[A Greene]

In a recent Facebook post, a friend of mine listed Jr. Walker's 'Shotgun' album as one of his top 10 albums. I think he was expecting 'haters' from the general sax community but honestly Walker's 'Urgent' solo and playing 'Shotgun' in my early bar band days really got me fired up about saxophone.

Old Timey jazz just didn't do it. Then I discovered Lenny Pickett and ultimately all roads lead to Micheal Brecker back in the 1980's. On alto, I had David Sanborn who was setting the world on fire back in the 1980's. Again his sound was so different from the hoodle-doodle scratchy records of 'jazz.' On soprano, how could you not want to sound like Branford Marsalis on the Sting Album 'Dream of the Blue Turtle.'

Now move forward 30 years and Yes, I've transcribed Coltrane, Rollins, and Parker. For good or bad, it's those early tonal influences that are really the DNA of my sound and approach. The Sanborn thing is SO much a part of my Alto playing that I rarely play alto - it almost sounds dated these days.

In any case, I'm curious about other SOTW members early influences and are they still the DNA of your sound?

 

[rzzzzz]

not the original, obviously. kind of a nice tenor solo to open the number. but dig the left handed guitar player on the far left.
(grew up hearing those great King Curtis, Lee Allen breaks. but later it was Miles' In a Silent Way and Kind of Blue albums, plus a Sun Ra show i stumbled into that made me want to revisit the horn I abandoned after high school.)

 

[111518]

Anybody remember when record stores had cutout bins? Two of the three sax sounds that are deeply imprinted for me came from 99 cent (sometimes 3 for $1.00 when the bin was full) explorations.

One was my very first exposure to bebop: Sonny Stitt's album "Rearin' Back," and esp. a version of "Allen's Ally" that was called "We." I had no idea what he was doing, but I wore the record out.

Another was on an album by the guitarist Joe Beck called "Watch the Time"(maybe I thought I was buying Jeff Beck): a tune called "Stand Up and Be Somebody," which alternated between laid back guitar sections and these remarkable, fiery, tenor breaks. It was only years later I figured out it was Michael Brecker. (Maybe I'll post this one, since I'm not sure if its very well known among Brecker fans.)

The third was from having the great good fortune to get to play for a number of years with a very fine saxophonist named James Belvin Powell, who, when I worked with him was a local high school band director and weekend warrior, but who had years before played in R&B review bands and written a few tunes that charted. One, "The Real Thing," with a band called the Electric Express, became a Northern Soul standard, I'm told. He was (is, I hope, lost contact) a versatile player --played all the horns--, but a big fan of King Curtis, and he had that kind of big tenor tone. It was 40 years ago, and for all that time I've been a guitar and/or bass player, but, always wanted to play sax. and get that sound. Two years in, and not yet even in the same time zone, but, still at it...

 

[Budget Explosion]

Yes, my early influences are still the foundation of my sound and improvisational ideas (about 40 years later.) My neighbor got me a Scott Hamilton cassette and my parents bought me the Smithsonian Guide to Big Bands (also cassettes) for my confirmation. I loved the melodic improv ideas and fat clean tones...and I still strive to have a classic tone and play melodically.

 

[1saxman]

Although I have tried to work in more of a modern touch to what I have been doing, mostly what comes out of me is King Curtis, Boots Randolph, Lee Allen, Earl Bostic, Plas Johnson, Stan Getz, Paul Desmond, Sammy Butera and many others of the same era. At least, they are foremost in my mind as I play. I figure at this point, there's no point in trying to change. There's so much material there to learn from that no man could finish it in a lifetime, so anytime I need a refresher all I have to do is play a few old records and I get myself set on the true course. Here lately I've been getting in an hour every day, walking around in the garage just playing what I want and working on the horns, fixing little things here and there. Mostly I work on playing soft ballads in the low register which is similar to 'long tones' but not as boring. Then I work on songs/solos that I know I will have coming up when we go back to work. With me, it has always been 'the sound', and I believe that is the reason I have been steadily working as a sax player since 1963.

 

[musekatcher]

When I picked it back up after a looong layoff, I was pleased how fast the fingers came back. It took a little longer on my chops, but they came back too. My goal was to add it to my cover band and wedding gigs, which is dominated by top 40. So I was trying to channel Bobby Keys, Junior Walker, etc. Within expectations of course. I finally got the nerve up to make a recording to check progress. I was shocked. My expression was akin to early Hawkins or Young. That absolutely came from my subconscience bios of 30+ years ago. It was nothing like what I was hearing in my head, lol. Hey, its what it is. Thankfully, tunes like Brown Sugar are forgiving!

 

[SimonJazzSax]

This one is interesting for me because I actually have a degree in classical saxophone. I was hardcore into it and never really played jazz of funk until my senior year of college (21 yo or so). Then Brecker was the guy that got me into jazz. I devoured Brecker for YEARS, then it was Chris Potter and Josh Redman, but as I worked professionally I was lucky enough to get criticized by some serious players that turned me on to Sonny, Trane, Dex, Bird etc. I'd say that my playing definitely gravitates to that style now and I don't really hear any of my early fusion influences left, or the classical playing. I haven't forgotten it, and it's shaped me in many ways, but I don't hear it when I play or listen to myself.

 

[MartinMusicMan]

... mostly what comes out of me is King Curtis, Boots Randolph, Lee Allen, Earl Bostic, Plas Johnson, Stan Getz, Paul Desmond, Sammy Butera and many others of the same era...

The sound in my head is based on all the sax solos from rock 'n' roll records from late 50's through early 60's. I didn't know who most of the players were until much later, but it started with King Curtis, then Lee Allen and Plas Johnson and Gene "Daddy G" Barge and Steve Douglas and Gil Bernal, then Junior Walker and later Grover Washington Jr. I was never much of a jazz guy, always rock and R&B. John Laughter's "History of Top 40 Sax Solos" is my bible.

