Klarinet Archive - Posting 000432.txt from 2002/07

From: "Laurence Young" <klarinette@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Bass Sax
Date: Thu, 18 Jul 2002 09:38:17 -0400

For an interesting bass sax solo check out Sidney Bechet's (Yes, indeed
that's Bechet playing the bass sax!) recording of "Mandy, make up your
mind". I find it both hilarious and the most wonderful bass instrument
sound I've ever heard on recording. Also if you check out the Ken Burns
series on Jazz, you'll see lots of pictures of old bands who included bass
saxes.

Larry

----- Original Message -----
From: <LeliaLoban@-----.com>
Subject: [kl] Bass Sax

> "Apostle Luby D. Jackson" wrote,
> >This is a clever interest of mine. What pieces are scored for
> >complete sax family and what key is the bass sax pitched too?
>
> The bass sax is a B-flat instrument, pitched one octave below the tenor
sax.
> The bass is not considered a solo instrument, I don't play with any
groups,
> and I've never found any solo music I like that was written especially for
> bass sax! Mostly, what I do is improvise from the bass pedal lines of
Bach's
> organ music, or I play opera arias written for bass singers. Since I
listen
> to Mozart opera a lot, I can usually remember the tunes. Sometimes, I
play
> music written for tenor sax, since it's also a B-flat instrument, although
> IMHO, a lot of the tenor sax music sounds too strange an octave below
where
> it belongs.
>
> If you want to hear brilliant playing on bass sax, I highly recommend any
> recordings by The Nuclear Whales Saxophone Orchestra. The Nuclear Whales
> play with the whole family of saxophones, from the tiny E-flat sopranino
down
> to the E-flat contrabass (6'8" tall, playing an octave below the baritone
> sax). The Nuclear Whales have an outstanding bass sax player, Art
Springs,
> (who also plays tenor sax). Their contrabass sax player, Don Stevens (who
> also plays soprano and alto sax) does virtuosic things with that King
> Dinosaur of saxophones that I wouldn't have thought possible.
>
> The Nuclear Whales musicians make their own CDs (Whaleco Music), write
most
> of their own music. They sell sheet music for some of their compositions
> (mostly saxophone quartets and quintets, if I remember right) through
their
> web site,
>
> http://www.nuclearwhales.com/
>
> It's a great website, with lots of photos. That contrabass sax makes my
bass
> sax look petite! They're planning a trip with a lot of other saxophone
> players, to play on top of the Great Wall of China in 2003.
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
>

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