go off on a tangent, whether a saxophonist is good or not good, we should still try to extend some love to them. This especially applies to ourselves, as saxophonists.
You are on to something, my friend. I read a lot of posts in a thread like this and think: "This is 'good'?" Really? Then where do you locate "very good"? "Great"? There's always this rush to superlatives. Why? Are we so uncomfortable with just being ok and giving ourselves and other people a little pleasure? That would be unusual enough, wouldn't it?
 
I have always been struck by by the fact that, while many of them play and sound wildly different from each other, pretty much all good sax players play and sound quite a bit different from me.
 
A professional attitude. One that acts like a professional. One that is committed to the saxophone and able to play it with the skills needed to consider it a profession.
Hmmm.... By this criteria, a good saxophonist has to be a professional?

Do "networking" and "shaking down the club owner to get paid" also count in this definition?
 
Hmmm.... By this criteria, a good saxophonist has to be a professional?

Do "networking" and "shaking down the club owner to get paid" also count in this definition?
No, by this definition, I'm not saying a good sax player has to be a professional player. If that was the case, I would have said "A good saxophonist is one that is a professional player."

But from what I've seen, and the ones I've worked with, that have a professional attitude generally are good sax players.

Many of the good players that I know are lawyers and doctors, yet they still like to do a gig and get paid for it, and they have a very professional attitude about it.
 
I see a "hidden" definition here...We keep raising the bar. So a good saxophonist, perhaps, is one who could be a great saxophonist when circumstances bring the pressure on.
 
No, by this definition, I'm not saying a good sax player has to be a professional player. If that was the case, I would have said "A good saxophonist is one that is a professional player."

But from what I've seen, and the ones I've worked with, that have a professional attitude generally are good sax players.

Many of the good players that I know are lawyers and doctors, yet they still like to do a gig and get paid for it, and they have a very professional attitude about it.
I'm struggling a little here with this still. So, since my band primarily does volunteer work at senior centers and similar venues, and by definition doesn't get paid, I'm missing a critical piece of the definition of "good sax player?" May be true, and by some measures I may not be (though I believe the word competent still applies), but it's the paid part that's getting me.

I think if you're getting paid for it then you're doing it professionally -- whether it's your primary occupation or not. I suspect the IRS would agree and I know the International Olympic Committee does.

So, back to the pro part. Is being paid for playing part of your definition of a good sax player?

Also, Art Pepper, Stan Getz, Serge Chaloff, and many others were known to have personal issues that could certainly be thought of as an unprofessional attitude, yet are still thought of as good (great) players.

Point is, I just don't think you can bring those things to bear in a judgement on what constitutes a good player. They certainly fit in what constitutes a pro player, however.
 
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