[bentleydean]

Ya know, the song you play when: "Oh you play sax, let me hear somethin?" happens.
What song do you keep in your back pocket?

 

[nvilletele]

Work Song.

 

[Dave Dolson]

Petite Fleur (Bechet).

 

[Veggie Dave]

Work Song or The Chicken if they want something upbeat. Goodbye Pork Pie Hat for mellow and Can't Turn You Loose if they wouldn't know a jazz song if it beat them around the face with a soggy kipper.

 

[saxoclese]

Take Five, Yakkety Sax, Misty, When Sonny Gets Blue, Georgia, Pink Panther or any other song I can play off the top of my head.

 

[Roundmidnite]

There Will Never Be Another You

 

[Pleiadian_Prince]

I just improvise. Usually something following a 2 5 1 progression.

 

[swperry1]

When people say, "You play the sax, let me hear something..." is usually when I put the horn away as quickly as I can. If they persist I either ask them what tune they want to hear, and it's usually a pop tune I've heard before and can at least half-*** the melody on, or I just make up something on the spot...usually about how much I hate it when I'm presented with that line, but they can't hear the words in my head so it sounds a lot less mean.

 

[motteatoj]

Fish and Chips or Birdland or Summertime

 

[Martin Williams]

Goodbye Pork Pie Hat or Cold Duck Time are usually the first things that spring to mind.

 

[mrpeebee]

Tenor Madness or the Flinstones theme.

Or just some improvisation over a Blues- or Rhythm scheme.

 

[mi000ke]

There Will Never Be Another You

Mine, too - just seems to work well as an unaccompanied tune, and fun to play

 

[Budget Explosion]

This is a great topic and the perfect "go-to" song has always eluded me. If I'm desperate to show someone that I know how to play, it's usually "Girl From Ipanema."

 

[extradarcafe]

On tenor it used to be a slow rendition of "'Round Midnight." But now, after Woody's movie, on both alto and soprano it's "Si Tu Vois Ma Mere." Seems everyone likes to hear that one and it lends itself well to solo play.

 

[Grumps]

"Oh you play sax, let me hear somethin?"

I simply tell them when my next gig is.
Then they can find out.

 

[High Fly]

Sunny

Samba de Orfeu

Tea for Two

 

[jski2011]

summertime, dream a little dream, work song

 

[Isle of Jazz]

Do Nothing Till You Hear from Me

 

[Keith Ridenhour]

I think a lot of people forget that the sax has a beautiful haunting tone. I do somewhere over the rainbow in most situations when I'm in between the songs I want to present as a solo or duo acts Its recognizable , isn't consididered "jazz' (has a vocal basis to it) and connects generations. I don"t crank out some Bebop song or jazz thing from the 60s. I'm demoing the sound of the instrument and I guess what I sound like. Also, even after playing it 1000s of times I still like it and can connect to it. When I do it in a convalescent setting I always change keys just to keep me awake and If I have a guitar, play it like a reggie or add things to it stylistically if that seems like the crowd can handle. But otherwise just slow and pretty >K

 

[Dave Pollack]

Careless Whisper