Sax players "afflicted by an obsession with playing the horn" - andy evans - Jazz Alley

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Sax players "afflicted by an obsession with playing the horn"

In Reply to: Re: Potter posted by D Harvey on September 9, 2020 at 17:15:41:

"I'm not sure why, but saxophone players seem to be most afflicted by an obsession with playing the horn more than playing the music. I've played with guys who played the horn very well, but were paying absolutely no attention to what was going on around them."

I wouldn't say this is the whole story, but it's part of it. The "mechanical" sax soloists, an accusation sometimes levelled at guys like Potter and Brecker, had huge facility. But what did this consist of and how was it acquired? If it was acquired by practising all kinds of licks that could then be strung together into solos then yes, what you would get is just a succession of licks, scales, arpeggios etc. What you would not get is -
- playing around with phrases, developing them, inverting them etc. like Sonny Rollins or Melissa Aldana
- developing harmonic and melodic ideas in a cumulative and constructive way like Coltrane did so well.

So while solos have to fit the context - agree there - they also have to have an architecture, a development, even a sense of humour. In this way they are no different from a well thought out composition. A parade of endless licks all strung together without linear development may get you a job in a band and a lot of fans who admire your facility, but it doesn't fool listeners who demand a higher level of musicality.

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - Brecker Brothers - Harpoon - dwill123 05:38:46 09/08/20 (7)

Nice arrangements - why isn't that jazz? - andy evans 01:34:27 09/09/20 (5)

Re: Potter - Rick W 09:53:58 09/09/20 (4)

Re: Potter - D Harvey 17:15:41 09/09/20 (3)

Sax players "afflicted by an obsession with playing the horn" - andy evans 02:47:46 09/10/20 (2)

What you're saying can, and does, apply to any instrument. - D Harvey 18:03:39 09/10/20 (0)

RE: Sax players "afflicted by an obsession with playing the horn" - GEO 09:54:19 09/10/20 (0)

Close enough. I like it, thanks. Nice solos, kinda Weather Report-ish. nt - Rick W 07:59:32 09/08/20 (0)

Follow Ups

Sax players "afflicted by an obsession with playing the horn" - andy evans 02:47:46 09/10/20 (2)

What you're saying can, and does, apply to any instrument. - D Harvey 18:03:39 09/10/20 (0)

RE: Sax players "afflicted by an obsession with playing the horn" - GEO 09:54:19 09/10/20 (0)

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