SAXOPHONE PLAYERS

THAT I REALLY LIKED

As far as I’m concerned, some songs just need a sax solo, like pizza needs extra cheese. For me, their bold, brassy sound brought grit and soul that guitars alone could not deliver. From early rock stages to massive arenas, sax players helped give the genre its swagger. That was my conclusion back in the day when I first started hearing DooWop and rock ‘n roll.

Then, in January 1957, I heard Lee Allen who was a tenor saxophone player. I think he was one of the most important instrumentalists in rock’n’roll. Allen’s distinctive tone has been hailed as “one of the defining sounds of rock’n’roll” and “one of the DNA strands of rock.” Gotta tell you that he inspired me to seek out and listen to many, many saxophone players over the past 7 decades. There are hundreds who played jazz and R&B. So, it was difficult to blog about just a few. But here are some of my favorites.

Allen was a key figure in New Orleans rock and roll of the 1950s and recorded with many leading performers of the early rock and roll era. He was semiretired from music by the late 1960s, but in the late 1970s returned to performing intermittently until the end of his life. Lee Allen’s tenor sax was one of rock’s original weapons. On Little Richard and Fats Domino recordings, his solos were raw celebrations of rhythm and lust.
He blew with the confidence of a man who helped invent rock and roll. Every honk and scream in his tone carries the wild joy of the 1950s. He released this in 1958 and I loved it!

King Curtis. Session work in the 1960s meant playing on dozens of recordings. I think Curtis Ousley, known professionally as King Curtis, mastered that craft better than almost anyone. He had a number of hits I liked too.

To me his tenor saxophone became a defining ingredient on recordings such as The Coasters’ ‘Yakety Yak’ and Aretha Franklin’s ‘Respect,’ plus countless others. The distinctive sound Curtis brought to tracks like “Yakety Yak” added a raw, exciting edge that made me sit up and pay attention.

If you’ve ever tapped your feet to early rock and roll song without knowing why it felt so alive, Curtis probably had something to do with it. His ability to blend R&B soul with rock energy created a template many would follow. This tune from January 1963 gets my point across.

Sidney Bechet (1897-1959) was a favorite of my dad’s, and he became one of mine too.

Born in New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz, Bechet started out on the clarinet and impressed at an early age before switching to the then-unfashionable and rarely heard soprano saxophone after discovering one in a London junk shop in 1920. Soon after, he made his first recordings and caught the ear with his reedy soprano blowing, which had a tremulous vibrato and emotional intensity. I love his work.

Earl Bostic (1913-1965) was from Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was an alto saxophonist and got his big break in vibraphonist Lionel Hampton’s band just before World War II. His fat, earthy tone and fluid, blues-infused style had a huge impact on a young John Coltrane, who cut his teeth in Bostic’s band in the early 50s. Bostic was extremely popular in the field of post-war R&B, racking up several US hits. This is a 40’s tune done by many, but Earl’s version from 1951 is the one I like best.

Boots Randolph. Hearing “Yakety Sax” might spark memories of wild comedy chases. But Boots Randolph’s impact reached far beyond slapstick soundtracks.

I believe his bright, playful approach, proved the saxophone could inject pure joy into rock while still showcasing serious technical skill. Inside Nashville studios during the 1960s and 1970s, his sessions added sparkle to countless recordings that might otherwise have felt too restrained. For me his legacy shows how a musician can elevate everything simply by keeping the spirit of fun alive in every note. He recorded this in 1963 long before Benny Hill.

Raphael Ravenscroft. I think this saxophone solo defined his entire career. His work on Gerry Rafferty’s “Baker Street” did exactly that.

That iconic opening riff became one of the most recognizable sounds in 1970s rock, instantly transporting me to a specific mood and moment. I found his tone combined his smoothness with just enough edge to keep things interesting throughout the song’s extended instrumental sections.

While he played on many other recordings, “Baker Street” remains a masterclass in how a single, perfectly crafted performance can achieve immortality. 1978.

Sil Austin was an American jazz saxophonist I discovered. I have an album of his music. Austin played with Roy Eldridge briefly in 1949, and with Cootie Williams in 1951–52 and Tiny Bradshaw in 1952–54, before setting up his own successful touring group. He recorded over 30 albums for Mercury and had a number of Top 40 hits with pop tunes like “Danny Boy” (his signature tune), “Slow Walk” and “My Mother’s Eyes”. “Slow Walk” peaked the highest at Number 17. Austin described the sound of his 1950s singles as; “Exciting horn, honking horn, gutbucket horn is what kids wanted to hear, so I made sure I played more of that. They called it rock ‘n’ roll. And the records sold.” This was released in 1956. Good tune for the Stroll!

Leo Parker (April 18, 1925 – February 11, 1962) was a jazz musician, who primarily played baritone saxophone. In the 1950s, Parker had problems with drug abuse, which interfered with his recording career. He made two comeback records for Blue Note in 1961, but the following year he died of a heart attack in New York City. He was 36.

He played on 52nd Street in New York with Dizzy Gillespie in 1946 and Illinois Jacquet in 1947-48, and later recorded with Fats Navarro, J.J. Johnson, Teddy Edwards, Wardell Gray and Charles Thompson. He and Thompson had a hit with their Apollo Records release, “Mad Lad”.

I just couldn’t get enough of this dreamy tune when I first found it. And I love it still.

I am 82. I have been many places, seen and done many things. I have enjoyed most genres of music. I was a DJ. I was an army brat and a soldier, losing a leg in Vietnam. I learned adaptive sports and taught them to people all over our great nation and overseas. I have guided and lead expeditions down raging rivers.

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