 

[Bari Sax Guy]

I've been a Jeru fan for years. I went to Symphony Hall to see Brubeck et al with Paul Desmond and Gerry Mulligan in 1971. I came away liking all of these artists, but I liked Paul Desmond the least. Now, years later, I can appreciate Desmond and am very much a fan. You look at things differently when you're a Junior in HS.

 

[mrpeebee]

I already listened about 12 years to jazz music before I bought a tenor sax and tried to learn to play it all by myself.

My favorite tenor players for sound and playing approach were old style players like Ben Webster, (early) Coleman Hawkins, Arnett Cobb, Illinois Jacquet and Johnny Griffin. They are still my main hero's and all partly present in my style (Cobb for phrasing and approach, a mixture of early Griff and Cobb for sound, but all of course on a much lower level). I have listened to almost everything in history of jazz and other styles with a leading role for saxophone, but those early hero's are still on the top of my list.

 

[whaler]

I definitely think your sound is formed very early in your playing. Your time feel too. Both are really hard to change.
I don’t teach but I always warn young guys to avoid bad drummers.

 

[Saxhound]

It was King Curtis for me too. My uncle recorded one of his early records and gave me a copy in a blank sleeve. I played that thing to death, but never knew the names of the tunes. I think my brother stole it from me years ago, so I can't even look it up. My parents also had a Boots Randolph album (in mono). I learned to play Yakety Sax when I was 13.

 

[SaxJazz12]

I definitely think your sound is formed very early in your playing. Your time feel too. Both are really hard to change.
I don't teach but I always warn young guys to avoid bad drummers.

Amen to this. For me, it even comes down to prob 5 specific albums:

Trane - Coltrane Jazz
Joe Hen Quartet - Live @ The Lighthouse
Rick Margitza - Work It
Bob Malach - Conversations w/ Michel
Don Grolnick (Mike Brecker) - Hearts & Numbers

 

[Reet McVouty]

Johnny Hodges was my first exposure (1968), he's the reason I went out and bought my first alto. I tried my best at the time to sound like him, although I don't think anyone can completely. Later on I listened to just about every major jazz saxophonist, alto and tenor. Now I think I only sound like me. I don't "try" to sound like anyone anymore.

 

[rweisheit]

I can't stop quoting Live and Let Die by Wings, does that count?

 

[joebas]

I met Ben Webster back in the 60's at Ronnie Scott's in London. I went to see him and during the break went to the bar and there was Ben at the bar. Sat next to him and had a long chat till the end of the break. At that time I was playing clarinet. 50 years later I started playing tenor Since then my one and only influence is Ben Webster.

 

[Saxaholic]

I still go to Desmond on alto...he is what got me interested back when I was a kid. I play full time tenor now and have always had a hard time deciding who I liked best. I never went for a specific player on tenor. If anything I'd have to say early Rollins but I don't think I have ever played like him. But on alto I immediately gravitate to Desmonds sound, which probably explains why all my calls were for tenor.

- Saxaholic

 

[Reet McVouty]

I can't stop quoting Live and Let Die by Wings, does that count?

Wow, Live and Let Die was the first movie I took my wife to when we started dating. Yes, I am old ....

 

[goldenskyhook]

Interestingly, Sanborn influenced my tenor playing much more than alto. My number ONE influence was Coltrane, specifically "A Love Supreme." I was about ready to walk away from sax playing to be a bass player in a pop band! I was very young. Then I heard that album and went OH! So THAT'S what you can do with a saxophone! I also really loved the early "New Age" players like John Horn, Klemmer, and Jan Garbarek - that buttery-sweet tone! Lenny Pickett blew my mind the first time I heard him "just blowing" with the SNL band.

I turned my back on charts, transcription and most theory quite early in my career. My gifts lie mostly with ear-playing, and improvisation. That's what most people hired me for - session work and sub gigs. I could usually walk into a band that had been together for years and blow an entire gig with them, making it sound like I'd been in the band for years. It always burned me a bit when pedagogic musicians referred to what I do as "faking it." For my nickel, anyone who needs to have a chart before they can even play note ONE is the one who's faking it.

Junior was a major influence of mine as well, and I had the incredible privilege of opening for him once in St. Paul, MN on a frosty winter night. Our "dressing room" was a small area curtained off from the main dance hall. He spritzed me with his own custom cologne fragrance and we talked harnesses. I had made my own double-shoulder harness and he had a beautiful leather one someone had made him. He was incredibly sweet, friendly, and encouraging, and when he said I "had nice tone," I about went through the skylight! I asked him what kind of setup he used, and he said: "none of that **** matters. It's the LIP you put ON the reed that makes the difference." We also commiserated about what it's like being a Blues/Rock/R&B sax player sitting in with jazz cats. Junior said "I sat in one night, and those guys looked down their nose at me and said 'none of that screamin' **** in here. We play JAZZ." I was glad to know I wasn't the only one to have experienced jazz snobbery.

 

[goldenskyhook]

The sound in my head is based on all the sax solos from rock 'n' roll records from late 50's through early 60's. I didn't know who most of the players were until much later, but it started with King Curtis, then Lee Allen and Plas Johnson and Gene "Daddy G" Barge and Steve Douglas and Gil Bernal, then Junior Walker and later Grover Washington Jr. I was never much of a jazz guy, always rock and R&B. John Laughter's "History of Top 40 Sax Solos" is my bible.

I hear you there! Nearly all my influences were guitarists for quite a while - Harrison, Clapton, Hendrix, Mayall, Page, etc. I just naturally gravitated to a deal where you are so immersed in playing things here and now that charts and such are irrelevant.