DS Forums

 
 

The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra


Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 14-09-2015, 18:46
Doghouse Riley
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: North-West England
Posts: 25,883

Never knew there was one.

Impressed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZAZ21NnmHw
Doghouse Riley is offline   Reply With Quote
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
Old 14-09-2015, 22:58
peter_s
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: St Helens
Posts: 379
I didn't know there was one either!

Tommy Smith's playing to me has a strong John Coltrane influence.

I'm not a musician, but i think that for the last 60 years in jazz, the influence of John Coltrane has been so dominant, that there are very few Tenor Saxophonists today who don't play in his style.
The only two that i can think of are Scott Hamilton & Harry Allen, but there may be others.

I think this is a great shame, because it creates a lack of variety in playing styles, & Tenor Saxophonists nowadays (to me at any rate) sound similar; There doesn't seem to be the variety that there was in the 1940s &' 50s, when there were players like Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Sonny Rollins & Stan Getz, & you could tell who it was after a few bars of music.

Maybe i'm just wearing rose tinted spectacles & i need to take them off .

There seems to be more variety in the style of Alto players though.
peter_s is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 14-09-2015, 23:35
Doghouse Riley
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: North-West England
Posts: 25,883
I didn't know there was one either!

Tommy Smith's playing to me has a strong John Coltrane influence.

I'm not a musician, but i think that for the last 60 years in jazz, the influence of John Coltrane has been so dominant, that there are very few Tenor Saxophonists today who don't play in his style.
The only two that i can think of are Scott Hamilton & Harry Allen, but there may be others.

I think this is a great shame, because it creates a lack of variety in playing styles, & Tenor Saxophonists nowadays (to me at any rate) sound similar; There doesn't seem to be the variety that there was in the 1940s &' 50s, when there were players like Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Sonny Rollins & Stan Getz, & you could tell who it was after a few bars of music.

Maybe i'm just wearing rose tinted spectacles & i need to take them off .

There seems to be more variety in the style of Alto players though.
This is true "and half of 'em are Japanese girls."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-fxs_ZWXH4


As for tenor players, I think Coltrane's style is timeless, so those who follow his influences are assured of a style that doesn't become dated.

Here's another tenor player who has some Coltrane influences, but has a style of his own.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YebOyztBhwA

As a (bad) tenor player, I've always admired Ben Webster, as far away from Coltrane as I think you can get. But for many it'll sound dated. I've the same mouthpiece, an Otto Link New York Super Tonemaster, but I can't make my sax sound like he does.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CHzdyJps6M
Doghouse Riley is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-09-2015, 00:33
peter_s
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: St Helens
Posts: 379
I don't mind Tenor players who incorporate some aspects of John Coltrane's style into their playing, but when it takes over & becomes too much, i lose interest & switch off; I can only listen to John Coltrane in small doses, although i do like his ballad playing.

I think i need to listen to more of his music, & persevere with it, maybe i'll get used to it; What puts me off is the harsh sound & steely hard, brittle tone that he can develop, which becomes uncomfortable after a while.

His music certainly isn't easy to listen to, but lots of people like it, so he must be doing something right; It's not for the faint hearted that's for sure, or for those new to jazz & wanting to get into the music; I think you need to build up to it.

That Japanese girl is what i'd call Smooth Jazz, which is one sub-genre of jazz that i don't like; She reminds me of Mindy Abair, Candy Dulfer & David Sanborn. I also don't like Kenny G.

The Joe Lovano & Ben Webster tunes i do like though.
peter_s is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-09-2015, 10:11
Doghouse Riley
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: North-West England
Posts: 25,883
I don't mind Tenor players who incorporate some aspects of John Coltrane's style into their playing, but when it takes over & becomes too much, i lose interest & switch off; I can only listen to John Coltrane in small doses, although i do like his ballad playing.

I think i need to listen to more of his music, & persevere with it, maybe i'll get used to it; What puts me off is the harsh sound & steely hard, brittle tone that he can develop, which becomes uncomfortable after a while.

His music certainly isn't easy to listen to, but lots of people like it, so he must be doing something right; It's not for the faint hearted that's for sure, or for those new to jazz & wanting to get into the music; I think you need to build up to it.

That Japanese girl is what i'd call Smooth Jazz, which is one sub-genre of jazz that i don't like; She reminds me of Mindy Abair, Candy Dulfer & David Sanborn. I also don't like Kenny G.

The Joe Lovano & Ben Webster tunes i do like though.
I'm with you on "Kenny Twiddly-diddly G" as I call him.

This is an excuse for me to link one of my favourite tunes, by Coltrane and one of my favourite singers.

As you say Coltrane, could play ballads.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecrE80rnjhw

I must have this tune by a dozen different artists.

Much of the tone of saxophone, (apart from the make, model, choice of reed, reed strength, ligature and "how you hold your mouth") is produced by the choice of mouthpiece, size and shape of chamber and even they have different "gap" sizes, the gap between the tip of the mouthpiece and the reed.

I've a second metal mouthpiece, by Fred Leybale, which produces a far less rounded tone, closer to "brittle."
Doghouse Riley is offline   Reply With Quote
 
Reply




 
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 14:35.